By 
A TYRONE-based charity that supports the farming community across the North received two prestigious awards at this year’s UK Helplines Partnership Conference.
Rural Support, which is based in Cookstown, was honoured with the Staff Wellbeing Support Award and the Employee of the Year Award.
The Staff Wellbeing Support Award acknowledges Rural Support’s proactive approach to creating a positive, supportive working environment.
The organisation has prioritised staff wellbeing through initiatives such as e.g. mental health support, a flexible working environment and wellbeing training initiatives, ensuring its team feels valued and equipped to deliver vital programmes and services to farmers and their families.
The Employee of the Year Award was presented to Melissa Wylie, Farm Support and Therapeutical Services Programme Manager, whose dedication, compassion, and professionalism have made an outstanding contribution to the charity’s work and the wider farming community.
Her colleagues describe her as ‘a natural, showing empathy and compassion for others. Melissa provides a wealth of knowledge to the Farm Support Unit and the wider team’.
Melissa said she was ‘truly honoured’ to have received the award.
“Working with Rural Support and supporting the farming community is incredibly rewarding, and I’m so grateful to be part of such a caring and dedicated team.
“However, I cannot take all the credit as this is a team win and it is a privilege to lead our Farm Support Team who provide a vital lifeline for our farming community across Northern Ireland. Thank you for believing and trusting in me,” she said.
Rural Support chief executive Kevin Doherty said, “We are absolutely thrilled to have been recognised with not one, but two, awards at this year’s UK Helplines Partnership Conference. Winning the Staff Wellbeing Support Award and Employee of the Year Award is a wonderful testament to the commitment, compassion, and hard work of our entire team.
“At Rural Support we care deeply about supporting our staff so they can continue making a real difference for the farming community across the province. These awards are a reflection of that shared dedication and the positive culture we’ve built together. It is an honour for the charity to be recognised at this UK wide level.”
