A North Antrim couple have received the Overcoming Adversity Award at this year’s Spirit of Northern Ireland awards in partnership with Ulster Bank.
Johnny and Corrina McAleese, founders of the charity Noah’s story, have been recognised for their fundraising efforts and for opening a bereavement room at Causeway Hospital.
Born out of heartbreak, Noah’s Story was established following the tragic passing of their son Noah, who sadly passed away after a farm accident in 2022. The charity is now on a mission to improve care for families experiencing bereavement.
In the first of its kind, a specialist bereavement suite was opened by Johnny and Corrina at Coleraine Hospital in 2025 and has been named in Noah’s honour. The inspirational couple want to continue their fundraising efforts and see a similar service offered at all hospitals in Northern Ireland.
Held in partnership with Ulster Bank, the awards took place on Friday night (18thSeptember) at the Culloden Hotel and recognised some of Northern Ireland’s most inspirational, unsung heroes. Alongside Bernie, other winners included a mental health campaigner from Belfast, a RNLI volunteer from Bangor and a retired GP who provided palliative care services in south Down.
Famous faces from the worlds of sport, television, film and music also attended the event and helped to present some of the awards. Guests included stars of hit BBC drama Blue Lights, Bob Geldof and B*Witched, who also performed at the event.
Terry Robb, Head of Branch and Local Banking, at title sponsor Ulster Bank said:
“This year’s Spirit of Northern Ireland awards in partnership with Ulster Bank, have been another wonderful celebration of the people and organisations who make our communities extraordinary.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, including Johnny and Corrina for their Overcoming Adversity award. Your achievements and sense of community spirit are truly remarkable, and we have all come away from this event feeling inspired.
“It is a huge privilege to be part of such an uplifting event year on year and one we certainly don’t take for granted. Events like the Spirit Awards are a great reminder of why connection and community matter so much and we want to take some of that same spirit on display at the awards into other areas of our working lives.
“Ultimately our goal is to help communities and businesses across Northern Ireland succeed, and the Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards continue to play a key role in this effort.”
For more information about the charity, search Noah’s Story on facebook and visit the Belfast Telegraph website to see more photos and videos from the awards ceremony.