Betty Given, who has died aged 68, did extraordinary work in the Rathenraw area of Antrim, the most deprived in the town. As well as economic deprivation, the estate suffered sectarianism, being a nationalist enclave in a largely Protestant town.
When Betty Given began community work in Rathenraw in the 1990s, many houses were boarded up, residents were moving out and antisocial behaviour was a problem. Betty Given had the gifts to turn this around. By nature she was a problem-solver. She was a tiny woman, but possessed of huge determination that wrongs should be be righted. She was also an encourager of others.
She established a community house in Rathenraw, which contained a computer suite, accessible to school students. She would take in young people involved in low-level antisocial behaviour and explain to them why their actions were wrong. People in the community knew she was constantly there for them. Her work was not always easy, the unionist-controlled Antrim Borough Council being reluctant to provide resources.
As well as hands-on community work, she was a prodigious fundraiser. Funds raised helped build a strong community infrastructure, with facilities particularly for young people and families. Rathenraw’s youth club, which she helped found, is one of the strongest in the area.
Farranshane House is a physical monument to her. She was instrumental in developing this social economy enterprise. It provides accommodation for community facilities, such as Antrim’s Citizens’ Advice Bureau, and small businesses. It is situated in what is perceived to be a nationalist area, but individuals and groups from all backgrounds use it.
Before taking on community work, Given had taught English to Vietnamese boat people and been a tutor with the Workers’ Educational Association.
Georgina Elizabeth Stewart was born in 1947 in Monkstown, on the northern outskirts of Belfast, one of six children. Her father, Robert Stewart, was a shipyard worker from the Shankill Road, and her mother, Sarah Elizabeth (née Brown), was from Clabby, Co Fermanagh. In her teenage years, her father died of an asbestos-related disease.
Qualified teacher
She was educated at the local primary school, then the secondary intermediate school in Monkstown. At Stranmillis Teacher Training College she studied English and religion, qualifying as a primary school teacher. Later in life, she undertook trade union studies at the University of Ulster.
As a child of the 1960s, she absorbed the radicalism of that time, but she was never a member of a political party until her later years, when she joined the Women's Coalition.
She first worked as a teacher, then joined the civil service. Rising herself to a management role, she was known for looking out for the manual grades. A couple of decades ago, she took early retirement. Her funeral showed how respected she was across all political currents. Typically, she asked for no flowers, but donations to a community project in Rathenraw.
She is survived by her widower, Clive, daughter Sarah, sons Kevin, Michael and Frank, grandchildren and siblings.