Carrickfergus teen Madison Wright picks up Rotary Young Citizen Award in recognition of support for Northern Ireland Children's Hospice

Madison (16) received the accolade after being nominated by the Rotary Club of Carrickfergus for her outstanding support of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

The Carrickfergus Academy pupil has raised over £100,000 for the charity, for which she is a Youth Ambassador, over the last six years.

Madison received the accolade on Saturday, April 20 from two former winners, Bella Field and Katriona Goodsell, at the Rotary Young Citizen Awards ceremony in Alcester, Warwickshire, the home of Rotary Great Britain and Ireland.

Congratulating Madison, Trevor McCartney, Acting Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Hospice, said: “This achievement is a testament to Madison’s hard work and commitment to steadfastly supporting Children’s Hospice care for babies, children, young people and their families. NI Hospice is very proud of Madison, and this recognition is well-deserved!”

Amanda Irvine, principal at Carrickfergus Academy, added: “Madison is incredibly humble about all that she has achieved and is absolutely focused, not on herself in any way, but on raising money to help those children who are cared for by the Children’s Hospice.”

Madison was chosen as a 2024 winner alongside eight other young people. Now in its 17th anniversary year, the Rotary Young Citizen Awards was launched in 2007 to celebrate the amazing achievements of inspirational young people across Great Britain and Ireland, many of whom have assumed important responsibilities at a very young age.