Marie Kirby

I would like to nominate my Mum, Marie. In July of 2012 it will be her 60th birthday. Apart from being a brilliant Mum, she has been a Primary School secretary for 35 years. She goes beyond her duty and is also the first aider, lunchtime supervisor, organises and supervises after school activities, transport. In the past two years she has helped to organise a `Women`s Wednesday` evening during term time for local women to take part in different activities including City and Guilds Computer classes (although that was one year). Outside of school, Mum is a carer in the community and assists our local church by being a Eucharistic minister and creates (voluntarily) wonderful flower displays at Easter and Christmas plus volunteers in teams to clean the chapel. When she is not doing any of those things she is Mum of four and a grandmother of 9 grandchildren. She has been a source of great strength for all of us, especially me. I have the condition hydrocephalus and although I live a normal life, on four occasions between 2003- 2006 I had 4 shunt revisions. Mum dropped everything to be with me in London where i was living at the time to care and support me. More recently my 88 year old grandmother broke her hip at Christmas and Mum has given up a lot of her free time to care for her and attend to all her personal and daily needs despite living 30 miles away so that granny can stay in her home. i think carrying the torch would be a a great celebration of her 60 years.