By Canon Rev Dr Rod Garner
A campaigning Southport woman has been presented with a prestigious award for her tireless work supporting families in Southport and in Kenya for the past 20 years.
Janetta Lawrance was awarded a Fellowship by the Trustees of the Josephine Butler Society at an awards ceremony in the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
With the Fellowship came an award of £1,000 to enable Janetta to pursue her interest in social issues, particularly homelessness, poverty, refugees and asylum seekers.
She is married to Paul and their home is currently shared with two young Ukrainian women.
Janetta received the award in recognition of her contribution to the local community over a period of 20 years. In her former roles she has led activities for children and young people, provided pastoral care to the housebound, sick, and elderly, and represented the Children’s Society, a major national Church of England charity.
She has also been involved in a church project working in the slums of Kibera in Nairobi, providing food for children and helping them to break the cycle of poverty.
Currently, Janetta is an advice worker for Shoreline Foodbank in Southport which serves approximately 250 people each month, many dealing with a wide range of mental and physical health issues.
Josephine Butler was a distinguished social reformer in 19th century England, who worked tirelessly and successfully to further women’s rights, education, and employment. She worked in Liverpool for several years, setting up a home for prostitutes and ministering to the hundreds of young women forced into the Liverpool Workhouse.
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