Brave Harrogate woman wins national award

Inspirational Lauren Doherty, who, despite her permanent disabilities, now visits Harrogate schools in person to promote road safety, has been recognised at The British Citizen Awards.
Winner - Lauren Doherty, centre, with her award.Winner - Lauren Doherty, centre, with her award.
Winner - Lauren Doherty, centre, with her award.

The 30-year-old former Harrogate High School student, who is still paralysed after a horrific accident in 2008, received the honour at The Palace of Westminster for the positive impact her voluntary Road Safety Talks work has had on the community since she launched them in 2016.

It's the third award this year for the brave Knaresborough woman who uses her own traumatic experience to educate children and adults about road safety and disabilities and give them a message of hope.

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New - Harrogate residents face dust, diversions and disruptionThe moment life changed for Lauren was on a night out with friends when she was 19, when she was distracted and crossed the road without looking.

She was hit by a van and as a result is still totally paralysed.

After the accident in which she broke her spine in two places, as well as her pelvis, Lauren went on to spent 16 months in different hospitals in Harrogate, Leeds and Sheffield.

But she has always aimed to focus on the positive to help others.

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As a result, she won the Volunteer of the Year 2019 accolade in the Yorkshire Choice Awards earlier in the year.

Then, last week, Lauren won the Members Choice Award at the Spinal Injuries Association Rebuilding Lives Awards ceremony at The Williams Conference Centre in Oxford.

So successful have her school visits been that that her recent application to the Charity Commission for England and Wales has been accepted and Road Safety talks is now a Registered Charity.

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