March 2009: BELFAST business woman Brenda Shankey has this week received one of charity’s highest charity accolades, as a result of her tireless work with Save the Children.

Male Grooming guru Brenda, who runs three successful salons with her husband Jason, the founder of Male Grooming in the UK, began work for the charity just under a year ago when she took up a role as their Children’s Ambassador in Northern Ireland.

The couple attended a glittering awards’ ceremony in London this week where Brenda and fellow Save the Children supporter, Sherry Chamberlain were presented with an Outstanding Contribution to Children and a Lifetime Achievement Award by HRH Princess Anne.

Since becoming involved with Save the Children, Brenda has helped raise over £80,000 for the charity, through various fund raising events and her own recent high profile participation in the New York Marathon.

A true people’s champion, Brenda, who has received support and applause from clients and supporters alike and everyone from Eammon Holmes to the Princess Royal, has also been fundamental in helping raise awareness of child poverty here in Northern Ireland and the valuable work of the organisation.

“I am delighted to have been honoured in this way and feel very humbled that my work has been recognised but it is just something I feel very passionately about."

“Princess Anne was lovely and she spent ages chatting to Jason and I when I received the award, and asked all about how we became such supporters of the charity.

“I told her that I feel that children don’t have a voice and I feel very strongly that someone should speak out and lobby on their behalf and that’s what I have been doing.”

Brenda was approached by the charity last year following her compelling appearance on a BBC documentary programme which involved her swapping lives with a single mum in Armagh to highlight child poverty in the province.