Aurelia Kelly with donations for the Ballymena Foodbank.
A heart of gold: a huge heart; always giving and thinking of others - how people described the well-known Ballymena lady, Aurelia Kelly (54), who tragically lost her life after a fatal road traffic collision near Ballymoney on Thursday 4 November 2021.
It was with great sadness that news emerged of Aurelia Kelly’s passing, for the many people who knew her, they realised that this world had a lost a soul that it so badly needed more of - one of love, kindness, compassion and care.
Aurelia loved to combine her creativity with her deep-rooted faith, to help others in the local community, and in particular was a dedicated supporter of the Ballymena Foodbank.
December 2020 - Aurelia decorated her home and invited the community to use the Santa Postbox in a bid to raise funds for Cash for Kids and the Ballymena Foodbank.
April 2020 - Aurelia’s ‘Three Bears Picnic’. Aurelia collected hundreds of items for the local foodbank.
This Christmas will be very different for the Kelly family, but Aurelia’s husband Trevor, son Andrew and daughter-in-law Laura, and daughter Rebecca, want to honour the memory of wife and mum, Aurelia, by opening the garden at their home at 1 Galgorm Lodge, Ballymena, to receive items for the town’s foodbank.
Trevor commented on the labour of love saying:
“As a family we want to ensure that the ministry of Aurelia Kelly continues to serve.
“Therefore in her memory we have opened our garden in 1 Galgorm Lodge, to receive donations for food bank until 14 December.
“We would appreciate your support in helping us provide for this very worthwhile charity.”
Aurelia Kelly
Local Postie, Geoffrey Aiken, is a friend of the Kelly family, and previously helped Aurelia in transporting her donations to the Foodbank. Geoffrey recently shared his tribute to Aurelia and said:
“I had the absolute pleasure of meeting this wonderful human being named Aurelia Kelly when she contacted me after hearing that myself and some of my workmates were doing our post rounds in fancy dress during the first covid lockdown to raise funds, donations and awareness for Ballymena Foodbank.
“She was also gathering donations from neighbours and passersby in her front garden and thought we could collaborate.
“She was truly one of life's good people, always up to something to enrich the lives of others.
“Even the last week before she passed away, she was gathering newspapers from friends and neighbours for a local animal sanctuary.
“This community has lost someone very special who was most definitely one of the kindest and warmest people I have ever met.”
As a dedicated fundraiser and man with a big heart, Geoffrey is once again helping to transport donations to the Kelly family home in Galgorm Lodge.
You are invited to get involved in supporting other families in need this December, whilst remembering Aurelia.
The family will gratefully receive your donations for the Ballymena Foodbank, at their Ballymena home (1 Galgorm Lodge), up until the 14 December.
Aurelia pictured with husband Trevor.