Rural leadership from Mid Ulster and across Northern Ireland has been recognised at the prestigious CO3 Chief Officers 3rd Sector Leadership Awards 2026, held at the Europa Hotel, where three exceptional women received top honours for their leadership, vision and impact across the voluntary and community sector.
Teresa Canavan, Louise Coyle and Charmain Jones were each recognised for their outstanding contributions to policy, community development and community relations—marking a significant moment for rural organisations and highlighting the strength of leadership emerging from communities often underrepresented in decision-making. Their achievements underscore the power of rural leadership at a time when local voices, grassroots action and community-driven change are more important than ever.
Teresa Canavan, CEO of Rural Action, received the ‘Leadership in a Small Organisation/Charity Award’ in recognition of her visionary leadership, resilience and ability to deliver meaningful outcomes with limited resources. With over 30 years’ experience in rural development, she founded Rural Action in 2019 to create a solutions-focused organisation dedicated to supporting the community and voluntary sector in delivering impactful rural initiatives. Under her leadership, the organisation now delivers programmes on behalf of central and local government, acts as a Managing Agent for the International Fund for Ireland, and has helped design PEACEPLUS-supported initiatives to strengthen rural communities. Since launching the Rural Action Awards in 2022, £40,000 has been reinvested directly into local areas.
She said: “Leading a rural organisation is about people, relationships and showing up for communities in both the good times and the challenging ones. This award belongs to the staff, board and communities we work alongside every day. It reflects the resilience, innovation and commitment that exists within rural areas, and the vital role our sector plays in supporting and sustaining those communities.”
Louise Coyle, Executive Director of the Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN), was honoured with the ‘Leading Policy and Communications Leadership Award’ for her influential role in shaping policy and amplifying the voices of rural women. Her strategic communication, compelling storytelling and fearless advocacy have elevated rural women’s issues to regional and national platforms, ensuring their voices are heard in key decision-making spaces.
She said: “This recognition is not just about individuals – it reflects the collective strength of rural women and communities right across Northern Ireland. Every day we see women stepping forward, leading change, and shaping the future of their communities, often without recognition. This award shines a light on that leadership and reinforces the importance of ensuring rural voices are heard at every level of decision-making.”
Charmain Jones, a respected community connector and long-standing champion for rural cohesion, received the ‘Community Relations Leadership Award’ for her tireless work strengthening relationships across diverse groups and fostering a culture of trust, inclusion and shared purpose. Her leadership has helped bridge divides, empower women and create spaces where rural communities can thrive together.
She said: “Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland does not just happen in cities or formal political spaces – it happens every day in our rural communities, in our halls, our groups and our shared spaces. Over many years, I have seen first-hand the power of bringing people together across difference – whether that is religion, identity, background or experience – and creating space for honest conversation, understanding and respect. Rural communities are often overlooked in this work, yet they hold enormous potential to lead the way in building more inclusive, connected and peaceful societies. This recognition highlights the importance of continuing to invest in that work and ensuring no community is left behind.”
Minister Muir, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs commented: “I am delighted to see the contributions of Teresa Canavan (Rural Action), Louise Coyle and Charmain Jones (Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network) recognised through the CO3 Leadership Awards. Rural communities rely heavily on the leadership of voluntary and community organisations, with rural women often at their heart. As Rural Policy Working Group Co Chairs and Oversight Group members, Teresa Canavan and Louise Coyle played a vital leadership role in the successful co design of draft policy proposals, amplifying the voices of local rural communities in the development of the new draft rural policy, Rural NI: Our New Approach 2026–2041 which is currently open for public consultation.”
Together, the three awards represent a powerful endorsement of the impact of rural organisations and the vital role they play in building inclusive, connected and sustainable communities. The organisations described the evening as not only a celebration of success, but also a reminder of the importance of collaboration across the voluntary and community sector—particularly at a time when demand for services continues to grow amid limited resources.
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NOTES FOR EDITOR
Notes to Editor: –
• CO3 is a membership organisation that represents chief officers, senior managers, and trustees of community and voluntary organisations and social enterprises across Northern Ireland. With 900 members, they provide a wide range of leadership development programmes designed to build leadership capacity, enhance skills, and facilitate peer learning opportunities.
• The CO3 Leadership Awards is a fundraising event that takes place annually to recognise and celebrate outstanding leadership within Northern Ireland’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.
• Each year, CO3 bring together sector leaders, partners and supporters to acknowledge the people and organisations driving positive change often in challenging and complex environments.
• The awards are designed not only to recognise achievement, but to elevate the visibility of the sector and the vital role it plays in society.
• Teresa Canavan has over 30 years’ experience working in rural development across a wide range of projects and programmes. She founded Rural Action in 2019 after identifying the need for a solutions focused, not for profit organisation dedicated to supporting the community and voluntary sector in the design and delivery of impactful rural initiatives. Under her leadership, the organisation now delivers multiple programmes on behalf of central and local government and serves as a Managing Agent for the International Fund for Ireland and was instrumental in the design of two new PEACEPLUS supported programmes aimed at strengthening the rural community and voluntary sector. One of her core ambitions when establishing Rural Action was to create a rural specific award scheme that would reinvest directly into rural communities. Since its launch in 2022, the Rural Action Awards have invested £40,000 back into local areas—equivalent to £1,000 every month—demonstrating her commitment to meaningful, grassroots impact. Rural Action is regional organisation that works across all of rural Northern Ireland and works to support projects in the border counties of Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Louth, Leitrim and Sligo, from its office base in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone.
• Louise Coyle is a community advocate and leader who serves as the Director of the Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN), an organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting the rights and wellbeing of women in rural areas of Northern Ireland. In her role she has worked with government bodies — including making representations to Stormont, Westminster and Dublin — to highlight the unique challenges faced by rural women and to influence policy on gender equality and rural development. She has also engaged in civil society representation at international forums, including to the United Nations in Geneva and New York, and was appointed to the Department for Communities Gender Expert Panel to contribute to research for the Northern Ireland Executive’s Gender Equality Strategy. Her leadership reflects a long standing commitment to amplifying rural women’s voices in both local and broader political conversations about equality and community development.
• Charmain Jones is a community development and peacebuilding professional from Northern Ireland who works to support rural women and build good relations across communities. She serves as the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network, bringing over 25 years of experience in good relations, peacebuilding, community and youth development to her role and earning wide respect for her commitment and impact. As a Social Change Initiative fellow, she has conducted research on gender equality abroad and published work on the future of gender equality in Northern Ireland and has co created a digital toolkit on Women, Peace and Security. Charmain is also a fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Peacebuilding and is completing a master’s degree in Trauma Studies.