MBE ‘the icing on top of my radio cake’, says broadcaster Helen Mark
A freelance broadcaster known for presenting BBC’s Open Country and the Ulster-Scots programme ‘Kintra’ has said she is “thrilled” to be made an MBE.
Helen Mark started her work with the BBC at Radio Foyle in 1987, and has gone on to present and report on a range of programmes.
She said it was a “huge surprise” to be made an MBE for services to broadcasting as part of the New Year Honours.
Mark was born in Kelso in the Scottish Borders, but now lives with her husband on a farm near Limavady in Co Londonderry, where they raised their sons.
Speaking to the Press Association, she said: “The letter came in a very posh envelope, you know, really good paper.
“And you open it up and I said to my husband: “What’s this?” I thought it was a summons.”
Mark, who also presents the BBC’s the Twelfth programme and regularly features on the ‘Your Place And Mine’ show, said her radio and television work had taken her across Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Despite the precarious nature of the freelance work, Ms Mark said she had had a “really wonderful”, “interesting” and “deeply personal experiences” throughout her career.
“Radio in particular, it’s possibly my favourite because I love that somebody sits with me, stands with me, walks with me and tells me their story,” she said.
“They share that, and then I bring it back for other people to listen to.”
She said: “They trust us, me, to be careful with the words and present their story to other listeners, and honestly, I feel quite emotional sometimes when I’m saying that.”
For more than 30 years, Mark said she has tried to create an environment were people feel they are able to talk to her about their lives, passions, and interests.
“People want to share their stories of place, because those places are important to them, and I am a way in which I can make that happen on the air, on our airwaves through radio,” she said.
“We’re full of stories in this part of the world, there are stories which people think they’re not very important, but actually they have a resonance for so many other people who are listening, whether it is to do with how they live and work on the land, how they feel about their culture and heritage, how they feel about the need to share their experiences of poor health, depression.
“I have just loved every moment of being with people who are happy to share their stories with me. And honestly, I can’t begin to tell you how much of a privilege that is. It’s really, really special.”
Reacting to being made an MBE, she said: “I just love to quietly go about what I do, and that’s the joy – this is like the icing on the top of my radio cake.”