Limavady therapist Martina wins Impact Award with Seating Matters

Occupational therapist Martina Tierney from Limavady has been named the Catalyst Impact Award Winner 2022 for her work with Seating Matters, designing therapeutic chairs for patients with disabilities.
By Brendan McDaid
Published 16th Aug 2022, 11:23 BST
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The brand new Catalyst Impact Award is a part of Catalyst’s annual innovation competition, INVENT 2022. It recognises an inspirational business leader who has significantly contributed to Northern Ireland by creating positive and inclusive economic and social impact from innovation.

Martina’s work with Seating Matters has been recognised by an expert panel of judges, making her the first ever recipient of the prestigious award.

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Throughout her 30-year career working with patients, Martina discovered the profound effects that unsafe seating could have on patient outcomes. In response to a lack of appropriate seating in care homes in her local community, Martina established Seating Matters in 2008.

Pictured at Seating Matters HQ in Limavady, Meg Magill, INVENT programme manager, Catalyst, Martina Tierney, clinical director at Seating Matters, Elaine Smyth, head of innovation community, Catalyst and Mark Cunningham, head of Regional Business Centres, Bank of Ireland UKPictured at Seating Matters HQ in Limavady, Meg Magill, INVENT programme manager, Catalyst, Martina Tierney, clinical director at Seating Matters, Elaine Smyth, head of innovation community, Catalyst and Mark Cunningham, head of Regional Business Centres, Bank of Ireland UK
Pictured at Seating Matters HQ in Limavady, Meg Magill, INVENT programme manager, Catalyst, Martina Tierney, clinical director at Seating Matters, Elaine Smyth, head of innovation community, Catalyst and Mark Cunningham, head of Regional Business Centres, Bank of Ireland UK

Martina designed the first therapeutic chairs to meet the complex needs and pressure injuries of her individual patients.

Research has shown that appropriate seating improves respiration, digestion, posture, reduces pressure injuries and improves a patient’s overall quality of life.

Martina, Clinical Director at Seating Matters said: “It is an honour to be recognised by the local community and the INVENT panel for my work with Seating Matters. I am so glad that more people can now see the importance that good seating has on a person’s health and wellbeing.

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“When I first established Seating Matters in response to a lack of appropriate seating in local care homes, I never imagined our business would grow to where it is today.

“We now supply our chairs across the UK and Ireland, Australia, USA, Canada and other parts of Europe. We have aggressive growth plans where we will supply our chairs to many new territories globally in the next five years, allowing us to help more people.”

Meg Magill, INVENT Programme Manager, said: “Martina is truly deserving to be the first recipient of our brand new Impact Award. Her work with Seating Matters has been incredible and deserves to be recognised.”

Mark Cunningham, Head of Regional Business Centres at Bank of Ireland UK, headline partner of the INVENT Awards, described Martina as “an inspirational business leader and a very worthy winner”.

The INVENT 2022 Awards Night will take place on September 1 at the ICC Waterfront Belfast. Tickets can be purchased at: www.invent22.co/awards.

Related topics:LimavadyNorthern Ireland