Bo’ness community campaigner Maria Ford has been reflecting on her life and legacy.
Born in Edinburgh, Maria lived briefly in Linlithgow before moving to Bo’ness at age three. She first lived with her grandparents at Deanfield Drive. She now lives with husband Jim in Craigallan Park.
Maria grew up in a large family with Italian and Irish heritage. This gave her a strong sense of community from a young age.
Her granddad was a great storyteller. He inspired her lifelong interest in local history and her passion for sharing knowledge about the area.
Listen to Maria’s story
In these clips, Maria talks about her career in childcare and early years education. She also explains her decision to take early retirement due to health problems.
Maria speaks openly about the personal challenges she faced with strength. This includes the “dreadful time” she went through after losing two babies.
More recently, Maria was registered blind in 2025. She now uses new technology to continue her community work.
She also shares the difficult lesson of learning how to ask for help after a lifetime of helping others.
Volunteering
Maria started volunteering through her church. Following her mother’s battle with cancer, she helped create the Dorina Morris appeal. This appeal raised money for:
- specialised mattresses
- essential items for elderly people
- support for infirm people in the community
Maria served as the chair of The Friends of Kinneil charity for six years. She campaigned to stop Kinneil Museum from closing.
She was the secretary of Bo’net (the Bo’ness Networking Group), which supports local community groups, and helped deliver a refreshed garden at Bo’ness Hospital.
Maria is currently an active member of the Bo’ness Fair committee and had the honour of crowning the Fair Queen in 2018 (pictured below).
She talks passionately about what the Fair means to her.
“Live life. Enjoy life. I’ve no regrets,” says Maria.
Images and interview by Adrian Mahoney / The PR Store
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