Bel Mooney facts for kids

Beryl Ann "Bel" Mooney (born October 8, 1946) is an English journalist and writer. She is known for her columns in newspapers like the Daily Mail. She has also written for the Daily Mirror and The Times.

Bel Mooney has written many books, including stories for children. She also helped create a charity called Sands. This charity supports families who have lost babies.

Bel Mooney's Early Life and School

Bel Mooney was born in Liverpool, England. Her parents were Gladys and Edward Mooney. She spent her first few years in Liverpool on a housing estate. Bel went to Aigburth Vale High School for Girls after passing her 11-plus exam.

When she was 14, her family moved to Wiltshire. There, she attended Trowbridge Girls' High School. She did well in school, passing eight O-levels. She also studied English, Latin, and Art for her A-levels. Bel then went to University College London (UCL). She studied English Language and Literature and graduated in 1969. Later, in 1994, she was honored as a fellow of UCL.

Bel Mooney's Career

Working as a Journalist

After finishing university, Bel Mooney started working as a freelance journalist. This means she wrote for different publications without being a full-time employee. From 1979 to 1980, she wrote a regular column for the Daily Mirror newspaper. She has also been a regular columnist for The Times (from 2005 to 2007). Other newspapers she wrote for include The Sunday Times and The Listener.

Writing Books

Bel Mooney is also a successful author. She wrote the Kitty and Friends series of stories for young girls. Her children's novel, The Voices of Silence, received an award from the New York Public Library. It was also considered for a Gold Medal in California.

Besides her fiction books, Bel Mooney has written many non-fiction books. These include Bel Mooney's Somerset (1989). She also wrote a memoir called Small Dogs Can Save Your Life (2010). This book shares her thoughts on love, loss, recovery, and her love for dogs.

Bel Mooney's Personal Life

Bel Mooney met Jonathan Dimbleby when they were both working on a student newspaper. They got married in February 1968. They were married for 38 years before they divorced in 2006. Bel and Jonathan have two adult children. Their daughter, Kitty (born 1980), is a journalist. Their son, Daniel (born 1974), is a television producer. They also had a son named Tom, who was stillborn in 1975.

On September 8, 2007, Bel Mooney married Robin Allison-Smith. He used to be a photographer and is now a businessman. They live near Bath, England.

Charity Work

Bel Mooney is a co-founder and supporter of Sands. This charity is a leading organization in the UK. It helps families who have experienced stillbirth or neonatal death.

Bel Mooney and Hazelanne Lewis both had stillborn babies in the 1970s. At that time, parents were often not allowed to see or hold their babies. They were not given photos or told where their babies were buried. Bel Mooney wrote an article about this experience for The Guardian newspaper.

After her article, Hazelanne Lewis asked bereaved parents to share their stories. Many parents responded, which led to the founding of the charity. It was first called the Stillbirth Association.