A SUCCESSFUL scientist with a conscience has been crowned this year’s Daily Post Merseyside Woman of the Year.

Maura O’Donnell, director of Vitaflo, scooped 2,187 votes from the public.

Judges heard how biochemist Maura had invested her own money into the Knowsley-based company to help it become one of the fastest developing companies on Merseyside.

The international company produces nutrients for seriously ill children, including disease-related malnutrition.

In addition the mother-of-four has helped keep charity at the top of the agenda with mercy missions in Rwanda, funding a school building and transport for patients to hospital.

The Liverpool Daily Post Special Award was presented to Marie McCourt for her tireless work for SAMM – Support After Murder and Manslaughter.

She has helped 500 families cope with the devastation of having a loved one taken in violent circumstances, despite suffering the loss of her own daughter Helen.

Marie also runs training sessions with the police and media to help them in their jobs to deal sensitively with people bereaved in such circumstances.

Judges were extremely impressed with the calibre of entrants this year.

"The field was extremely strong this year," said judge Jean Gadsby. "The quality just gets higher and higher and it’s getting harder to be nominated as a finalist. We were looking not just for women who were successful in their paid work but who put in something extra, something women have put effort into in their own time."

The winner was nominated by photographer Stephanie DeLang, who herself was highly commended in last year’s awards, after she took her child to Vitaflo for treatment and left deeply impressed by Maura’s personal commitment to help patients.

Vitaflo has a turnover of £12million and employs 40 people. Maura joined as a director in 1997 shortly after it was set up by colleagues.

"Maura invested her own money into the company, which is something we look for in the entrepreneur category," said Jean Gadsby. "She transformed a £6.6million Merseyside Special Investment Fund grant into a return worth 20 times that, its best ever return. She has put money into Liverpool."

Marie McCourt has been working with SAMM for 15 years and has sacrificed thousands of hours of her own time to help others and campaiged for better rights for the families of victims in the justice system.

Liverpool Daily Post editor Mark Thomas said the standard of the finalists was extremely impressive.