Congratulations to the 2020 Winners
After much deliberation by our specially selected panel of judges, we are delighted to announce the 2020 winners for the All Ireland Community & Council Awards presented by IPB insurance and LAMA. The winners, representing their counties, were announced by RTE’s Marty Morrissey at a gala awards ceremony at Croke Park Stadium on Saturday 15th February 2020
Grand Prix Award
Sponsored by
GOLD
Working to make County Kildare Inclusive and Accessible to all (Kildare County Council)
Working to make County Kildare Inclusive and Accessible to all through: Development of a County Kildare Access Strategy-A Universal Access Approach 2020-2022 Rollout of Public Awareness Campaigns to raise awareness around disability Development of the County Kildare Access Network- to share best practice and give guidance to local access groups.
National Impact Award
GOLD
Age Friendly Ireland Local Government Shared Service (Meath County Council)
Age Friendly Ireland is a Shared Service of local government, hosted by Meath County Council. Ireland’s Age Friendly Programme has been operational for ten years. In 2018, Meath County Council won the bid to host the Age Friendly Programme as a shared service. It supports all 31 local authority programmes
Council of the Year
Sponsored by
Clare County Council
Best Business Working with the Community
Sponsored by
GOLD
Ray of Sunshine Morning & After School ltd (Wicklow County Council)
Ray of sunshine works on-site in primary schools offering affordable care and includes all types of families no matter of their financial situation. Ray of sunshine truly believes a profitable business can still operate in a community orientated manner.
SILVER
Donabate Portrane Community Centre clg (Fingal County Council)
BRONZE
The Urban Co-op & Community Hub (Limerick City & County Council)
Best Community Health Initiative
Sponsored by
GOLD
Parkrun in West Dublin Area (South Dublin County Council)
In 2013 I brought parkrun to the Lucan area as a free, weekly timed 5k event. The objective was to provide an organised safe outdoor activity that individuals and families could participate in. Over the course of 5 years we have introduced a further six events all using public parks.
SILVER
Mallow Community Health Project (Cork County Council)
BRONZE
Soccer for Girls (Waterford City & County Council)
Best Social Enterprise
Sponsored by
GOLD
St. Gabriel’s Orthotic Services (Limerick City & County Council)
St Gabriel’s Orthotics provide orthotic treatments for children with disabilities throughout the Midwest of Ireland. The orthotic devices are essential treatments that help children with disabilities to stand, walk, run and play. In 2019, St Gabriel’s Orthotics provided 704 orthotic interventions for children with complex needs throughout the Midwest of Ireland.
Best Educational Building
GOLD
New Third Level Campus for Limerick Institute of Technology in Ennis (Clare County Council)
This building, located in the historical core of Ennis, has been vacant since 2008. This is the first permanent home for Limerick Institute of Technology and the first third level educational facility in Ennis. It is in the town centre, within walking distance to all town amenities and services.
Best CSR Community Programme
GOLD
Applegreen Blossom fund
Applegreen in partnership with the Irish Youth Foundation provides funding to support projects working with children in disadvantaged circumstances. The focus is to support the health and wellbeing of children. The Blossom Fund is a unique community initiative and it allows Applegreen to make a difference at a local level.
Best Heritage Project
GOLD
Cavan Townhall (Cavan County Council)
Cavan Townhall built in 1909, designed by Architect William Scott is a landmark municpal building and home to Arts in Cavan. Cavan County Council commissioned the complete refurbishment of the building to secure its long term sustianabilty. it now serves as a focal point for Civic life in Cavan.
SILVER
The Conservation and Restoration of the Casino Building Malahide (Fingal County Council)
Best Disabillity Access & Inclusion Initiative
Gold
Working to make County Kildare Inclusive and Accessible to all (Kildare County Council)
Working to make County Kildare Inclusive and Accessible to all through: Development of a County Kildare Access Strategy-A Universal Approach 2020-2022. Rollout of Public Awareness Campaigns to raise awareness around disability development of County Kildare Access Network- to share best pratice and give guidance to local access groups.
SILVER
The Sports Unit Dundalk Sports Centre (Louth County Council)
BRONZE
The Vision Symphony (Clare County County)
Best Arts/Culture (Incl. Festivals & Events)
GOLD
The Bingo Wings Project (Limerick City & County Council)
Over 30 community groups and families (8-90 years old) took part in circus workshops and bingo games across Limerick, Kerry and Donegal, to promote health, well-being, inclusivity and community, and the opportunity to be part of a professional circus theatre show in an ambitious project with Ireland’s leading circus company.
SILVER
The Vision Symphony (Clare County Council)
BRONZE
SeaFest 2019 (Cork City Council)
Best Community Sports Team/Club
GOLD
The Sanctuary Runners (Cork City Council)
The Sanctuary Runners enable Irish Residents, to run alongside and in solidarity with, asylum seekers and refugees living in Direct Provision.
SILVER
Wicklow Warriors Inclusive team- Wicklow Rugby Club (Wicklow County Council)
BRONZE
St.Paul’s Boxing Club (Waterford City & County Council)
Best Connected Council (Communication & Digital Marketing)
GOLD
Monaghan Alerts (Monaghan County Council)
Monaghan Alerts plays a vital role in how Monaghan County Council communicates with their citizens, local businesses and other targeted audiences by sending free geo-focused service alerts and community events via text message, email, app notigication and chat apps. The service ensures effective and effcient real-time communication to the public.
SILVER
Stories from the Waterways
BRONZE
Mayo County Council- Mayo.ie, Connecting with our Communities (Mayo County Council)
Best Education/Training Initiative
GOLD
Active Body Active Mind (Waterford City & County Council)
This Active Body Active Mind Programme is an accredited 11 week programme , including two minor QQI awards in Health Related fitness and Personal Effectiveness. To gain this award, participants had to engage in a number of different sports & activities.
SILVER
The Bays Training Centre, Moyross, (Limerick City & County Council)
BRONZE
Age Friendly Ireland’s Housing and Public Realm Training Module (Meath County Council)
Best Waste Management Programme
Sponsored by
GOLD
Belturbet Zero Waste Initiative (Cavan County Council)
Belturbet Tidy Towns launched their Zero Waste Initiative on 27th February 2019. It’s a community led response to address the global challenges faced by climate change and environmental degradation. The strategic targets of this initiative are to reduce waste consumption and carbon footprint by 50% over the next 5 years.
SILVER
Clare Green Festival and Events Initiative (Clare County Council)
Best Energy Smart Initiative
Sponsored by
GOLD
Streetlight LED Retrofit Pilot Project (Kilkenny County Council)
Kilkenny County Council currently has a stock of over 11,000 streetlights. By the end of 2019, almost 55% of this street-lighting will be retrofitted with energy efficient LED lanterns reducing the annual lighting energy consumption by 50-70% which is key to achieving the Council’s 33% energy reduction target by 2020.
Best Environmental / Ecological Project / Initiative
Sponsored By
GOLD
Collaborative Action for the Natura Network (CANN) (Monaghan County Council)
The conservation project ‘Collaborative Action for the Natura Network’ protects bogs,wetlands and species of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Monaghan County Council is working on cross-border uplands including Sliabh Beagh. The project is supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.
SILVER
Brittas Bay Biodiversity Project (Wicklow County Council)
BRONZE
Protecting the Great Yellow Bumblebee – An Awareness and Conservation Initiative (Mayo County Council)
Best Social Housing Initiative
Sponsored by
GOLD
Feakle Social Housing Scheme (Clare County Council)
Cúirt an Mhuilinn consisting of 13 social houses for Clare County Council is in Feakle, a small village in East Clare on the foot of the Slieve Aughty Mountains. One and two storey houses are provided ranging from 2-3 bedrooms in response to the local housing needs.
SILVER
St. Laurence’s Terrace, Mullingar, County Westmeath (Westmeath County Council)
BRONZE
18 Houses at Fr. Flood Avenue, Rathvilly, Co. Carlow (Carlow County Council)
Best Tourism Initiative
Sponsored By
GOLD
Donegal Connect (Donegal County Council)
Donegal Connect staged 70+ events to showcase the best of Donegal and to attract visitors – particularly our Diaspora– to the county. PR & Marketing reached over 70m people worldwide with a predominantly organic campaign which harnessed ordinary people’s genuine love for Donegal, and their desire to share it online.
SILVER
Sligo Food Trail (Sligo County Council)
BRONZE
Ironman Ireland Cork (Cork County Council)
Community Volunteer of the Year
GOLD
Sister Finbar Breslin (Westmeath County Council)
Sr. Finbar Breslin was first appointed to Mullingar as parish sister over 25 years ago and she immediately set to work creating a supportive environment for women to meet, build on their confidences and acquire basic home and craft skills.
Best Public Park
GOLD
Lough Key Forest and Activity Park (Roscommon County Council)
Experience the unique cluster of activities and attractions that are suitable for all ages and interests where you can do as much or as little as you like in a historical forest setting surrounded by woodland and water at the centre of ‘Irelands Hidden Heartlands’.
SILVER
Rossmore Forest Park (Monaghan County Council)
BRONZE
Tyrrelstown Park, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15 (Fingal County Council)
Emergency Response Person/Team of the Year
GOLD
Volunteers Supporting the Community (Clare County Council)
Clare Civil Defence is a volunteer organisation with 90 members that supports front line emergency services as well as local communities. Activities include emergency services in severe weather and major accidents, assistance to An Garda Síochána in missing person searches and provision of medical cover for attendees at community events.
Best Community Based Initiative
GOLD
‘Community Car’ Age Friendly Sustainable Transport Service in Fingal (Fingal County Council)
‘Community Car’ Age Friendly Sustainable Transport Service launched by Fingal County Council in partnership with Go Car & Local Link. Local Community travel is a lifeline for many people who do not drive, allowing them to get out & about, access local amenities & stay part of their community.
SILVER
The Bays Training Centre, Moyross (Limerick City & County Council)
BRONZE
Mayfield Men’s Shed (Cork City Council)
Best Local Authority Innovation for Attracting Inward Investment
GOLD
J17 National Enterprise Park (Laois County Council)
J17 National Enterprise Park is located directly on the M7/M8 Motorway making Portlaoise a key economic location within the Midlands Region and for accessing Dublin Airport & Port and is focused on heavy, light and ICT industry, trade warehousing, distribution, logistics & other uses associated with the transport industry.
