Services

Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards

 Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards 2008

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Donal Counihan and Lady Mayoress Breeda Counihan with From L to R; Catherine Kelly, Cork City Council; Declan O’Flaherty, Express Kitchens and Floors, Sandra O’Shea and Jim O’Donovan, Cork City Council and Dan Linehan, The Evening Echo.

The Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards 2008 were held on 24^th April in the City Hall.  The purpose of the awards is to acknowledge the valuable work of voluntary and community activities, which have played a significant role in enhancing the quality of life of their communities.

These groups continue to work in areas such as holding cultural events, organising youth groups, supporting residents associations, caring for the elderly, working with immigrants, sports, art, neighbourhood services and a host of other community activities.  The awards recognise the contribution of these groups to the social and cultural life of Cork City.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Donal Counihan said:

“It is a privilege for me to present these awards to groups who devote themselves to the betterment of our city recognising their tireless commitment and dedication and to commend everybody for the work they do to make Cork a better place to live.”

Awards were given in five categories:

• Art and Culture
• Children and Youth
• Community and Neighbourhood Services
• Equality and Social Inclusion
• Sport

The winner of each category received a trophy and a cheque for €1,000 and the runner up in each category received a trophy and a cheque for €500.  The Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards are sponsored by the Evening Echo and Express Kitchens and Floors both of whom were thanked for their continued and valued support of the event now in its fifth year.

Over 80 nominations were received for the Community and Voluntary Awards this year and the five categories are selected to ensure that all community and voluntary groups are eligible to enter the scheme. 

In total, over 460 groups which represent the diversity of community and voluntary activity in Cork have been nominated for the awards.

Winners and Runners up for 2008

SPORT

Winner:                                    Douglas Gymnastics Club

Joint Runner Up:                       Eglinton Swimming Club

Joint Runner Up:                       Ringmahon Rangers A.F.C.

ART AND CULTURE

Winner:                                    Mayfield Brass Band

Runner Up:                               African Gospel Choir

CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Winner:                                    Ballinlough Senior Youth Club

Runner Up:                               Blackpool Youth and Sports Association

COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES

Winner:                                    Mahon Retired Residents

Joint Runner Up:                       Cork Lupus Support Group

Joint Runner Up:                       HIV/AIDS Support Group

EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

Winner:                                    Cork Traveller Women’s Group/Network

Joint Runner Up:                       Cork Access Group

Joint Runner Up:                       Cois Tine

 Event Sponsors

Sponsors from Left to Right; Maurice Gubbins, Editor, The Evening Echo, Declan O’Flaherty and Leslie Fitzgerald, Express Kitchens and Floors and Dan Linehan, CEO, The Evening Echo.

Quotes from our Sponsors:

“We are very proud to be a Cork company and owe a great debt to the people of Cork who have supported us over the years.  Recognising this debt we are more than happy to give something back by co sponsoring these awards which identify the carers in our community.”

Declan O’Flaherty, Express Kitchens and Floors

“Irish Society has a long and noble tradition of volunteerism.  Cork has a rich list of volunteers who gave enormous amounts of their time to better society.  Nano Nagle, Edel Quinn and Nora Herlihy were women ahead of their time.  Our city needs the input of volunteers and community activists to turn the businesses, streets and buildings into a community that cares, encourages and develops our people.”

Dan Linehan, CEO of The Evening Echo

Award Categories

Category:                   Sport                              

Winner:                      Douglas Gymnastics Club

Winners: Jeffrey Fox and Marie Duggan of Douglas Gymnastic Club

Douglas Gymnastics Club was founded in 1978 by a group of parents whose children were interested in Gymnastics and this year is their thirtieth anniversary.

The Club has been National Team Champions 9 times in the last 15 years and have had 32 gymnasts on Irish teams since qualifying their first gymnast onto the National Squad in 1984.  They currently have 4 boys and 7 girls on the Irish National Artistic Gymnastics Squads and have numerous regional and national titles.  They have competed at the European Championships 6 times and have had gymnasts & coaches representing Ireland in Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, the UK and the USA.

There are 300 members in the club and 16 adult coaches.  In addition two of their coaches are working with schools around Cork, coaching gymnastics to around 500 additional children per week.

This is a community club run by a voluntary parents committee of 12 parents.  There are 40 volunteers in total and the main goal of the club is to help every child achieve their potential, at whatever level of gymnastics they wish to partake in.  There is a large emphasis on the social development of each child and extra-curricular activities such as friendly competitions and training camps are regularly organised. 

Joint Runner Up: Eglinton Swimming Club

Joint Runner Up: Deirdre Crowley and Pat Downey of Eglinton Swimming Club

Eglinton Swimming Club was founded in 1965 at the Eglinton Street Baths and the Club is now based at the Gus Healy Municipal Pool in Douglas.  There are 18 volunteers and all coaches are swim Ireland qualified.  The club teaches children and young people the fundamentals of swimming while concentrating on a fun atmosphere.  All the committee members and coaches are volunteers and most are either parents or friends of the club. 

The Club has lessons twice a week and a minimum of 9 people are needed each night to run a session.  There is, therefore, a high level of commitment displayed by the team.  Other activities include organising prizes for galas, printing notices, banking and running committee meetings.  The club is a valuable contribution to the community and helps those participating learn the joys and benefits of swimming.

Category:                   Sport

Joint Runner Up:       Ringmahon Rangers A.F.C.

Joint Runner Up: Ringmahon Rangers AFC

Ringmahon Rangers A.F.C. has been promoting the game of soccer in the Mahon and Blackrock area since they were formed in 1951.  They have been a successful club at all levels of sport and have produced many international players.  From a humble start the club has now two first class pitches and a dressing room complex.  There are 20 volunteers involved today.

The club trains and coaches schoolboy players, and organises teams to play in the various leagues in schoolboy, youth, junior and senior in Cork city.

The Club has teams playing in every age group from under 7 to under 18 and has 2 junior teams playing in their leagues and one senior team. 

Plans are now underway to further improve their facilities. 

Category:               Art and Culture

Winner:                  Mayfield Brass Band

Winners: Donal McSweeney, Deirdre Martin and Ann Marie Hannon fof Mayfield Brass Band

Mayfield Brass Band was established in 1975 and has approximately ten volunteers who enrich the community through the teaching of music to members of all ages.  They perform at community events, parades, marches, festivals and masses.  The committee is entirely formed of senior band members who collectively have nearly 60 years of band experience between them.  New life has been injected into the band through the successful recruitment of new young members.  New members result in greater prospects of achievement and triumph through successful recruitment from their local community.  The highlight of the past two years has been the St. Patrick’s Parade this year.  The Band won a trophy for the best music group in the parade.  Having had a challenging period over the past 3 years, the group now has a new lease of life with its young members. 

Runner Up:      African Gospel Choir

Runner Up: Amaracli Joy Ikeh, Chisara Fouith, Duru, Ezinne Iroegbu, Mary Wwaezeigwe and Jaues Ugo of the African Gospel Choir

The African Gospel Choir was founded in 2003 and performs in community activities, visits hospitals, has street performances and help to spread the gospel and good interpersonal relations through music.  Their music is a form of evangelism and the formation of the choir has helped to foster good brotherly and community relations between respective communities that contributes to a better Cork city. 

The participation of the group in the annual St. Patrick’s day activities, apart from entertaining the community and tourist alike also helps to portray Cork and Ireland as a place where God is reverenced. 

Their hospital visits and prayers for the sick help to heal, restore hope and life the sick up morally.

Category:               Children and Youth

Winner:                  Ballinlough Senior Youth Club

Winners: Judy and Noelle Murphy and Jim Murphy of Ballinlough Senior Youth Club

The Ballinlough Senior Youth Club caters for young people both male and female from the age of thirteen.  It provides a varied programme of sports, drama, arts and crafts, themed nights, weekends away and community involvement.  It has been running since 1978 with eight volunteers from the Canon Horgan Youth Centre.  Therefore, it celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year and is one of the oldest clubs in Cork city.  The Club offers young people of the area a safe, secure environment in which to socialise, interact with their peers and partake in a varied programme of activities including Arts and Crafts, Drama, Dance, Sports, Teambuilding exercises, Sleep Overs, and Weekends Away.  Other efforts include; increasing awareness for charity by producing a number of plays and dramas to raise funds which have been donated to various charities such as “Bothar”, Breast Cancer and sponsoring an athlete for the Special Olympics; establishing a Youth Café and promoting community spirit and volunteerism.  The latter is achieved through the Little Angels Childrens Choir where youth club members give their time to teach and rehearse songs to perform at the monthly children’s mass, continuation of the folk group which now sings at mass and by distributing the Community newsletter. 

Runner Up:     Blackpool Youth and Sports Association

Runner Up: Ger Manning and Ber Daly of Blackpool Youth and Sports Association

The Blackpool Youth and Sports Association is based in Great William O’Brien Street in Blackpool since 1974 and celebrate their 34^th anniversary this year.  It has sixteen volunteers that run its activities through a committee of adult leaders.  These activities include facilities and equipment to play football, basketball, volleyball and tennis on the outdoor floodlit all-weather courts at the back of the community centre, pool, table tennis, and air hockey in the 3 rooms in the Centre, as well as arts and crafts equipment, indoor games and stage costumes.  There are also Awareness sessions on issues such as drug awareness, and bullying.  There are over ninety members affiliated to the Blackpool Youth and Sports Association.  Other activities include partaking in competitions, organising Away Trips e.g. to Trabolgan, Fota and Cape Clear, and participate in fund raising activities for charities.  The Association also help for Environmental Awareness week, and have performed the Passion play both inside the Church and on the street in Blackpool.

Category:               Community and Neighbourhood Services

Winner:                  Mahon Retired Residents

Winners: Bernie Raleigh, Ann Dixon, Breda Jordan and Maureen O'Sullivan of Mahon Retired Residents

Mahon Retired Residents has eleven volunteers and is established since 1983.  In that year a group of friends met over a cup of tea to discuss the forming of a group to help the older generation in the community firstly to meet and socialise but also to help older people become an active part in this growing suburb of Cork City.  In the intervening twenty four years, that small group has grown to 60 active members and the association is now an invaluable help to the older community.  The group meets every week on Tuesday afternoons to play Bingo and chat, catch up on news and talk to friends.  Talks are arranged on aspects that affect older people from Nutrition to Home Security.  Each year many social events are organised; Christmas Dinner dances, Summer outings and general socials are organised to welcome other retired residents from other areas in the city and county.  The Association also takes part in the Over-60’s talent competition, organise tour holidays around Ireland and take part in many education and leisure courses varying from Art and Craft courses to computer skills.  Indoor green bowls is enjoyed by a large number of members. 

All of the members play a part in visiting the sick and lonely, carry out church-related work, and attend seminars and have representatives on the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament through the retired section of the Cork city Trade Unions. 

Joint Runner Up:       Cork Lupus Support Group

Joint Runner Up: Cork Lupus Support Group

The Cork Lupus Support Group holds monthly meetings, outreach meetings, arrange hospital visits, and publish booklets and make information available to newly diagnosed sufferers.  World Lupus Day is commemorated annually on 10^th May and the group advertise the event extensively and hold a coffee morning where literature and information is available. 

Cork Lupus Support Group was established in 1984 and has twelve part-time volunteers.  It operates from Evergreen Road.  They also run outreach meetings twice per annum and advertise in Doctors’ Surgeries, Credit Unions, Shops and Pharmacies.  The group are also associate members of the Lupus Foundation of America. 

Category:               Community and Neighbourhood Services

Joint Runner Up:    HIV/AIDS Family Support Group

Joint Runner Up: Sr Patricia O'Regan and Joe Healy of HIV AIDS Support Group

The HIV/AIDS Family Support Group was established in 1994 and has eight volunteers.  They run a 24 hour telephone service, run talks to Leaving Certificate students and give pastoral and spiritual help to those with the virus and their families and visit homes affected.  The work of the group is well described through one of its volunteers who has been at the bedside of a number of people during their illness, has spent time with their families and has endeavoured to also reconcile families.

Category:               Equality and Social Inclusion

Winner:                  Cork Traveller Women’s Network

Winners Cork Traveller Women's Network

The Cork Traveller Women’s Network were established in 1995 and work with eight local Traveller Women’s Groups to take up leadership roles within local group and network committees.  They have 20 volunteers and two paid workers.  The network have a number of highlights in their work that strengthen the organisation and build on skills including training on “How to hold an AGM”, “Committee Skills” and “Staff Management”.  Committee members are taking on more work and share a broader sense of achievement for the work they do and have better communication and contact between network members.  In 2005, the Cork Traveller Women’s Network built a full sized barrel top wagon which now forms the centre piece of the Traveller Culture Exhibit in Cork Museum.  Highlights this year to develop and promote Traveller culture include Traveller tour guides which host visits from community groups and the public to celebrate the Lifelong Learning Festival, Heritage week and World Museums Day; screening a Frameworks Film about the Wagon in the Museum and starting a new project to create a sound system for the wagon funded by Vodaphone Ireland Foundation and the Heritage Council.  More recently, the Network received a plaque from the Heritage Council “More Recognition for our Work” and comments from participants have stated “It is good to be part of something that you know is making a positive change in the situation of Traveller Women”.

Joint Runner Up:      Cork Access Group

Joint Runner Up: Irene Murphy and Donnie O'Leary of  Cork Access Group

Cork Access Group are established since 1992 and they work to achieve equality of access to goods and services for people with disabilities and work to improve physical access to the built environment.  The group has 26 volunteers from a wide range of disability groups in Cork.  Its membership is drawn from the following organizations Cork Centre for Independent Living, Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, Disabled Driver’s Association, Cork Amputees Federation, Cork Deaf Association, Enable Ireland, National Council for the Blind and St. Laurence’s Cheshire Home.  The Access Group has a very valuable perspective to bring to bear as it is the voice of people with disabilities.  This collaboration was recognized nationally in February this year when in partnership with Cork City Council the website Access Cork won a national egovernment award.  The website arose from the booklet “About Cork” which was the first disability guide to be produced for Cork city and was a joint venture between the local authority and people with disabilities from the group.  In partnership with Cork City Partnership and the City Council, the group have recently developed a training DVD called “Access Aware”. 

Consultation meetings and site visits are undertaken to public sector organisations who are service providers to promote the disability agenda by creating awareness on disability needs and improved access to public transport.  The Access Group’s sole agenda is to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and those with mobility problems in Cork city. 

Category:               Equality and Social Inclusion

Joint Runner Up:   Cois Tine

Joint Runner Up: Cois Tine

Cois Tine provides for the pastrol, spiritual and social needs of asylum seekers and refugees and it has worked with immigrants and Irish people to promote an inclusive and integrated community.  It was founded in 2002 and has 12 volunteers. 

Cois Tine provides a drop in centre, pastoral one-to-one support, information, advocacy, counselling, a place for minority ethnic groups to meet, training and personal development as well as outreach visitation, spiritual direction and the organisation of social events and activities.

The group has recently partnered with the “New Communities Partnership” providing them and the fourteen new community groups affiliated to it with office and meeting space.  Cois Tine has also extended its opening hours to evenings and weekends.  Through the use of publications, the internet and participation in various organisations, associations and public events, Cois Tine works with the Church and the wider community to raise awareness of migrant issues, and promote integration and inclusion.  It also organises the annual Cork and Ross Diocese Festival of Peoples Event.  The group has also participated in and helped organise events in the city marking World Refugee Day and has taken part in many community, school and parish events.  The group also has a website and aims to develop this as a source of balanced information and resources.

Launch of the Community and Voluntary Awards 2008

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Donal Counihan with from left to right; Catherine Kelly, Cork City Council; Lisa O’Connor and Diarmuid O’Donovan, The Evening Echo; Declan O’Flaherty and Leslie Fitzgerald from Express Kitchens and Floors.

About The Awards

The Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards 2009 were launched in The City Hall on Wednesday 18th March. The purpose of the scheme is to acknowledge groups which, through their commitment to voluntary and community activities, have played a significant role in enhancing the quality of life of their communities.

Growing demand on people’s time has made it increasingly difficult to attract and retain volunteers. However, these groups continue to work in a hugely diverse range of areas; from caring for the elderly to arranging cultural events; organising youth groups to supporting residents associations and a host of other community activities. The awards will recognise the contribution of these groups to the social and cultural life of Cork City.

• Art & Culture
• Children and Youth
• Community and Neighbourhood Services
• Equality and Social Inclusion
• Sport
• Lifelong Learning

The Award scheme, which is sponsored by The Evening Echo and Express Kitchens and Floors has a total prize fund of €7,500, and is open to all groups in Cork City.

Anybody living in Cork City is eligible to nominate a group or the group may nominate itself.

Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday the 17th April 2009. Prize winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony in the City Hall on the 19th May.

For More Information Please contact;
Community and Enterprise Directorate,
Cork City Council,
City Hall,
Cork.

Email dce@corkcity.ie
Phone 021-4924101.

2007 Award Winners

The winners of the fourth Lord Mayor's Community & Voluntary awards were announced at a special event in the City Hall on 17^th May last year. Each winner received a trophy and cheque for €1000 while runners up received a trophy and cheque for €500. Award winners included:

Equality and Social Inclusion

Winner: Sick Poor Society

Runner Up: Walllaroo Playschool

Children and Youth

Winner: St Vincent’s Guide Unit

Runner Up: Friend’s of Ward 2D

Community and Neighbourhood Services

Winner: South Parish Community Association

Runner Up: Cork City North Citizens’ Information Service

Runner Up: Togher Meals on Wheels

Art and Culture

Winner: Snippets Historical Cultural and Drama Group

Runner Up: Cork Music Works

Sport

Winner: Glen Amateur Boxing Club

Runner Up: Rockmount AFC

Runner Up: Harbour Point Special Olympics

Each year the contribution made by volunteers is celebrated in the Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards. These awards have been established to recognise groups who, through their commitment to voluntary and community activity, have played a significant role in enhancing the quality of life of their communities.