Volunteers & Groups Celebrated at the dlr Community and Volunteer Awards 2024

This year’s event saw 61 community groups and 54 volunteers formally acknowledged and celebrated for their positive contributions to community life across the County; together they promote a wealth of community development activities in different areas including child and youth development, age friendly, arts and culture, environment and climate action, inclusion and integration, health and wellbeing, disability and neurodiversity and civic pride.

The awards were divided into eight categories with awards given out to groups & individuals in each category.

Age Friendly

• Group Winner: Shankill Day Care Centre
• Group Runner Up: Garda Old Persons Association (GOPA)
• Volunteer Winner: Richard Larkin, Ballyogan Active Retirement Group

Arts & Culture

• Group Winner: Dublin South FM Community Radio
• Group Runner Up: Art Hill
• Volunteer Winner: Sally Connors, Southside Travellers Action Group (STAG)

Child/Youth Development & Education

• Group Winner: Southside Partnership Parents Early Education Programme (PEEP)
• Group Runner Up: My Project… Minding You
• Volunteer Winner: Donncha O’Dhonnchadha, Le Cheile Mentoring

Community & Civic Pride

• Group Winner: Shankill & Ballybrack Community First Responders
• Group Runner Up: Dún Laoghaire Lions Club
• Volunteer Winner: Georgina Potts, Shanganagh Park House Community Centre

Disability & Neurodiversity

• Group Winner: St. Augustine’s Past Pupils Association
• Group Runner Up: This Is Me Neurodiversity
• Volunteer Winner: Graham Merrigan, National Rehabilitation Hospital & Ballybrack Bulls Wheelchair Basketball Club

Environment & Climate Action

• Group Winner: Shanganagh Community Garden
• Group Runner Up: Dún Laoghaire Tidy Towns
• Volunteer Winner: Fiona Kelly, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Estate Management County Fora

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Integration

• Group Winner: dlr Integration Forum
• Group Runner Up: The Ukrainian Bike Project Operators
• Volunteer Winner: Brian Connolly, Loughlinstown Ballybrack Men’s Shed

Health & Wellbeing

• Group Winner: Hollyhouse Women’s Social Group
• Group Runner Up: Southside Travellers Wagon Project
• Volunteer Winner: Grainne Gallwey, Cuidiú

Special Recognition Awards

• Nan O’Brien, Southside Travellers
• Harry Traynor, Wayside Celtic
• Mairead Mc Loughlin, Kilcross Resource Centre
• Pam Robinson, Patrician Community Centre

Therese Langan, Director of Services, Community and Cultural Development in dlr thanked the volunteers and community groups for their ongoing commitment and work, supporting and connecting through local activities and shared interests which is at the heart of what community development is all about.