Local community groups to get much needed funds as Dublin Bus Community Spirit Award Winners announced.
For local community heroes from all over the Greater Dublin Area the wait is finally over as the 84 winners of the Dublin Bus Community Spirit Awards [CSA] of €1,000, €2,000 and €5,000 were awarded in a special ceremony in Croke Park last night. The Community Spirit Awards honour heroes in their own communities helping them to improve services, develop new projects and build community spirit across Dublin.
From youth groups to age action groups, the awards have helped bring communities alive by supporting volunteers who embody the real spirit of Dublin communities in a whole host of groups from education to sports to advocacy to support. Former Irish international footballer Niall Quinn was on hand as guest of honour and patron of the initiative to host the evening and present the well deserved winners with their awards.
Five local community hero groups were awarded the top grant of €5,000:
•The Down Syndrome Centre, Leopardstown is a charity that is dedicated to providing support and services to families and carers of people with Down syndrome, helping them to reach their full potential and creating a brighter future. They will use this much needed financial assistance to create an occupational therapy room and equipment.
•Older Voices for Change in West Dublin is an advocacy group committed to identifying local issues affecting older people and bringing those issues such as isolation and loneliness to the attention of local agencies and service providers in order to bring about social change. With the help of this Community Spirit Award they will be able to record and analyse the care experience of a select group of local older people in hospital, care and community settings.
•Daisyhouse Housing Association located in Portobello is a charity and approved housing body that provides supported temporary accommodation with uniquely tailored individual personal support programmes to women who are homeless. Their award will go towards continuing to offer personalised support programmes and accommodation.
•Ballinteer Community School is a mixed school for children aged 12-18 in South County Dublin that will now be able to deliver a positive mental health initiative for its young students.
•Just ASK, based in the city centre, support secondary school students who struggle to find space to do homework and require homework assistance and with their CSA grant they will be able to provide space and healthy meals for children attending their services.
Not only do these five groups receive grants but the Community Spirit Awards also awarded 15 voluntary groups with grants of €2,000 and a further 64 groups received €1,000.
Dublin Bus Community Spirit Awards Patron Niall Quinn said “Since the first awards over ten years we have seen the importance of the Community Spirit Awards and the difference winning an award makes to communities throughout the Greater Dublin Area. 84 groups will benefit tonight from unclaimed passenger change and voluntary groups around the city will get some much needed help in continuing to provide services in communities that need it.”
For more information on the Community Spirit Awards, visit here.