‘These kind of actions, they leave a mark on the community’
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The Audience Choice award was won by Noeleen Smith for her work with Cavan Autism Parents Support (CAPS) and she accepts the award from the Chairman of Cavan County Council, Cllr T.P. O’Reilly. For more photos, see page 41.Image 2 of 14
Hilano Rance receiving the LGBTQ Changemaker award for promoting awareness in Cavan and being a dedicated advocate for LGBTQ. The presentation to Hilano was made by the chairman of Cavan County Council, T.P. O’Reilly.Image 3 of 14
RIGHT: Grace Gilbert receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chairman of Cavan County Council, T.P. O’Reilly and on the right is Garda Seamus Herron, Community Engagement Unit Cavan. Grace was the founder of the weekly soup kitchen in Dublin and organiser of the Cavan Mini Food Bank and the annual Christmas Toy Drive.Image 4 of 14
Mya Lynch accepts the Community Super Hero Award from Garda Seamus Herron, Community Engagement Unit. On the left is Cllr T.P. O’Reilly.Image 5 of 14
A certificate of appreciation went to Valentina Sprage, pictured with Chairman of Cavan County Council, TP O’Reilly and Garda Seamus Herron, Community Engagement Unit.Image 6 of 14
The Group Award went to Shercock Tidy Towns Committee and accepting the certificate is Carol Smyth, secretary from the Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr T.P. O’Reilly.Image 7 of 14
LEFT: Stanley Nwaneri, Chairman of the Cavan Volunteer Centre, being congratulated by the chairman of Cavan County Council, T.P. O’Reilly.Image 8 of 14
Billy Lord scooped the Student Volunteer of the Year accolade having raised no less than €34,524 for CUAN in Cavan as a result of cycling 123km from the Beacon Hospital to the CUAN premises in Cavan.Here Billy is receiving his award from the Chairman of Cavan County Council, T.P. O’Reilly.Image 9 of 14
Karalina Puksmyle from Virginia being presented with her Certificate of Appreciation award for her volunteering and fundraising efforts by the Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr T.P. O’Reilly.Image 10 of 14
The Chairman of Cavan County Council, T.P. O’Reilly with the Latvian Dancers, who entertained the audience during the interval.Image 11 of 14
The chairman of Cavan County, T.P. O’Reilly, presenting the Volunteer Team Leader excellence award to the chairman of Cavan Tidy Towns Committee., Tony Prunty.Image 12 of 14
The Group Award went to Cavan Women’s Network. They were honoured for their work in connecting local women’s groups throughout County Cavan and empower women to share their voices. From left: Rosemary Lynch, Myra Lynch, Babs Johnston, Marisa Goldstone, Grace Gilbert, Christina Donohoe, Neneppe Movdu, Eileen Johnston, Una Maughan, Teresa Walsh, Rafaela Radulescu, Garda Seamus Herron, Community Engagement Unit in Cavan and Cllr T.P. O’Reilly, chairman of Cavan County Council.PHOTOS: Sean McMahonImage 13 of 14
Sean Óg Lynch (centre) collecting the certificate of appreciation on behalf of the winner Seamus Galligan. On the left is the chairman of Cavan County Council, Cllr T.P. O’Reilly and right is Garda Seamus Herron, Community Engagement Unit CavanImage 14 of 14
The Green Impact Award went to Cavan Tidy Towns. From left: Tony Prunty, chairman of Cavan Tidy Towns; Paul Lynch, secretary of Cavan Tidy Towns and Garda Seamus Herron, Community Engagement Unit in Cavan.Five major awards were presented at the Cavan Volunteer Awards, which took place at the Hotel Kilmore (November 2).
This ceremony was the biggest yet with more categories than ever, recognition awards and awards for runners up in each category. The purpose of the ceremony was to showcase the spirit of volunteerism, which is rife in Cavan.
Both winners and runners up were selected based on a voting system, the latter of whom received a certificate of their achievements and contributions to the county over the past year.
Cavan Volunteer Centre Manager Zeinab El Mustafa said: “It was a great day.
“All of them, they really understood the concept of volunteering. This is why we do that [hold awards], to encourage them.”
While each winner was as worthy as the next, one winner in particular stood out for Zeinab. Billy Lord, a 12-year-old boy from Cavan, nearly reached the €30k mark in fundraising for Cuan Cancer Centre in Cavan last August. He cycled 126km from the Beacon Hospital in Dublin to the centre in Cavan alongside dad John. The route symbolised the support shown to the Lord family since mum Stephanie’s breast cancer diagnosis in December 2023.
“These kind of actions, they leave a mark on the community,” Zeinab said. “We want to encourage these people, that they are doing a good thing.”
The centre will hold another event before the end of the year which is a “get together” for all volunteers in the county, which will “celebrate their volunteering”.
“Not everybody can win an award.
“We have some people who work full time,” she said, adding that some people “reschedule” their work to volunteer.
“That’s why we have the other event to recognise these people who can’t put in enough hours [volunteering].”
Working with Cavan Volunteer Centre since August, Zeinab said the organisation caters for all schedules of work, those who can give one hour of their time or ten hours.
“There’s lots of benefits [to volunteering], number one is you feel good. Also we have a lot of migrant volunteers, it’s a way of building up their network,” she said, adding that they have had “so many” people who have started working after volunteering.
“For people who are living in isolated places in Cavan, they connect. It has lots of benefits.”