The National Lottery has announced the 36 finalists for the 2019 National Lottery Good Causes Awards and Ireland Reaching Out is among them!
National awards to celebrate “Ordinary people doing extraordinary things”
The Good Causes Awards are aimed at honouring the inspiring work and achievements of thousands of projects, clubs and individuals from all over Ireland who with the help of National Lottery Good Causes funding have had an extraordinary impact on their local communities. Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes all over the country.
Ireland Reaching Out is one of 36 winning groups who will now proceed to the grand final in six categories: Sport, Health & Wellbeing, Heritage, Arts & Culture, Community and Youth. A seventh category, Irish Language, will have a special award to be announced on the night at the Awards final, in recognition of outstanding work done in the promotion of the Irish Language.
National Lottery CEO, Dermot Griffin, congratulated the 36 finalists for reaching this final stage of the awards process.
He said: “We were overwhelmed at the level of entries we received for the National Lottery Good Causes Awards. Now in its second year, we had over 480 applications from every County in Ireland spanning all six categories. Through these Awards we want to show how people, organisations, projects and sports clubs are doing extraordinary things in their local communities. This is work that often goes unrecognized and through these Awards we aim to change that, and also help to highlight to the people of Ireland, the good that their participation and support of the National Lottery is having in local communities across Ireland”
Speaking on selecting the winners, Broadcaster, publisher and businesswoman, Norah Casey, who is Chair of the awards judging panel, said: “I have been blown away by the standard of the entries for the Good Causes Awards and it really is a privilege to be involved. It was such a tough job but we have our final 36 Good Causes from an original pool of over 480 entries. It is humbling to learn of some of this inspiring work that is going on around Ireland and I am looking forward to meeting our finalists this October. They truly are ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”
IrelandXO Volunteer Coordinator Jane Halloran Ryan said: "Being included as a national finalist for these awards is very important for locally-focused organisations such as ourselves. Every day, Ireland Reaching Out volunteers are working on behalf of their communities and connecting those descended from the area back to the locality in a meaningful way. It is inspiring to be recognised at a national level for making a real difference in our towns, villages and townlands, all over Ireland."
The judging for the National Finals of the Good Causes Awards takes place over two days in Athlone on 7th and 8th October. At this stage representatives of each of the 36 finalists will be asked to do a short presentation to the judging panel and respond to any questions from the panel. The judging panel will joined, at this stage, by Lotto host and RTE Weather Presenter, Nuala Carey.
More information on the finalists and the National Lottery Good Causes Awards can be found at www.lottery.ie/goodcausesawards.
Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage and the Irish Language. In total more than €5.4 Billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 32 years ago. In 2018 alone, more than €227 million was raised; the equivalent of €620,000 a day in support for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland.
Ireland Reaching Out is proud to be among the 36 groups chosen to progress to the national finals and wishes them all the best of luck!
We hope you have found the information we have shared helpful. While you are here, we have a small favour to ask. Ireland Reaching Out is a non-profit organisation that relies on public funding and donations to ensure a completely free family history advisory service to anyone of Irish heritage who needs help connecting with their Irish place of origin. If you would like to support our mission, please click on the donate button and make a contribution. Any amount, big or small, is appreciated and makes a difference.