National Lottery announces the 36 finalists for the 2019 National Lottery Good Causes Awards
A Traveller youth advocacy group, a heritage group based on a tiny island off the coast of Cork, Ireland’s only dedicated publisher of books by children, a scuba diving club, an organisation which works to prevent the harm and heal the trauma of sexual violence, and an aerial dance troupe are amongst the thirty-six community groups, sports clubs and organisations from all over Ireland were today announced as regional winners and finalists in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2019.
The 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.
The 36 winning groups 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, today 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”
Each national category winner will receive €10,000 while the overall Good Cause of the Year will get an additional €25,000 on top of this. The winners will be announced at a Gala Awards event in the Clayton Burlington Hotel in Dublin on Saturday 2nd November.
The 36 finalists include: The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Bere Island Heritage Projects group, Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Theatre, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (Kilkenny), Ireland Reaching Out, Dalkey Scubadivers and Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership. *See full list below
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.”
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.
The 36 National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2019 finalists are below. More information on the finalists and the National Lottery Good Causes Awards can be found at www.lottery.ie/
*Dublin
(Dublin)
- Sport – Dalkey Scubadivers, Dublin
- Health & Wellbeing – Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Dublin
- Arts & Culture – Dance Theatre Ireland, Dublin
- Heritage – The School of Irish Archaeology, Dublin
- Community – Spinal Injuries Ireland, Dublin
- Youth – Sphere 17 Regional Youth Service, Dublin
North
(Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan)
- Sport – Liquid Therapy, Donegal
- Health & Wellbeing – Rossinver Community Development Company, Leitrim
- Arts & Culture – Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership, Sligo
- Heritage – Donegal G.A.P Heritage & History Group, Donegal
- Community – Breffni Community Development, Leitrim
- Youth – Involve, Donegal
Midlands
(Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Laois, Offaly)
- Sport – Laois Sports Partnership, Laois
- Health & Wellbeing – Cuisle Cancer Support, Laois
- Arts & Culture – Helium Arts, Westmeath
- Heritage – Abbeyleix Bog Project, Laois
- Community – Shannonbridge Community Services Group, Offaly
- Youth – YoYo Youth Café (Youth Work Ireland Midlands), Westmeath
South
(Cork, Tipperary, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford)
- Sport – St. Patrick’s Snooker Club, Wexford
- Health & Wellbeing – Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Kilkenny
- Arts & Culture – The Walls Project, Waterford
- Heritage – Bere Island Projects Group, Cork
- Community – Family Carers Ireland Wexford
- Youth – No Name! Club, Kilkenny
East
(Louth, Meath, Kildare, Carlow, Wicklow)
- Sport – Greystones Lawn Bowling Club, Wicklow
- Health & Wellbeing – Irish Wheelchair Association Carlow
- Arts & Culture – Centre For Creative Practices, Wicklow
- Heritage – Tea Lane Graveyard Committee, Kildare
- Community – Omeath District Development, Louth
- Youth – Drogheda ABACAS Special School for Children with Autism, Louth
West
(Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Kerry)
- Sport – Lahinch Swim Club, Clare
- Health & Wellbeing – Bergerie Trust, Limerick
- Arts & Culture – Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Theatre, Limerick
- Heritage – Ireland Reaching Out, Galway
- Community – Social Action Group Rathmore, Kerry
- Youth – Southhill Hub, Limerick
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.