BRIAN AND IDE ENJOY THEIR MOMENT OF FAME!
HONOURS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DONE THEIR BIT DOWN THE YEARS
TWO of Louth’s greatest volunteers were warmly applauded as they accepted coveted PPN awards in Bellingham Castle.
Brian Murphy was a founding member of the Birches Alzheimer Day Centre in Dundalk.
He became involved in the fundraising for it initially and when it was up and running, stepped in as treasurer and has shown immense dedication since.
He was instrumental in the outreach programme in operation on the Cooley peninsula.
As for Ide Lenihan, she has been at the forefront of numerous projects in Drogheda down the years, from cross border initiatives to the resource centre.
Other volunteers were honoured in various sectors.
In the Older persons and disability area, Brendan Moore accepted a certificate of merit. Brendan has been a huge campaigner for the Post Polio Support Group for many years. He was described as an ‘outstanding volunteer.’
Also accepting a merit award were the Dundalk Voluntary Housing group. They have done so much for people with mental and physical challenges in terms of providing suitable accommodation in the area.
The special award for this section went the way of the Drogheda and District Support for Older People.
A dedicated group, they provide a wide range of services, including a telephone service. There efforts were deemed ‘ top quality’.
The Volunteer Team of the Year saw MS Louth branch feted for their wonderful support of people impacted by MS in this area.
The Louth Volunteer Centre is another great success story, helping in the organisation of so many events within the community.
The student led DkIT Volunteer Society was another grouping acclaimed for projects such as an after schools programme in the Dundalk area.
But the Special Award went the way of the Family Addiction Support Network, with Gwen McKenna proudly accepting the award.
They provide support for family members impacted by addiction that includes a 24 hour helpline as well as respite.
The category for Environment and Animals went to Fiona Squibb from the Louth Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Fiona works passionately in the county and was decribed as someone who is an ‘excellent advocate for animal welfare.’
The Sports Category saw a win for Dundalk FM and John Murphy was on hand to accept the accolade. Their coverage of the Dundalk FC games was praised and commentary ‘ brought games to life’ and the team seemed to have ‘great craic reporting on them.’
The Children and Youth Section saw Alice Malone from the Genesis Prorgramme recognised.
‘She ensures parents in Louth get the best start in terms of parenting,’ her citation read. The aim of Genesis is to change the future for children in the county.
The Special Award in the category went to Louth Comhairle na nOg.
They are the youth council, run by young people, and each year work on various projects. This year they worked on the likes of cross border co-operation and Brexit and it’s impact.
The award for Ethnic Minorities went to the Dundalk Muslim Group.
In operation now for almost 17 years, they assist members of the community when it comes to integration and supports and at present there is a growing community of almost 2,000.
They organise sports events and help with educational needs and empower people to work together.
‘People who came to Dundalk as children have grown up here and love it,’ Rauf Ogunfowora stated. His son, Azeez, is part of the Dundalk FC set up.