North Cork Garda Youth Awards seeking nominations
Youth across North Cork are to be acknowledged and honoured for their contributions to their communities, following the launch of the Cork North Garda Youth Awards this week.
Nominations are currently being sought for any young person aged between 13 and 21 that lives in the Cork North Garda division, which stretches from the Fermoy district to the Mallow and Midleton districts.
Fermoy Community Garda, Conor Gately, said that he is encouraging nominations from the Fermoy District.
“I’ll be calling around to schools and some of the local volunteer organisations who work with young people in the Fermoy area. I will be encouraging anyone that knows a young person between 13 and 21, that has done anything positive within the community, to send in a nomination.
“I’d like to see a couple of winners in the Fermoy area as well, and who knows, we might even go up to the national final too. There’s no reason not to nominate a young person, and the criteria are very broad, so if you think it’s worth recognising, please get in touch,” Garda Gately said.
‘IF YOU FEED THE YOUTH, THEY GROW’
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday at the Fermoy Community Youth Centre, Chief Superintendent Con Cadogan said that heading into the 8th national Garda Youth Awards ceremony, young people have had an ‘ extremely difficult’ and ‘ challenging’ time over the past two years.
“Everywhere you look, there is a challenge, but there’s also an opportunity and young people are very good to capitalise on that. It’s very important to recognise young people. There is a saying, ‘if you feed the youth, they grow’. They are our future, which is why it is so important that we recognise the good they do now,” Chief Supt. Cadogan said.
The Cork North Garda Division, in association with its sponsor Supermac’s, hold the awards to recognise the very positive contribution made by young people in their communities. Awards are considered for nominated young people who, by their activities, make their communities a better place to live in, or who have shown great determination in their own lives.
Nominations can be accepted for an individual award, group award, special achievement award, as well as a community safety award. The deadline for nomination submissions is 12 noon on March 23. Award winners will be notified by April 14 and invited to attend an awards ceremony on May 12 at the Charleville Park Hotel.
Divisional winners are then forwarded for consideration for the national awards in November 2022.
The Cork North Youth Awards this year are being held in accordance with the National Youth Awards. For more information or to nominate someone, please contact your Juvenile Liaison Officer or Community Garda in Fermoy or Mitchelstown, or e-mail corknorthyouthawards@garda.ie