Ruth Conlon-Oates honoured for community work
A local finalist has been included in the 2019 Spirit of Community Awards, the only youth initiative of its kind in Ireland.
Ruth Conlon- Oates from Ballisodare is being recognised for the exemplary volunteer work she has carried out in her local community.
Her nomination was revealed as Pramerica announced its twenty finalists for the Spirit of Community Awards (SOC).
Ruth has been nominated for her work in teaching self-defence and kick boxing to four to 10-year-old children and coaching first-year football after school.
Ruth also volunteers with St Vincent De Paul and the North West Simon Community.
The SOC programme, which is run in partnership with the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) and the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI), honours post-primary students for outstanding acts of volunteerism and the positive contribution they make in their local communities.
The post-primary students will be presented with €500 and an engraved silver medallion at the awards ceremony on 28th March at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The top two Junior Honourees will also receive an additional €500 for their chosen charity, and two of the twenty students will be named All-Ireland Youth Volunteers of the Year.
These two awardees will receive €1,000, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their school and an all-expense paid trip to the United States in May to participate in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards ceremony.
This year’s ceremony will feature keynote speaker Richie Sadlier, a former professional footballer, psychotherapist and mental fitness teacher.
Sadlier will share his own insights into volunteer work and his experience with working in the mental health sector.
He said: “The voluntary efforts of these young people have such a positive lasting effect on those they help. It also allows them to develop important life skills that will only benefit them and those around them as they get older. I’m delighted to be involved in an event that celebrates the selfless work of these honourees.”