Donegal Local Development Company (DLDC) was delighted to hold its Community Recognition Awards 2022 on Thursday 10th November 2022.
DLDC held the awards to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding community efforts by individuals, groups, and volunteers in County Donegal.
The awards ceremony took place in the Finn Valley Athlete Centre, Stranorlar with 130 representatives from the community and voluntary sector in attendance for an evening of celebration, food, music, and dance.
The high number of nominations received under the five categories were an acknowledgement of the outstanding community efforts that individuals and groups have delivered in County Donegal over the last year.
Category sponsors included ATU Donegal, Magee, Highland Radio, Tata Consultancy Services and The Cope.
A representative from each organisation attended and presented a bespoke Donegal sandstone award to each winner, handmade by the renowned Donegal local artist, Redmond Herrity.
Lee Gooch from Highland Radio was Master of Ceremony and interviewed the finalists on stage and acknowledged the outstanding contribution they’ve made to their local communities.
Padraic Fingleton, CEO of DLDC, thanked the community groups, social enterprises and volunteers who make an enormous difference in our Donegal communities every day by providing a wide variety of supports in their local communities to people who need it most.
Mr. Fingleton also expressed his thanks to the sponsors and their individual representatives who attended on the night to present the awards, to the Master of Ceremonies Lee Gooch and to Mr Redmond Herrity for providing the beautifully sculpted awards.
Patsy McGonagle, Chairman of DLDC, also presented a surprise ‘DLDC Hall of Fame’ award to Mary McGowan for her outstanding contribution to community groups over many decades and thanked her for her tireless dedication to the community and voluntary sector.
Community Recognition Awards Winners 2022:
Best Social Inclusion/Peer Support Campaign – Sponsored by ATU
Winner: Rosses VIPs
Runners Up: Ballyshannon Active Retirement, Donegal Wellness Cafes, and Active Seniors Lettermaward and Doochary / Gweebara Community Group
Pictured L-R: John-Andy Bonnar with the winners of Best Social Inclusion/Peer Support Campaign Sponsored by ATU, Una McGarrigle, Rose Clancy, Patricia Bryne from Rosses VIPs.
Best Collaborative Community Project – Sponsored by Magee
Winner: Surfing Project – Bundoran Community Centre, Liquid Therapy & Irish Gap Year
Runners Up: Finn Valley Men’s Choir; Comharchumann nc nOileán Beag; and Mind Your Melon, Connect Mental Health
Pictured L – R: Rosy Temple from Magee with the winners of Best Collaborative Community Project Sponsored by Magee, Fran Duffy, Teresa O’Neill, Brian McNulty, Yulia Melnyk, and Ryan Allen from Surfing Project with Padraic Fingleton, CEO of DLDC.
Most Innovative Community Initiative – Sponsored by Highland Radio
Winner: Grass Routes
Runners Up: Coiste Forbhairt Dhún Lúiche/Dunlewey Committee; Bród Na Gaeltachta; and Cill Ulta
Pictured L – R: John Breslin, Highland Radio with winners of Most Innovative Community Initiative Sponsored by Highland Radio, Majella Orr, Eugene Trearty and Noreen Trearty from Grass Routes at Craobhinn Community Centre with Patsy McGonagle, Chairman of DLDC.
Best Community Organisation / Social Enterprise – Small – Sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services
Winner: Donegal Animals in Need
Runners Up: Playmatters CLG Donegal; Dunkineely Community CLG; and Convoy Environmental Group
Pictured L – R: Lee-Anne Burke from Tata Consultancy Services with the winners of Best Community Organisation / Social Enterprise (Small)– Sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services – Margaret Plunkett, Margaret Murphy, Gitte McMullin and Mary McGowan from Animals in Need and Padraic Fingleton, CEO of DLDC.
Best Community Organisation / Social Enterprise – Large – Sponsored by The Cope
Winner: Cairde Le Cheile
Runners Up: Irish Wheelchair Association; Donegal Town Enterprise Scheme Ltd/ Donegal Town Waterbus, Ardara Sheltered Housing Association CLG
Pictured L – R: Emma McGarvey from The Cope with the winners of Best Community Organisation / Social Enterprise (Large), Sponsored by The Cope, Mick Quinlivin, Paul McCusker; Rosaleen Gallagher, Shane Grant from Cairde Le Cheile; and Patsy McGonagle, Chairman of DLDC.
DLDC – Hall of Fame – Mary McGowan
Pictured L – R: Patsy McGowan, Chairman of DLDC, Mary McGowan, DLDC Hall of Fame Recipient; and Padraic Fingleton, CEO of DLDC.
