Winning spirits!

LOCAL groups that are demonstrating great spirit in Dublin 15 have been rewarded for their efforts in this year’s Community Spirit Awards.

St Luke’s National School in Tyrrelstown received €2,000 to help with its Breakfast Club and distrubiting food for children of homeless families.

The financial support will help them continue their work of buying food for children that come to school with no breakfast or lunch and will also support kids who need medical assessments and counselling.

The Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living received an award of €1,000 to fund the first public showing of a small documentary about independent living made by the local peer support group to raise awareness of people with disabilities.

Niall Quinn, Patron of the Community Spirit Awards, said the awards recognised the great work being done in local areas around the city.

“The real heroes of Dublin are local voluntary and community groups and the people working with them who strive to make their communities the best they can be and improve the lives of those living there,” he added.

“Whether it’s sporting clubs, homework clubs, or groups working with older people, these are the ones who need to be recognised and supported and Dublin Bus is delighted to do this through the Community Spirit Awards.”

Since the first awards in 2004, over 1,800 voluntary and community groups, from family resource centres to scout groups, have benefited from the Dublin Bus Community Spirit Awards.

Under the terms of the programme entrants submit a proposal with details of their organisation and the project that they wish to have funded. Each application is then judged independently.

Other winners of this year’s awards include Dublin Water Safety ‘Friday Night’ Deck and Griffeen Celtic, which each receive €1,000.