EFFORT Project in Finglas has been awarded the runner up prize in the Junior Category at the Irish Cancer Society X-HALE Youth Awards 2019.
The group scooped the award for its short animated film ‘Yup the Boyz’ which was showcased at a recent event in the Helix in Dublin.
Fellow Dublin groups, Blanchardstown Community Training Centre, Children4WorldChildren CLG, Club Orgras Léim an Bhradáin, North Great George’s St Youthreach, Sallynoggin Youthreach, South Area Youth Service and TravAct Youth Northside also submitted entries to the film competition.
Over 400 young people from 56 youth and community groups across 22 counties showcased their anti-tobacco films in the Helix, Dublin. The groups wrote, directed and starred in their films and worked hard to promote them through events in their communities.
Joanne Vance, Community Programmes Manager with the Irish Cancer Society praised the youngsters from Finglas for their prize-winning entry.
“X-HALE is going from strength to strength and this year has seen a record amount of film entries to the competition,” she said.
“I want to congratulate EFFORT Project Finglas who submitted a fantastic, thought-provoking film. We are very proud of all the young people and their youth organisations who showcased their films at our national event and promoted their work in their communities.
“While smoking rates have declined in recent years, there is a still huge amount of work to do to prevent young people from taking up smoking and supporting those who do, to quit.
“That is why it is so inspiring to see young people coming together to campaign on against tobacco at local, national and European level. Ultimately, we want to see this leading to a completely smoke-free generation.”
This is the ninth year of the X-HALE programme, a youth smoking prevention initiative of the Irish Cancer Society.
The programme aims to de-normalise smoking and encourage young people to drive the movement towards a tobacco free generation.
For further information and to watch the entries visit www.cancer.ie/xhale.
