An impressive 133 groups, sports clubs, community projects and organisations from all over Ireland were today announced as County Winners in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2023. Initiatives recognised at the 2023 awards include a community service providing support for brain injury survivors in Offaly, Galway Sub Aqua Diving Group, a leading youth environmental education organization working to empower young people to take climate action and many more meaningful projects nationwide.
The awards aim to honour, showcase and celebrate the inspiring work being carried out nationwide by thousands of projects, clubs and individuals who have received support from Good Causes funding. Nearly 30 cents of every euro spent on National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes all over the country.
Announcing the County Winners today, National Lottery CEO, Andrew Algeo, said: “Good Causes who support communities across Ireland are at the heart of the National Lottery’s purpose. As a result, we are delighted to celebrate each year the exceptional work being carried out by those groups, organisations and sports clubs nationwide. I am thrilled and not surprised to say that we have had another year of inspirational stories from the beneficiaries of National Lottery funding. These stories provide purpose to those of us who work in and with the National Lottery. It has never been easy to narrow down the list of hundreds of entries, however, it is a great pleasure to congratulate 133 County Winners this year and to be able to show our appreciation for their commitment to communities around the country.”
Gráinne Seoige, host of the Good Causes Awards, said “This is my fourth year being involved in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards, and I am just as excited to be a part of the evening as I was when I first got started. By working with Good Causes, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many individuals and groups that are doing extraordinary work in our communities. They continue to inspire me each year, and I look forward to seeing who makes it through to the National Finals in October!”
Local or national, large or small, the awards will recognise initiatives across a broad list of categories: Sport, Health & Wellbeing, Arts & Culture, Heritage, Community, Youth, and Irish Language. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, 21st October 2023 in Killashee House Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare.
Just some of the 133 County Winners of the National Lottery Good Causes Awards are:
- Sport: Irish Homeless Street League, Ballina Ladies Football Club, Skerries Sailing Club, St. Paul’s Boxing Club, Border Bounce Gymnastics Club
- Health & Wellbeing: Wicklow Rapid Response, Meath Women’s Refuge & Support Services, Killucan Raharney Golden Years Club, Blanchardstown Center for Independent Living
- Heritage: Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Drumgoon Hill Old Graveyard Maintentance and Support Group, Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland, The Little Museum of Dublin
- Arts & Culture: Children’s Books Ireland, Inishowen Traditional Music Project, Irish Memory Orchestra, Dance Theatre of Ireland, Cork International Film Festival
- Community: Serv Blood Bike Leinster, FoodCloud, LGBT Ireland, Letterkenny Community Development Project, Rehab Group Community Support Care Bailieborough
- Youth: Foróige, Youth Theatre Ireland, YMCA Dublin, Advocates for Autism, Roscommon Young Carers Project (Vita House), Birr Stage Guild
- Irish Language: Raidió Rí-Rá, Conradh na Gaeilge, Ionad Cultúrtha, AerachAiteachGaelach
The full list of County Winners can be found at www.lottery.ie/good-causes-awards/county-winners
The 133 County Winners will now compete for a place in the National Finals judging phase next month, after which the National Finalists will be announced.
The total prize fund available on the night of the Good Causes Awards ceremony is €100,000, whereby each of the seven category winners will receive €10,000 and the overall Good Cause of the Year will take home an additional €25,000. A special category, ‘Hero of the Year’, will be announced on the awards night in recognition of outstanding work, the recipient will receive a prize of €5,000. In addition, each of the National Finalists announced in June will receive a cheque for €1,000.
In total more than €6 billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 34 years ago. In 2021 alone, €304 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland.
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