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Arthritis campaigner shortlisted for national volunteer award

Peter BoydA Balbriggan based Arthritis campaigner has been shortlisted for an award in this years Panadol supported Volunteer Ireland Awards.

Peter Boyd has been nominated in the Health and Disability Category and is one of 31 volunteers on the shortlist in Ireland’s major annual volunteer recognition event.

An overall Volunteer of the Year and ten Category Awardees will be announced on Thursday, December 5th in Dublin City Hall at a gala Volunteer Ireland Awards ceremony supported by Panadol and hosted by RTÉ Presenter Keelin Shanley.

Peter Boyd has volunteered with Arthritis Ireland for over four years. He provides vital help and support on the organisation’s phone helpline twice a week. He also runs the Young Arthritis Network (for 18-45 year olds) in Dublin and organises social events that give people with the disease an opportunity to meet up throughout the year and talk with one another, gain friendships and give each other support.

In Dublin, he also runs a walking group and teaches a ‘Living Well with Arthritis’ course. He also volunteers with children with Juvenile Arthritis. He, along with Arthritis Ireland, brought a large group of teenagers on a weekend activity ‘road trip’ this summer, which gave them vital tools to cope with their illness.

Claire Kinneavy who nominated Peter for a Volunteer Ireland award said: “As a young person with arthritis and fibromyalgia, Peter devotes a lot of his spare time to helping others with his inspirational writing, helpline skills, public-speaking and as a youth leader, a walking leader and a self-management leader. He is funny, hard-working, motivating and a great role model for others with the disease.”

Fingal Volunter Centre Manager Stuart Garland congratulated people who were nominated. He said that the number of nominations had more than doubled on last year and included a very wide range of people from all corners of the country.

“We have received some really incredible stories about inspirational people in every part of the country. Given this, it is a huge achievement to make the shortlist.”

More information on the awards and all nominees is available at www.volunteer.ie.

Panadol tablets are made in Ireland (in Dungarvan) and the business is delighted to be the lead sponsor of this initiative for the fourth year to support community spirit and activity.

Over 13,500 volunteers have registered through through volunteer.ie and local Volunteer Centres so far this year. These volunteers have clocked up an incredible 439,000 hours of voluntary work so far this year which has been estimated to have an equivalent value of €9,666,000.

 

Further Information

Ronan Cavanagh, Cavanagh Communications: (086) 317 9731.

Phil Boughton, Volunteer Ireland: (01) 636 9446 / (085) 742 7017

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