Shortlisted nominees announced!
We are proud to announce!
Phillip Gaffney from Fingal has been shortlisted for Social Inclusion and Community Support award.
About Phillip
Phillip Gaffney is from Co. Meath and volunteers with a number of organisations. As the Chairperson
of Naul Community Council in Co. Dublin, he has played a major role in community development
and has been involved with the organisation since its initial establishment in 2000. His passion for his
community is evident in each volunteer role he has held.
As Treasurer on the Board of Management for Naul National School, he promoted pride of place
when he designed a school uniform emblem depicting a local monument, which is still worn to this
day. Similarly, his impact on his local Clann Mhuire GAA Club has been long-standing as he played a
role in the club securing €2 million in funding that benefits the community of Naul and Fingal
through the development of state-of-the-art facilities.
Phillip’s engagement with the Naul Community Groups, Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre from its
inception, Fingal County Council and many other community-focused initiatives is testament to his
dedication to volunteering. His generosity of spirit came to the fore at the beginning of the
pandemic when he used his skills as a master craftsman to create a fairy trail throughout the locality.
Phillip strives to encourage greater civic participation in Naul while fostering a strengthened sense of
community and collaboration
About The Volunteer Ireland Awards
The Volunteer Ireland Awards are the major annual initiative to celebrate volunteers in Ireland. The awards shine a light on the remarkable achievements of volunteers around the country by honoring them at a national level. Volunteer Ireland is proud to have President Michael D. Higgins as Patron of the Awards.
You can read last year’s incredible awardee’s stories here and watch our 2020 Volunteer Ireland Awards video here.
Nominations & Judging
Nominations are open from August 17th 2021 to October 10th 2021. Anyone can nominate a volunteer, someone they know who gives their time and energy voluntarily and without pay.
Individual volunteers or volunteer duos can be nominated in 1 of 9 categories. These categories reflect different facets of volunteering, such as social inclusion, sport, safety, youth work etc. This year we also included a category for COVID-19, to recognise the incredible contribution of volunteers in responding to local needs during COVID-19.
Groups of volunteers can also be nominated, there is a small group category (3-20 volunteers) and a large group category (20+ volunteers)
The final category recognises volunteer managers, those who lead volunteers and manage volunteer programmes. This category is different as volunteer managers can be in either a paid or unpaid position.
All nominations are adjudicated by a shortlisting team and a panel of judges. Three awardees are selected in each category and one truly exceptional volunteer is named Christine Buckley Volunteer of the Year.
Recognising Every Nomination
Every volunteer that is nominated will receive a thank you card from Volunteer Ireland. We want to let everyone who is nominated know that their contributions are greatly valued and that someone took the time to put them forward for an award.
Celebrating Our Awardees
Awardees’ volunteer stories will be shared across our social media channels and with local and national press. By sharing these incredible volunteers’ stories we are honouring their contribution to Irish society and also inspiring others to get involved.
