Four Laois organisations have been named as winners in the first ever National Lottery Good Causes Awards.
Kolbe Special School, St Fintan’s GAA Club Mountrath, Mountmellick Development Association and the Dunamaise Arts Centre are among the national award winners.
Sport: St Fintan’s GAA Club, Mountrath
St. Fintan’s GAA club is a community based volunteer organization with a large membership promoting Gaelic games in the locality. With the help of Good Causes funding the club was able to develop its playing areas and is proud that its main pitch is the same size as Croke Park.
Health & Wellbeing: Kolbe Special School
Kolbe Special School caters for pupils from all over County Laois who have learning disabilities and autism. Good Causes funding allowed it buy equipment, including a trampoline that helps pupils with concerning behavior to burn off energy.
Heritage: Mountmellick Development Association
The Mountmellick Development Association promotes the town from an economic, social and cultural point of view. Good Causes funding helped it put items from the Mountmellick Embroidery Museum on exhibition. The museum is a reflection of the town’s rich quaker industrial past.
Arts & Culture: Dunamaise Arts Centre
Dunamaise Arts Centre offers professional visual and performing arts facilities for cultural and community organisations based in the Midlands. Good Causes funding has helped it bring the very best touring work to its audiences in the gallery, on stage and on screen.
These winners will represent Laois in the Midlands Regional finals, competing for a place in the National Finals in Dublin on November 3.
Each category winner will receive €10,000 and the overall Good Cause of the Year will receive an additional €25,000.
Broadcaster and entrepreneur and Chair of the judging panel, Bobby Kerr, said: “The competition is fierce in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards. The standard of entries is really impressive. I congratulate all of the County Winners and look forward to seeing Laois competing in the Regional Finals next month.”
Announcing the Laois winners, National Lottery CEO Dermot Griffin, said: “We were bowled over by the calibre of entries and the impact that these organisations are having in their local communities. We know that these groups are doing extraordinary things and the Good Causes awards recognize and celebrate their achievements.”
Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on National Lottery games – or over €619,000 per day – goes back to causes in areas of Sports, Arts, Culture, Heritage, Community, Health, Youth and the Irish Language.
Last year alone more than €226 million was raised by players of National Lottery games for such Good Causes.
SEE ALSO – Updated club hurling rankings as the knockout stages come into focus
