A young person from Laois has been honoured at the 2024 Laois/Offaly Garda Divisional Youth Awards, held in the Killeshin Hotel in Portlaoise.
Matty Doyle from Youth Work Ireland in Portlaoise received an individual award, recognising his years of hard work and dedication to his community.
A Garda Youth Award recognises the outstanding achievement of young people between the ages of 13 and 21, who have undertaken exceptional work in their local communities or who have shown great determination in their own lives.
Matty, who hails from Knockmay in Portlaoise, has been engaged with Youth Work Ireland since he was thirteen years of age, volunteers weekly with Knockmay’s Junior Youth Group.
Matty was a spokesperson on the National Youth Voice Committee; participated in a European Documentary; has contributed to programming on RTÉ.
He volunteered to support an after schools group in Colliers Wood, Portlaoise and was involved in the design of the Children and Young People’s Services Committee’s ‘Open Up’ website.
Matty was nominated by his colleagues at Youth Work Ireland, Elaine Boyle and Tara Roycroft, who described Matty as “the very definition of quiet leadership for his peers, younger people in the Knockmay community, and across Youth Work Ireland Laois.
“Matty gives 110% to every project and challenge he partakes in, both individually and as part of a group.
“On a weekly basis over the last few years Matty has volunteered in a junior leader’s capacity to support the Knockmay Junior Youth Club.
“Matty is now also involved in supporting the Senior Youth
Club.
“Despite the challenges that Matty has experienced in his own life, he decided to turn those difficult experiences into an opportunity to help others.
“It is said that local heroes make a lasting impact on their communities and this could not be truer of Matty.
“Through his voluntary work and his local and national work Matty has become a person that local young people can look up to, can strive to be like, can seek out for help and can advise or just be
someone to talk to if needed.
“Matty is an example of what can be achieved if you embrace the opportunities that come your way. His quiet empathetic
leadership style not only influences people in Knockmay but across all young people in Youth Work Ireland.
“Matty Doyle in his own quiet way has always gone above and beyond to support others, volunteered when and where he can and has become a positive role model for all those around him.
“Matty is an inspirational young person whose leadership skill at this young age is already bringing out the best in other people and is making a real difference in his Community.”
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