General Teaching Council Northern Ireland

Top 15 All-Ireland Youth Volunteers Announced

In the Third annual Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards - Nobel Laureate John Hume will Chair the Selection of two 'All-Ireland Youth Volunteers in March.

The awards programme is organised by Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited in partnership with the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) and the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI).

Each of the 15 Finalists will receive €500, an engraved silver medallion and an invitation to a gala awards dinner on the 24th March in Letterkenny attended by An Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan. Two students will be named All-Ireland Youth Volunteers of the Year at this event receiving €1,000 for the charity of their choice, a gold medallion and an all expenses paid trip to the United States in May to take part in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

“Our 15 finalists are role models in a modern society that has sometimes forgotten about the value of volunteerism. The extraordinary acts of volunteerism performed by these young people show that they do indeed embody the ‘spirit of community’, said Henry McGarvey, Managing Director of Pramerica Systems Ireland.  “By honouring them, we hope not only to give them the recognition they so richly deserve, but also to inspire others to follow their example. We so badly need many more of their kind in today’s world.”

The 15 Finalists were selected from students of post-primary schools from across Ireland after winning their school nomination last November. The criteria on which the Finalists were judged included motivation, service, impact, sustainability, commitment and personal challenge.

The All-Ireland Youth Volunteers of the Year will be chosen by a selection committee chaired by Nobel laureate John Hume.   Also serving on the selection committee are Mary Davis, EurAsia Special Olympics; Yvonne McKenna, Volunteer Centres Ireland; Áine O’Neill, NAPD; GTCNI Chairperson, Sally McKee, and Henry McGarvey, Managing Director of Pramerica.