Gráinne Seoige is pictured alongside Galway Sub Aqua Club as they’re announced as one of the 133 county finalists in this year’s National Lottery Good Causes Awards. There are five county winners from Mayo.
An impressive five finalists comprising of local groups, sports clubs, community projects and organisations from Mayo were today announced as county winners in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2023.
Initiatives recognised at the awards include Mayo Dark Skies, Ireland’s first International Dark Sky Park, showcasing some of the darkest, most pristine skies in the world; the Ballinglen Museum & Arts Foundation, which manages visual arts projects to enhance cultural awareness and understanding to the public; and 9th Mayo Claremorris Scouts, a community group supporting the development of young people in the Claremorris area and its surrounds.
The other Mayo county winners are Ballina Carers Support Group (in the Health & Wellbeing section) and Aghamore Community Development Company Ltd (in the Community section).
Announcing the Mayo county winners today, National Lottery CEO Andrew Algeo said: “Good causes who support communities across Ireland are at the heart of the National Lottery’s purpose. As a result, we are delighted to celebrate each year the exceptional work being carried out by those groups, organisations and sports clubs nationwide.
“I am thrilled and not surprised to say that we have had another year of inspirational stories from the beneficiaries of National Lottery funding. These stories provide purpose to those of us who work in and with the National Lottery. It has never been easy to narrow down the list of hundreds of entries. However, it is a great pleasure to congratulate the Mayo county winners this year and to be able to show our appreciation for their commitment to communities around the country.”
Gráinne Seoige, host of the Good Causes Awards, said: “This is my fourth year being involved in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards, and year-on-year my delight to be involved grows. By working with good causes, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many individuals and groups that are doing extraordinary work in our communities. They continue to inspire me each year, and I look forward to seeing who makes it through to the national finals in October.”
Local or national, large or small, the awards recognise initiatives across a broad list of categories: Sport, Health & Wellbeing, Arts & Culture, Heritage, Community, Youth, and Irish Language. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, October 21, in Killashee House Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare.
The 133 county winners will now compete for a place in the national finals judging phase next month, after which the national finalists will be announced.
The total prize fund available on the night of the Good Causes Awards ceremony is €100,000, whereby each of the seven category winners will receive €10,000 and the overall Good Cause of the Year will take home an additional €25,000. A special category – Hero of the Year – will be announced on the awards night in recognition of outstanding work and the recipient will receive a prize of €5,000. In addition, each of the national finalists announced in June will receive a cheque for €1,000.
In total, more than €6 billion has been raised for good causes since the National Lottery was established 34 years ago. In 2021 alone, €304 million was raised for local good causes in communities across Ireland.