THE hard work of Belfast’s older volunteers has been celebrated at City Hall at the Age Friendly Older Volunteer of the Year Awards.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the awards shine a spotlight on the invaluable contribution older people aged 60 years and over make, particularly through the pathway of volunteering.
The awards included five different categories including an award for ‘Older Volunteer of the Year.’ Other categories included ‘Longstanding Volunteer of the Year’, ‘Digital Champion of the Year’, ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ and ‘Team of the Year.’
A number of individuals and organisations from West Belfast were among those nominated and awarded.
Our amazing volunteers were unsurprisingly nominated for an award at the Age-Friendly Belfast Older Volunteers Awards 2022 in City Hall. We are so lucky to have the ongoing support of an incredible volunteer team who dedicate their time and efforts to making a real difference! pic.twitter.com/mOo9lkxWny
— Women's Aid Belfast & Lisburn (@WomensaidBelLis) December 22, 2022
The award of ‘Older Volunteer of the Year’ went to local legend Owen Coogan from the Falls Road. Owen, who volunteers with BraveHEART’s 50+ Men’s Group, is 81-years-old and was nominated by Jackie Brennan who commended Owen for “his overwhelming commitment to the group, his help in washing the kits for ‘Danderball’ and most importantly his desire to see others happy.”
Volunteers from Good Morning Colin were also celebrated for their dedication and were nominated by Colin Neighbourhood Partnership’s Community Safety Officer Brendan McAteer.
In a post on Facebook, the group shared their joy stating: “Good Morning Colin volunteers were proud to collect their team nomination award at the Age Friendly older volunteer awards at Belfast City Hall today. It was a lovely afternoon in recognition of the hard work and dedication of older volunteers across the city.”
Volunteers from Good Morning Colin being celebrated
Robert McClenaghan, known locally as 'Dinker' from the Falls Residents' Association was also commended for his hard work with the older people within the community. Falls Residents' Association congratulated “the man, the myth, the legend” on his award adding, “well done and well deserved".
Pat Gray, long term volunteer at Belfast Homeless Services, was also nominated and received his award for his invaluable contribution to helping the homeless community in Belfast.
Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Tina Black sang the praises of the volunteers. “Belfast has a fantastic community of volunteers that work tirelessly for the benefit of others in organisations and groups across the city. These volunteers are an integral part of Belfast’s social fabric and listening to the personal stories and experiences has been really heart-warming."
