THREE hard-working staff members at the heart of Irish charities which serve the most vulnerable children across Britain have been nominated for an award recognising their work.
The Irish Youth Foundation has chosen three people who represent a selection of their supported charities as the nominees for the second annual Hibernian Hero Award.
And once again it is up to The Irish Post readers to choose their favourite and vote for the charity who will win the prestigious title.
Her cultural and community administrator role is a varied one, and sees her responsible for making funding applications to support the popular centre while working closely with its members and overseeing their weekly schedule of events and activities.
Belfast-based nominee Harry Murphy is a senior youth worker at the Artillery Youth Centre, a club he himself has attended in his youth.
He has stayed close to the centre and was a volunteer there for many years before it came under the threat of closure in the mid-1990s.
The thought of losing the centre which provided a haven for many disadvantaged young people prompted Harry to join forces with other volunteers and secure a lease for the building, which ultimately safeguarded its future.
The final nominee is Sharon O’Regan, who works for the Tricycle Theatre on projects which engage young people from the Traveller community in North London.
Through her work she strives to give those youngsters a chance to gain a better education while enjoying the arts and engaging in activities they may otherwise struggle to access.
The IYF charity has been providing funding for organisations serving youngsters across Britain and the North of Ireland since it was founded in 1989.
To date it has awarded more than £4million to such projects, but for a second year offers their Hibernian Hero honour in addition to their annual grants programme.
The award is designed to further highlight the hard work their supported organisations do for disadvantaged young people every day.
Irish Youth Foundation Chairman John Dwyer claims the initiative remains an important one for the IYF team, who are looking forward to crowning their 2013 winner later this month.
‘We launched The Hibernian Hero Award in 2012 as a way of highlighting some very deserving individuals and the projects they work on,” he explained.
“The initiative was a huge success giving welcome public recognition to the people nominated and their wonderful work on behalf of young Irish people in need and it was important for us to continue it this year. We have three nominees and a fantastic night planned where the winner will be revealed.”
The ultimate Hibernian Hero Award 2013 winner will be announced at a glitzy award ceremony hosted by celebrity chef Richard Corrigan at his Bentley’s Restaurant on October 24.
