Volunteers who make their city a better place honoured

The economy was put in second place yesterday as those who tend the 'fragile flower' of community were celebrated

THE WORK of volunteers who strive to make their communities better places to live was honoured yesterday at The Irish TimesLiving Dublin Awards.

The Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People was this year's overall winner of the event, now in its 14th year.

The centre, founded by Br Kevin Crowley in the 1960s, also took first place in the community development category for its work in providing hot meals, food parcels, clothing and day care facilities for the homeless and needy. Tributes were also paid to many other groups at the event including Ulster Bank, the Science Gallery, the Gateway Intergenerational Learning Pilot Study, the Ard na Gréine Residents' Association, St Clare's Primary School in Harold's Cross and Citywise Education, Jobstown.

Br Kevin, who attended the ceremony in Dublin on crutches, said he was absolutely overjoyed at the award and accepted it for the people he worked for and the people he worked with.

He said the ethos of the centre had not changed since it was established almost 40 years ago.

"Our aim is that no matter who comes through our doors we're there to help, we don't ask any questions, our main aim is the respect and the dignity of the people we work for," he said.

Sponsored by The Irish Times, in partnership with Dublin City Council and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards celebrate groups, individuals and businesses working to improve the quality of life in Dublin.

The managing director of The Irish Times Ltd, Maeve Donovan, said everyone at the event had contributed beyond measure to the wellbeing of Dublin and the paper was proud to be associated with the awards.

"They are a testament to the fact that despite what we hear all the time about changes in the community . . . volunteerism in the wider community is increasingly in evidence around us," she said.

Categories included community development, business in the community, culture and tourism and education.

The members of Ard na Gréine Residents' Association, on the go for over 30 years, said they were delighted at winning the Dublin City Neighbourhoods award.

TV presenter Mary Kennedy, who chaired the event, commended the north Dublin group for their community spirit and their willingness to wear the paper hats provided at the event.

Trudy Corrigan, co-ordinator of the Gateway Intergenerational Learning Pilot Study at Dublin City University, which won in the third-level education category, said the award was a huge incentive to continue with the project despite the economic downturn.

The study, which involved third-level students teaching older people IT skills, also allowed older people to share their experience with young students, Ms Corrigan said.

"I was told we'd find no students, they'd be too busy on Saturdays or they'd have hangovers, but when I put out an e-mail I got 50 replies. It was great," she said.

She said she hoped with funding, the study would mark the beginning of developing a centre for intergenerational learning that could be copied in all third-level colleges.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne thanked all those present for their contribution to the city.

She said she never worried too much about the economy, but was concerned about the much more fragile flower of democracy and social capital in society.

"There has to be people who are committed to nurturing that flower and they are the type of people who are in this room today," she said.

Margaret Sweeney, president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, said the event was not just about the winners, but was about everyone who contributed and made a submission to the awards.

"The number of submissions made to the award was double the number last year," she said.

Groups that were highly commended at the awards included Tallaght Feast, PALS of Blanchardstown, Irish Guide Dogs Puppy Walkers, St Mary's School, Baldoyle, Belvedere College English teaching initiative and the Summerhill residents.