Ireland’s top two youth volunteers of 2016, Cían O’Grady from Herbertstown in Co. Limerick and Carla McErlean from Kilrea in Co. Derry, are travelling to Washington D.C. on 29th April to join youth volunteers from the United States, Asia and South America to participate in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards ceremonies.

Both Cian and Carla were selected from hundreds of youth volunteers from across the island of Ireland to receive the title of All-Ireland Youth Volunteers of the Year at the 2016 Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards in March. They were chosen for their personal sacrifice and outstanding contributions to their local communities. During the four-day event in Washington, Prudential presents awards to more than 100 outstanding youth volunteers from across the U.S. as well as national honourees from around the world. 

Cían O’Grady said, “I never envisaged that I would be selected as a winner of the Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards, and I feel privileged to be going to Washington. It is so important to get involved in volunteering and I am really looking forward to meeting all the other volunteers and hearing their stories.”

Carla McErlean added, “To travel to Washington as a Pramerica youth volunteer is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I really can’t wait to meet the other volunteers and learn about their journey and experiences. I would encourage other young people to get involved in volunteering. The feeling you get out of it is surreal, and knowing you can help other people is something to be proud of.”

Cían, a sixth year student at John the Baptist Community School in Limerick, has undertaken volunteering both in his local community and in Limerick more widely. He volunteers in the soup kitchen for St. Vincent de Paul and at St. Michael’s nursing home in Caherconlish, and helps to organise street festivals and family fun days in the community. Cian helps provide dinners in the local hall six times a year, which enables both locals and older people to come together for a social afternoon. He also sits on the ‘Tidy Towns’ committee in his area and volunteers with the Simon Community to raise funds for homeless people each Christmas.

Carla is a sixth form student at Loreto College. Since the loss of her best friend in September 2014 to a brain tumour, Carla was motivated to do something out of the ordinary to make her friend proud by raising funds for cancer charities. Carla organised various events with her closest friends in memory of her friend Anna, raising over £11,000 for Cancer Fund for Children. She also coordinated ‘The Goosebury Festival,’ a special event held at Anna’s house which raised over £20,000 for Cancer Fund for Children and the Cancer Unit in Belfast.

The only all-Ireland youth initiative of its kind, the Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards programme recognises young volunteers for their motivation, service and impact on their local community.  The programme is run in partnership with The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), The General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI), with support from Scouting Ireland and Foróige.

For further information about the 2016 Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards, follow the Pramerica Spirit of Community Facebook page and Twitter feed @Pramerica_SOC or visit www.pramerica.ie/spirit

ENDS

For further information, please contact Katrina Frazer or Shane Finnegan at Aiken PR on 02890663000 or Katrina@aikenpr.com / Harold Banks, Pramerica Systems Ireland, 973-216-4833(U.S.) or harold.banks@prudential.com