Inishowen social enterprise Spraoi agus Spórt has been nominated for four national awards this season.
One such nomination is the People’s Choice Awards, the team is appealing for public votes from the community before the closing date on Wednesday 2nd October.
“These awards are about recognising excellence in the charity sector, and we strive for excellence in everything we do,” says Spraoi agus Spórt Chairperson Patricia Lee. “So, it would be great to be honoured in this way, both for our work and for the community we serve.”
“However, we are up against large national charities in these awards, says Patricia. “So, we need all your votes and you can vote every day until voting closes! To cast your vote, just go to our website home page here: www.spraoiagussport.ie and click on the Vote for Spraoi button. Let’s make our voice heard and vote, to show just how much Donegal charities have to offer.”
Patricia explains that in addition to the People’s Choice Awards, which are decided by public vote, they’ve also been nominated for 3 other Charities Institute Ireland Awards. These are decided by the judges and are for: Small Charity/Big Impact, Charity Board of the Year and Excellence in Charity Leadership.
Spraoi agus Spórt have certainly earned their nomination for Small Charity/Big Impact. Last year, there were over 5,500 visits to their Child and Family services. They provided more than 4,000 Special Needs Assistant hours – for free – to local families. To support these SNA hours, they generated sales of over €50,000 from their Síoraí Clothing and Síoraí Home shops.
In total, over 3,000 people attended or used Spraoi agus Spórt services in 2023, programmes and event, including their popular Easter and Summer Camps for children. “Our services have a positive impact on the lives of children, parents and families, and also provide extra supports to families who have children with special needs.”
Through their Digital Creative Lab, Spraoi agus Spórt also increase tech and digital skills in the community. They run programmes and events, like film and gaming workshops, which enhance employment prospects for young people in this disadvantaged region. And they boost jobs and economic growth through their Remote Working Hub, which offers affordable office space to small businesses.
Their nomination for Charity Board of the Year should come as no surprise either, as they won a national award for good governance last year. Patricia’s view is that any organisation receiving public or charity funding has a responsibility to be transparent and accountable. “So, securing a nomination in this category means a lot to us, as it recognises how hard we work at this.”
CEO Helen Nolan has been nominated for an Excellence in Charity Leadership Award. Helen is a co-founder of Spraoi agus Spórt and has been instrumental in leading their growth in her initial role as a volunteer and subsequently as Chief Executive. She’s also played a hugely positive leadership role in the wider social enterprise sector across the island.
Voting closes on Wednesday 2nd October and you can vote once a day every day until then.
