Community Organisation of the Year
This award recognises and celebrates the most outstanding and exemplary community organisation that has demonstrated exceptional contributions, leadership, and positive impact within their field or industry over the past year.
Criteria
- A community organisation working in the following areas: health, environment, education, population or public policy, disaster relief, human development, refugee assistance, civil society, equitable economic development.
- An organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to the lives of others in their local community through their work and commitment to support those in need.
- Self nominations and nominations of other organisations are accepted.
Samaritans Ireland – Humanitarian Organisation of the Year 2024.
Samaritans’ relentless commitment to providing emotional support 24/7 underscores their pivotal role in suicide prevention and mental health advocacy in Ireland.
Originally founded in the UK over 70 years ago by one man with one phone, the organisation has grown to more than 20,000 volunteers, including 1,500 volunteers in Ireland. Samaritans offers a lifeline to individuals in crisis, embodying the spirit of compassion and solidarity. Based in 16 locations nationwide, volunteers answer more than 1,000 calls for help every day – that is 400,000 calls for help each year; one call every 60 seconds.
Samaritans’ volunteers and staff continuously try to target those hard-to-reach groups most at risk of suicide through a variety of projects and campaigns including the Listener programme run through the Irish Prison Service, Emigrant Support, rural isolation and community projects.
