National Age Friendly Awards Celebrate Community Innovation in Galway

By Finnian Cox

This week saw the annual National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards come to Galway’s Galmont hotel, to celebrate age friendly initiatives all over the country.

Organised by Age Friendly Ireland, this year’s award ceremony was jointly organised by Galway City and County Council and hosted by RTÉ presenter Marty Whelan.

Organisations, individuals and communities across the country can all submit projects in their area that support elderly people, which they believe are worthy of recognition. 

Returning for their ninth year, there are 8 categories of awards up for grabs- each of which line up with the World Health Organization’s definitions of an age-friendly community.

The initiatives recognised relate to transport, healthy and active ageing, business innovation, safety and security, communications, environment, community innovation and housing.

Administrative officer with Galway County Council Aisling Colreavy emphasised the importance of these initiatives around the country.

“I think you’ll find that most of these initiatives, though designed to support elderly people, ultimately start to benefit other vulnerable members of society,” she said.

The awards ceremony saw one Galway Campaign nominated for the ‘Active & Healthy Ageing Award’, which was sponsored by the Department of Health.

The ‘Positive Ageing Week – Local Heroes Campaign’ ran in September of this year, an annual event organised by COPE.

According to COPE the campaign shared the stories of “27 remarkable older adults from across Galway City and County”, emphasising how positive ageing makes communities stronger.

Unfortunately for the home entry this year, it was close but no cigar as the award went to the ‘Live Well – Health and Wellbeing Information Event’, which ran in Laois.

The ceremony was punctuated with entertainment, beginning in the lobby of the Galmont where attendees were greeted with a performance by the Salthill Village Choir.

The choir, a community of singers from across the county, have performed at a number of Galway events including the ‘Swim in Pink’ in Salthill earlier this month.

Additionally, the ceremony saw Minister of State for Older People Kieran O’Donnell delivering a keynote address.

Age Friendly Ireland is the national organisation responsible for implementing the Government’s goals for supporting elderly people.

It provides technical guidance and supports to the 35 Age Friendly Programs across the country, which are led by local authorities.