THE annual Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards ceremony is set to take place at City Hall for the first time since 2019 .

The awards, which recognise the dedicated and selfless work of many groups and organisations across Cork City, will take place on Tuesday, May 24. The Echo/Echolive.ie have been sponsors of the event since its inauguration.

Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor Colm Kelleher said that the ongoing work of community and voluntary groups is “vital” for the wellbeing, health and vibrancy of the city and its people.

This year’s award categories include arts, culture, recreation and sport; social inclusion, advocacy and guidance; social services, charities and environment; community development and continuing education; and health and wellbeing.

Bishopstown Lawn Tennis Club (BLTC), the City of Cork Male Voice Choir, and Graffiti Theatre Company have been nominated in the arts, culture, recreation, and sport category.

BLTC is a tennis club in the heart of the city run by a team of 40 volunteers who aim to make tennis accessible to all in the community.

The committee members give up much of their spare time in order to run the club and build partnerships with local schools, allowing them to use the courts. The committee has also set up a Team Up For Tennis programme which encourages children with Down Syndrome to play the sport.

The City of Cork Male Voice Choir consists of 35 volunteers who visit nursing homes, participate in Cork Choral Festival, Culture Night and Glow Festival and perform at charitable concerts and masses. Established in 1968, the group went through a particularly difficult time during Covid-19, losing four senior members over the past two years. The choir has now come out the other side of the pandemic and continues to proudly represent the people of Cork.

Graffiti Theatre Company has seven volunteers and seven paid workers who provide theatre for young audiences, youth theatre, drama workshops and free creative writing workshops for children in crèches, primary and post-primary schools throughout Cork City. Its staff and volunteers work with children and young people, giving them a chance to be creative and have their voices heard, and share a lifelong love of theatre, creative writing and the arts. Over the past two years, Graffiti Theatre Company has been a lifeline for many children in the city and over the past 40 years, the work of the organisation has transformed the lives of thousands of children.

The Lord Mayor wished all organisations shortlisted in this category the best of luck going forward.