Lord Mayor's Community and Voluntary Awards:Win meant ‘so much to garden volunteers’

People making a difference in their communities in Cork are set to be recognised at the 2025 Cork City Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards, with nominations for the forthcoming edition of the awards closing this coming Friday April 4.

Since 2004, the Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards have recognised over 130 voluntary and community groups across Cork City for their contribution to life in the city.

For the 2024 Cork Lord Mayor’s Community and Voluntary Awards, Glen Community Garden received the award for Climate Action and Sustainable Development.

Barry Hickey, of Glen Community Garden, tells The Echo winning the Lord Mayor Community Award meant an awful lot to all of the volunteers that are involved.

“It just meant a lot to be recognised and to feel like not only are they part of a community, but they are a force for good within their own community,” he said.

“It meant so much to the volunteers in the garden. They are there week in and week out.

“To get a bit of recognition from the lord mayor was priceless, that we are going in the right direction and doing stuff that is positive for the environment.

“Some people from the Glen and the volunteers, they never had been invited to the City Hall or been to an event in the City Hall.”

Mr Hickey, who works for the HSE as a community health worker for the Glen area, added: “We have got about 50 volunteers that come through every week, as well as schools and different organisations. There is a lot of volunteers and a lot of effort.

“We do a lot of growing food, which is the main thing that we do there. The Glen and a lot of the areas in the northside, there would be a lot of food inequality and food poverty.

“Having the community garden set up as a response to that by the community, it was a way of letting people see food could be grown in their community.”

The Glen Community Garden was established in 2009 with the help of volunteers and the local community.

Mr Hickey also organises a range of workshops, such as composting workshops and garden pallet workshops. The garden includes fruit, vegetables, a whole range of plants, flowers and herbs, as well as a sensory garden and meditation area.

“If you don’t nominate yourself, you are not in with a chance to win,” Mr Hickey said to any volunteer groups out there considering putting themselves forward for nomination for the awards.

“There are some amazing projects out there and amazing voluntary programmes out there that people are giving up their time for, week in and week out,” he said.

“People shouldn’t be afraid to nominate themselves.

“It is awards like this that really highlight the amazing work that is being done in the city.”

The categories for the 2025 Cork City Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards are:  

• Arts, Culture, Recreation & Heritage 
• Climate Action, Active Travel & Sustainable Development
• Community Development & Lifelong Learning
• Recreation, Sport, Heath & Wellbeing 
• Social Inclusion, Advocacy & Integration
• Social Services, Charities & Environment

The Echo will be sharing the stories of the nominees and the award winners over the next few weeks and months ahead.

The closing date for nominations is Friday April 4. The winners will then be announced at a Civic Ceremony in Cork City Hall on Wednesday May 7.

Members of the public are invited to nominate community and voluntary groups they would like to see recognised for the good work in which they do.

Applications for the 2025 Cork City Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards can be made online at corkcity.ie/lordmayorawards.