Mayfield woman receives volunteer award for Chit Chat Group

Lisa Murphy from Mayfield was named Volunteer of the Year for City North at the Cork Volunteer Awards recently, for her dedication to the Mayfield community.

Ms Murphy was honoured with the title for setting up the Mayfield Community Development Project Chit Chat Group last year.

The informal group, which invites the community to come for a cup of tea and a chat, is open to all and meets once a week on Tuesdays at 11am at 328 Old Youghal Rd, T23 CX7D.

Volunteer Ireland said: “When isolation grew in 2024, Lisa Murphy took action by creating the Mayfield Chit Chat Group; a weekly space where people reconnect, share experiences, and build confidence. Her encouragement has helped many take steps toward education, community involvement, and new friendships. Her impact extends across Mayfield, from community events to youth initiatives. We proudly honour Lisa Murphy for her inspiring community leadership.”

Ms Murphy told The Echo that she owed it to the late Mary Kelly for encouraging her to get involved with Mayfield project: “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Mary Kelly opening the door to me. I was a broken person.”

She also thanked all the Mayfield staff, particularly Liz O’Halloran for encouraging her to pursue a higher education. Ms Murphy left school at age 13 with no Junior or Leaving Certificate, but she is now pursuing education through the Munster Technological University (MTU) access programme.

A spokesperson for MTU said: “We are so incredibly proud of Lisa Murphy who was presented with the Volunteer Cork Volunteer of the Year for City North at a lovely ceremony in The Everyman.

“Lisa is one of our amazing students who is currently undertaking the starting strong access module this semester. We were delighted to be there with her on the night and we couldn’t resist celebrating her achievement this morning in class with a cuppa and a cake. Very well-deserved Lisa, congratulations!”

The Volunteer Ireland Awards are a major annual initiative to celebrate volunteers in Ireland. The awards shine a light on the remarkable achievements of volunteers around the country, and the 2025 Volunteer Ireland Awards were made possible thanks to the support of the Department of Rural and Community Development, and award partners Healthy Ireland.