On 6th November 2025, The Park Hotel in Dungarvan came alive with celebration as over 220 guests gathered for the 21st Waterford PPN Community & Voluntary Awards, recognising the outstanding contributions of community and voluntary groups across Waterford city and county. The gala evening was hosted with charm and energy by WLR’s Ollie Carroll and Dymphna Nugent, adding sparkle to an already memorable night.
A Celebration of Community Dedication
Organised by Waterford PPN in partnership with Waterford City & County Council, Waterford Volunteer Centre, Expressway, Waterford Community Safety Partnership, South East Energy Agency, Campion Insurance, Cairde Credit Union, Journi Credit Union, and Local Link Waterford, the event brought together local politicians, sponsors, adjudicators, and representatives from all nominated groups. Guests included Deputy Mayor Cllr. John Pratt, Ministers Mary Butler and John Cummins, TD Conor D. McGuinness, and council management.
Waterford PPN is a network of over 800 community, voluntary, social inclusion, and environmental groups across the city and county. The awards showcase the incredible dedication of these groups and their volunteers, providing the only platform that celebrates community achievements in Waterford.
Lynda O’Shea of the Waterford PPN Secretariat reflected on the network’s successes this year:
“This year has been particularly proud for Waterford PPN. We were highlighted as a model of best practice at the National PPN Conference for our ‘Connecting Community Roadshows,’ contributed to a National PPN Report on Emergency Preparedness, and partnered with Healthy Waterford and Healthy Ireland on three ‘Place Standard’ pilot projects—making Waterford the first county in Ireland to use the new Ireland Place Standard Toolkit.”
Award Winners 2025
This year, awards were presented across seven group categories, three individual volunteer awards, and an overall winner.
Group Awards:
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Children & Youth – St. Paul’s Scout Group (Sponsored by Expressway)
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Community Safety – Re-A-Suir (Sponsored by Waterford Community Safety Partnership)
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Environment & Conservation – Tramore Tidy Towns (Sponsored by South East Energy Agency)
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Health & Wellbeing – Fiontar Pobail (Sponsored by Campion Insurance)
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Social Enterprise – Chronic Health Advocate CLG (Sponsored by Cairde & Journi Credit Union)
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Social Inclusion & Community Support – Tallow Men’s Shed (Sponsored by Local Link Waterford)
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Spik & Span – Best Kept Residential Area – Belvedere Manor Residents Association (Sponsored by Waterford City & County Council)
Individual Volunteer Awards:
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Age Friendly Volunteer of the Year: Gus Fitzgerald, Francis Court Age Action
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Board/Committee Member of the Year: Csilla Czelvikker, Waterford New Communities Network
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Junior Volunteer of the Year: Kerrie Walsh, Dungarvan Rugby Club
Belvedere Manor Residents Association, chosen from all category winners, will proudly represent Waterford at the Pride of Place National Awards next year.
Deputy Mayor Cllr. John Pratt praised the PPN’s work:
“The PPN plays a vital role in connecting, supporting, and empowering community and voluntary groups across Waterford. It provides a strong collective voice for communities, ensuring that local people have a real say in shaping the policies and decisions that affect them.”
The 21st Waterford PPN Awards highlighted the selfless dedication, creativity, and spirit of Waterford’s volunteers and community groups – a true celebration of local heroes.