Federation Of Irish Sport Calls For Nominations For Galway’s ‘Sports Volunteer Of The Year’

Nominations
for Galway’s Sports Volunteer of the Year can be made by individuals, clubs or
sporting associations

EBS,
the Mortgage Masters to sponsor awards as part of a wider campaign celebrating
the role of the volunteer;

Galway
nominations can be made online at volunteerinsport.ie 

Closing
date for nominations is Friday, 27 September

The Federation of Irish Sport is calling for
nominations for Galway’s ‘Sports Volunteer of the Year’.

The 2019 Volunteer in Sport Awards, officially
launched today by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin TD,
alongside Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor, is seeking nominations
from individuals, clubs and sports associations in Galway for individuals who
have made a real difference to their club, community or county. 

The Volunteers in Sport Awards were created to
recognise the contributions, commitment and dedication of the 450,000
volunteers who give their time to Irish sport every year. 

The Federation of Irish Sport recently announced its
new partnership with EBS, the Mortgage Masters. The new partnership with EBS
has afforded the Federation the opportunity to re-establish the awards for the
first time since 2014. 

An overall winner from
each county will be selected as well as one national ‘Team of Volunteers’
award. A ‘Lifetime’ award to honour a volunteer who has consistently given of
their time for a sport, a team, or an event over many years, will also be
awarded at the ceremony, taking place on Tuesday, 12 November.

How
to nominate

Members of the public are invited to nominate a Galway volunteer whose contribution to their sport has made a real difference to their club, community or the wider county. 

Nominations can be made by individuals, clubs or sporting associations via an online application form at www.volunteersinsport.ie.  The deadline for applications is Friday, 27 September 2019.    

Speaking about the awards, Minister of State Brendan
Griffin TD, said:

“It is important to remember that every Irish athlete currently representing their club, county or even country is a result of the hours of passion, dedication and effort that volunteers afforded them each week as they developed as players and athletes.  The unparalleled commitment given by these people must be recognised and celebrated. I am delighted to launch these Sport Volunteer Awards and I urge members of the public to nominate an individual whose contribution to sport has made a real difference in their community, whether that is a coach, manager, official or administrator. These unsung heroes deserve to be celebrated and congratulated publicly.”

According to Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of
Irish Sport:

“The first Volunteer in Sport Awards were presented in 2007 and were done so to recognise the contribution, commitment and dedication of the volunteers who give so generously of their time to sport and physical activity every year.  We are delighted that EBS have partnered with us this year to make this happen for the first time in five years.

“Sport plays a central role in the social fabric of Galway, as it does in all 32 counties. The value of volunteering in sport clubs and associations across Galway is unimaginable. It is these people that make sport happen every weekend across the county, and it is essential they are recognised, and indeed funded to ensure that sporting tradition grows even further in the years to come.”

Speaking about the newly established partnership,
Des Fitzgerald, CEO of EBS commented;

“EBS is proud to launch an initiative that will recognise everyday heroes without whom sport in Ireland simply would not happen. This army of 450,000 volunteers go above and beyond what is asked of them every day to ensure that children, teenagers and adults remain included, active and competitive in sport.

“They are the coaches, the managers, those who wash the kit, who set up training sessions, who manage fundraising campaigns, who make tea and sandwiches, and who taxi children around their county. They are the people who open the gates to incredible opportunities. We have been involved in communities in Ireland for over 80 years and are delighted to reignite our activity in communities around the country with this unique partnership with The Federation of Irish Sport, with the Volunteer in Sport Awards being the first initiative we will work together on.”

For more information, visit www.volunteersinsport.ie.