Awards ceremony taking place on 25/03/2025
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Emma Baptista Winner
Emma is a 17 year old from Portadown, she comes from a Lithuanian and Portuguese background. Her family moved to NI to seek work. She became political active after Brexit and ultimately helped both her parents get their settled status. Emma has been Read More
Kathy Wolff Winner
Kathy is described as having worked in her community for longer than most can remember. She has been a vital and constant resource to community relations. She is currently Coordinator of the Community Relations Forum in Newtownabbey. She has also bee Read More
Portstewart Community Association Winner
Portstewart Community Association embodies the spirit of community and progress. Composed of dedicated individuals from diverse backgrounds, this group is driven by a shared commitment to creating positive change. Their hardworking nature ensures tha Read More
Doreen Murugi Highly Commended
Doreen Murugi has been volunteering with the Housing for All programme since May 2023. She has been instrumental in setting up and developing the newly formed African Caribbean Community Network, based in Derry-Londonderry. It is the only organisatio Read More
Culture on the Hill - Ryan Culture on the Hill - Curry Highly Commended
Culture on the Hill brought together 9 primary and post primary schools from the Dungannon area, the culmination of a programme celebrating the rich and diverse multicultural backgrounds of residents in the Hill of O’Neill and Ranfurly House on 23 Read More
Carrick Connect Carrick Connect Highly Commended
The CwtH project in Carrickfergus exemplifies a holistic approach to promoting good relations and combating homelessness stigma within a shared housing community. Delivered by Carrick Connect, funded through the DfC and the NIHE, and supported by Cla Read More
Adam McGibbon Highly Commended
Adam McGibbon is a determined, long-time advocate who has volunteered his time for more than a decade to promote the benefits of Integrated Education. He has been a key member of the ‘Integrated AlumNI’ group since its founding 12 years ago, an o Read More
Carole Kane Highly Commended
Carole Kane is an exemplary individual who has been employed by Shankill Parish Caring Association (SPCA) in the Jethro Centre, Lurgan as their Good Relations Project Officer since 17 May 2021. She is highly articulate and hardworking, routinely demo Read More
Expert By Experience Youth Mentors Highly Commended
The Expert By Experience (EBE) Youth Mentors, a group of 7 young people, are tearing down barriers and building a sense of community and belonging for other care- experienced young people across Northern Ireland. The EBEs, based in Include Youth offi Read More
Jubilee Community Benefit Society Winner
Jubilee Farm is the first community-owned farm in Northern Ireland, its 150 member-owners having raised over £300,000 to purchase and equip the property in early 2019. The farm is the vision of Jubilee Community Benefit Society, an inter-denominatio Read More
Jonah Atos Winner
Jonah Atos is the heart and soul of the Filipino Community in the North-West. Arriving in NI in 2001 as the 1st internationally educated nurse in the NHS Western Trust, in 2014 she founded and became the first chair of Filipino Community ‘Kabal Read More
John (Jock) Carson Highly Commended
John (Jock) Carson has worked for TIDES Training for 13 years and is currently their Mediations and Training Services Manager. During this time, he has proven to have an exceptional commitment to Good Relations work across Northern Ireland, working w Read More
Bill Lockhart Highly Commended
Over 60 years of volunteering, while working full time and bringing up a family Bill is the definition of a volunteer. Most of his previous spare time and newfound retirement time is dedicated to others in making their lives better. Holywood would no Read More
Glenside Farm Highly Commended
Glenside Farm Comber CIC covers approximately 80 acres and is found in the beautiful drumlins of County Down, 2 miles outside of Comber and 10 minutes away from Belfast. The farm is home to award winning Glen Cowie pedigree Aberdeen Angus and Blue Te Read More
St.Brigid's College Drama group Highly Commended
A group of pupils from St.Brigid’s College demonstrated remarkable creativity, insight, and courage in devising and performing a play addressing the complex issues of sectarianism and racism. Tackling such challenging and sensitive topics requires Read More
Connor Kerr Becky Bellamy Highly Commended
Connor and Becky embody the principles of ‘Show Some Love’. They promote acceptance, respect and inclusion in the most joyous and celebratory way. In a queer-positive, everyone-welcome space they have created an interlinking of communitie Read More
Catherine Cooke Highly Commended
Catherine Cooke has been a driving force in the community and voluntary sector for over 30 years, championing empowerment, inclusion, and good relations across the North West of Northern Ireland. As Co-ordinator of FWIN since 2004, Catherine has crea Read More
Cooper McClure Winner
Cooper has given his time freely as a volunteer to support the work of Midlands Recreational and Social Association for over 40 years as the Treasurer and coach for the Boxing Club. His dedication to the young people who attend the club is fantastic. Read More
Chaudhary Hamza Riaz Highly Commended
Chaudhary Hamza Riaz is a transformative leader and advocate for equality, diversity, and inclusion, making a profound impact at Ulster University and across Northern Ireland. As the first international and BAME+ Vice President for Equality and Belon Read More
Martina Byrne, Andy Peters, Catherine Cummings Highly Commended
The three volunteers nominated (Martina Byrne, Andy Peters, Catherine Cummings) have come together to create a rural connections focused project that breaks down barriers and builds relationship between local people from all ages and all background Read More
Elizabeth (Betty) Carlisle MBE Winner
Working within the community sector for over 37 years, Betty Carlisle has established professional relationships with political figures, government, and other community organisations, including chairing the Greater Shankill Partnership and being a me Read More
1. Naíscoil na Seolta Highly Commended
The name, Naíscoil na Seolta, means nursery school of the sails. This reflects their connection to the shipbuilding heritage in east Belfast, while also representing their children sailing off on their educational journey. The nursery school is the Read More
Empowering Young Women’s project Highly Commended
The Empowering Young Women’s project aims to support young women aged 15 – 25 living across North and West Belfast. As a young women’s programme, EYW believes in fostering peace, equality, and mutual respect among the individuals in our pro Read More
Joe McKeown Highly Commended
Joe McKeown has committed his entire adult life to engaging people of all faiths and none to conversations and relationships on peacebuilding and reconciliation. Most recently as new director of Youth Link, he has ensured that the organisation has no Read More
Margaret Cunningham Highly Commended
Margaret Cunningham has dedicated three decades of her life to helping others, promoting understanding, celebrating difference and breaking down barriers in the local community. Margaret leads by example, showing knowledge, compassion, and empathy Read More
David Patterson Winner
David Patterson was a headmaster in Lowwood Primary School in North Belfast but has since taken early retirement as a carer. He has used his skills, knowledge and abilities to develop The Celebrating Difference Together TREK initiative and has involv Read More
Helen Dunn Highly Commended
Helen has been instrumental to developing networks and making connections to provide meaningful support for newcomers. She volunteers with Glenabbey Church and Welcome Churches where she provides an opportunity for newcomers from diverse backgr Read More
James Reynolds Highly Commended
James Reynolds at the age of 18 has, within the past year, earned his Cooperation Ireland Future Leaders Silver Award, and begun working towards Gold. James is now working on a social action project, making a short film to raise awareness of the stig Read More
Harry Maher Highly Commended
Harry has driven cross community work across Northern Ireland with drive, equity, innovation and determination for 25 years. From early days in the 1990’s as we emerged from conflict into the peace process Harry has worked tirelessly to develop Read More
Nadia Boudhaim Maguire Highly Commended
Nadia is an outstanding advocate for Good Relations and is very successfully engaged in a series of programmes promoting and celebrating diversity including initiatives: – fostering & celebrating cross-community cooperation, educational equ Read More
Yvonne Heaney Winner
Yvonne has committed 25 years of her life to supporting cross-community work and projects, for young people and adults. She has also guided and inspired young people from partner countries during international youth exchanges. Yvonne has actively ass Read More
Ioana Stoica Highly Commended
Ioana Stoica was nominated for this recognition based on her outstanding voluntary contributions to the community. She has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to good relations work, fostering mutual respect, and celebrating diversity in Armagh B Read More
Crosslinks Volunteer Team - Youth Initiatives Winner
The Crosslinks volunteer team, composed of individuals aged 16-19, serves as a highly commendable example of teenagers actively making a positive impact on both their immediate and broader communities. Through their leadership and actions, they estab Read More
Nicole Sloan Winner
Nicole is a Radius tenant living in a Shared Housing development built as part of the T:BUC and ‘Housing for All’ Strategy. She is passionate and promotes culture, diversity, acceptance, respect and understanding through themes including health a Read More
VOYPIC Women's Group Highly Commended
VOYPIC was created in 1993 by a group of children and young people in care and supporting practitioners. The organisation is an independent children’s charity that promotes the rights and voice of children in care and young people leaving care. The Read More
Tada Rural Support Network Geraldine Lawless (Chair) Highly Commended
TADA Rural Support Network is a voluntary community group made up of 10 voluntary board members. The Chairperson of the organisation is Geraldine Lawless. TADA has over 20 years’ experience of providing tailored support to identify and meet the Read More
St Johns and Killowen Primary Schools pupils Coleraine Highly Commended
St Johns and Killowen primary schools in Coleraine are shared education partners and work together regularly on good relations and community cohesion projects. Their principles Helen McDonnell and Arlene Moon have worked tirelessly to promote their s Read More
Aaron Smith Winner
Aaron has been involved in Youth work for over 6 years, having been initially a Young Leader then an Ambassador on the Uniting Communities through Sport and Creative activities T:BUC Programme. He has now gone full circle in his leadership and good r Read More
Angila Chada Winner
Angila has made an exceptional contribution to peacebuilding and Good Relations in Northern Ireland. She has dedicated her life’s work to promoting inclusion and diversity, and creating opportunities for those that need it most. A visionary and cha Read More
Adekanmi Abayomi Winner
Adekanmi Abayomi, LLB (Hons) is the Founder and Chair of EMSONI – Ethnic Minority Sports Organisation Northern Ireland. He is a Social Justice Advocate and a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. As a long-term racial equality ac Read More
Dr Mukesh Chugh Highly Commended
Mukesh started a community group Indian Hindu Association which has successfully organised many festivals and community gatherings. He has conducted workshops in schools and colleges about Indian art, culture and heritage to promote interfaith harmon Read More
Maureen O'Gorman Highly Commended
From the inception of Maureen’s career in youth work, she has helped young people to participate in Good relations programmes, Latterly with a greater emphasis on T:BUC, Maureen has the developed the capacity of a huge range of youth workers, t Read More
Mary Lafferty Highly Commended
Mary Lafferty has made an outstanding contribution to building good relations in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area. She is an exemplary good relations community champion who leads by example. She has been to the forefront of cultural dive Read More
Hazel McGuigan Highly Commended
Hazel Mc Guigan has dedicated her life to helping others, promoting understanding and breaking down barriers. She is an exceptional community ambassador with a passion for affecting change. As Chairperson of Campsie Community Association, she volunta Read More
Dennett Valley Healthy Network Winner
Donemana in the past has been perceived as a fractious village, but Dennett Valley Healthy Network (Damien Devine) has been working tirelessly to develop a shared space for all the community. Before there was no shared space in Donemana so there were Read More
Mary Hogg Highly Commended
Mary has been at the forefront of women’s issues and empowerment in Mid Ulster for 23 years. Very much an advocate for Peace, Reconciliation and the peace Agreements, she has taken many personal risks in promoting good relations in Mid Ulster. Read More
Limavady High School and St. Mary's High School, Limavady Highly Commended
The Limavady Shared Education Campus is the first project of its kind in Northern Ireland and was born out of The NI Executive’s Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy published in May 2013. By creating a new campus for schools to s Read More
Orla Hawkins Highly Commended
Orla formed a group of young people from the Ardoyne/New Lodge area and Shankill area in Belfast City who meet each week to build relations and trust amongst each other. Orla provided a space where children come from these areas to share their living Read More
Dr Éamon Phoenix Winner
The political historian and well known broadcaster Dr Éamon Phoenix received the 2022 Good Relations Award from the Community Relations Council (CRC) at an online gala event attended by peers, peacebuilders and government representatives. Dr Phoenix Read More