Children & Youth Shortlist 2024

Ciaran Lynam has been volunteering with Solas Project for 10 years now, supporting young people in their After School programme. His warm, curious nature makes it easy for young people to trust him and he allows them to be themselves in a way that is fun and empathetic.  

He is also a Step Up mentor, which means he is a one-one-one role model to encourage young people to use their voices for good. He listens and genuinely cares about the young people he mentors, going to efforts to learn things about their unique interests. When Solas Project started a new programme to help students transitioning into secondary school, Ciaran was first to step up and get involved with the young people going through a vulnerable time in their lives.  

“Ciaran comes in week in week out with an openness, acceptance and love that’s hard to put words on. His calming and  strong presence is one that allows the children to feel safe and regulated. They know to expect Ciaran on a Tuesday and look forward to seeing him” writes his nominator. 

Karen O’Connor has been involved with LauraLynn since 2016 and is very involved with their Fundraising Department providing administrative support. Her attention to detail and care with donors is so important to helping the children’s hospice reach their goals. Her work with data analysis and organisation maintains data protection rules and boosts the efficiency of donations. After her work supporting golf clubs to donate to LauraLynn, they saw a 43% increase in donations from these clubs! Karen is behind the scenes at every turn, preparing donor packs and ensuring that successful campaigns always have the support they need. She then follows up with donors to make sure they know just how valuable their contribution has been. She also supervises the Transition Year student volunteers, helping to foster a love for volunteering in young people.  

She also is active volunteering with special LauraLynn activities throughout the year. She is always around to dress up for their festive Christmas Gifting which delivers gifts to families using the service or bereaved. During a Family Fun Day she can be found doing arts and crafts with kids or helping families join in on the fun. Karen also reads to children in the hospice every shift!  

Garry Wiley is a Den Leader for the Donabate Sea Scouts. Kids of all ages look to Garry to provide a safe and exciting environment to learn about outdoor skills and have a bit of fun! Garry is known to go out of his way to make parents and scouts, of any ability, feel confident and comfortable in scouting. There is hardly a weekend that he is not on camp, running or attending events or at training to keep improving on the high level of scouting he already delivers. Garry is part of the Réachra leadership team which is another scouting group with responsibility for all of the different troops in that geographical area. Having started as a section leader and quickly becoming a group leader, Garry has never shied away from a project that might be difficult or a lot of work if it would benefit his scouts. He has arranged days with more than 100 young people even if it meant huge sacrifices for himself.  

His nominator wrote about the first time they met Garry, who personally visited them and their neurodivergent son to make sure he could be able to go on a camping trip that might prove to be a challenge for the child. The ten-year-old “had a ball. His confidence was through the roof afterwards and it ignited in him a love of scouting and to this day he is especially fond of Garry.” 

Garry is proud to be a qualified safeTalk volunteer, able to provide support to a person experiencing mental health concerns. He also coaches basketball at the Donabate Basketball Club!