The Variety Ireland Children’s Awards 2024, in conjunction with our sponsor “Be Kingdom Kind”, took place in The Westbury Hotel, Dublin on Sunday 7th April 2024.
Through our work in helping children throughout the island of Ireland, we have been fortunate to meet so many incredible individuals, groups and schools, that we thought it only right that we put them in the spotlight and acknowledge how truly exceptional they are!
The ceremony was an afternoon of celebrations, where we got to recognise and pay tribute to special children and individuals for their own bravery, inspiration and kindness.
The Award Winners
Variety Ireland
Volunteer of the Year Award 2024
This award is for an individual who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, dedication, and impact through their volunteer efforts at a national level to help children with disabilities.
And the Winner is…
Paul Callan from Louth
We first encountered Paul when he was volunteering for a cycling group in county Louth. Since then he has gone on to set up his own club, Louth Disability Cycling Club, which sees him and other volunteers introducing children to the joys of cycling via rickshaws and wheelchair bikes.
Paul spends nearly all his spare time volunteering and helping children in his local community. Even after a busy day at work, Paul can been seen bringing children for evening cycles and encouraging families to bring their children to events such as his clubs ‘try a bike’ day, to show children with disabilities the wide range of bikes and other transporters available to them.
Congratulations Paul – we salute you!
Variety Ireland
Bravery Award 2024
This award recognises a child who has shown outstanding courage and bravery in overcoming and dealing with physical or medical issues in their life.
And the Winner is…
Jai from Cork
Jai was born in China in 2013 and was moved frequently between hospitals and orphanages for numerous medical treatments . He was very frail and sick when his mum and dad adopted him in and brought him to Cork in 2017.
As well as Jai having medical issues, he also has severe intellectual disabilities, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, global developmental delay and also is non verbal. With the love from his adoring family and the amazing support from his school and carers, Jai continues to blossom.
Congratulations Jai, and all the best in your brave and incredible journey!
Variety Ireland
Heart of Learning Award 2024
This award goes to a child or school who promote inclusion and equality for their pupils with the use of digital learning equipment provided to them through our Heart of Learning Programme.
And the Winner is…
Kiltormer NS, Galway
Our Heart of Learning Programme provides upcycled iPads to schools and individuals all across Ireland, who may need that little bit of extra help with their education.
We are passionate about helping children who require additional support with learning, so hope that by providing iPads, we can help in some small way to make learning more accessible to some.
Over the years we have supplied hundreds of iPads to families and schools up and down the country. However when we received a video from Kiltormer NS showing us excatly how they were using their new iPads, we were blown away by the impact our Programme had had on the newly arrived Ukrainan students to their school!
Variety Ireland
Inspiration Award 2024
This award goes to a child with a disability who continues to inspire and bring joy to others around them on a daily basis.
And the Winner is…
Maddix from Dublin
Maddix and her twin sister Ciara were born in 2013. Maddix has Down Syndrome, but has overcome all her difficulties and challenges in her own special way.
Thanks to early intervention and support, she is a very active and happy little girl. Her twin sister is a huge influence on Maddix and will always be there to help when needed and the girls share a very strong loving bond.
Maddix just loves swimming, dancing, horseriding and of course riding her trike around he neighbourhood with her sister and all her friends.
Maddix is a ray of sunshine with a smile that will melt your heart – an real inspiration to us all!
Variety Ireland
Special School Award 2024
This award goes to an individual special school in Ireland in recognition for outstanding academic performance, leadership qualities, extracurricular involvement, in helping students with disabilities within their own school.
And the Winner is…
St. Paul’s Special School, Cork
St. Pauls School is special school for students with moderate, severe and profound general learning disabilities and has nearly 100 pupils in attendance.
In the past we have been delighted to provide the school with special mobility trikes, as part of our Recycle Mobility Programme. Through the Programme we were introduced to the incredible staff at St. Paul’s and were blown away by the school’s positive and encouraging atmosphere.
Since then, we have spoken with many families in Cork who tell us what a vital support the school is to the local community!
Variety Ireland
Environmental Award 2024
This award goes to a child with disabilities who has made a vital contribution to society through kind acts which benefits the environment and other children.
And the Winner is…
Tadhg from Dublin
As part of Variety Ireland’s Recycle Mobility Programme, we ask that children hand back their old trikes to our charity once they have outgrown them. We upcycle them and then pass them on to a child or group of children with disabilities, so they too can get to experience the joys of cycling.
Tadhg, who is very environmentally conscious young man, was one of the first children from the Programme to pass on his old trike. He was determined that school children in his local community enjoy the benefits of cycling just like he did. So, just before Christmas he delivered the newly upcycled trike to special school in his local community!
Well done Tadhg, the future is brighter thanks to children like you!
Variety Ireland
Community Award 2024
This award is for people or groups in the community who champion projects that support and promote inclusion for children with disabilities across the island of Ireland.
And the Winner is…
Roche Emmets Cycling Club, Co. Louth &
SNAP Cycling Club, Co. Armagh
Following the launch of Variety Ireland’s All Ireland Disability Cycling Partnerships, we were delighted to see both Roche Emmets and SNAP join together for a cross community cycling day out.
Both clubs are doing incredible work in their local communities by encouraging children with disabilities to get involved in cycling activities.
Our All Ireland Disability Cycling Partnership unites children’s disability groups both north and south of Ireland, while promoting reconciliation between families with children with disabilities across all communities both north and south of Ireland.
Variety Ireland
Humanitarian Award 2024
This award is in recognition of individuals for their own outstanding contribution that has impacted the lives of children with disabilities in Ireland.
And the Winner is…
Dr Jolanta Burke
Dr Burke is a chartered psychologist and Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Positive Health Sciences in RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. She has volunteered her time and expertise to research and write the Variety Ireland Recycle Mobility Impact Report.
In her report, the impact of specialised mobility trikes on both physical and mental wellbeing of children and their families was measured. Dr Burke liaised with families who had been beneficiaries of mobility trikes to determine the overall benefits and impact they have had both on physical and mental wellbeing of the child and their family.
This report, which is the first of its kind ever carried out on the effects that mobility trikes have on children’s mental and physical wellbeing, also recommends that Variety Ireland’s “Recycle Mobility Programme” should be considered as partial fulfilment of the Irish government’s strategy for enhancing wellbeing.
Special Recognition Award
Minister Anne Rabbitte
Since the launch of our Recycle Mobility Programme back in 2021, Minister of State Anne Rabbitte and her team at the Department of Health and at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have been a huge and vital support.
Thanks to her assistance and understanding, we have been able to help dozens of children from all across the disability spectrum acquire access to specialised trikes and transporters. Minsiter Rabbitte has been at the core of why Variety Ireland has been able to continue doing what we do best – helping children in Ireland. Thanks to her unwavering support, we have been able to secure government funding to help children with disabilities for the next few years.
From the bottom of our hearts – thank you Minister Rabbitte!
