Pictured at the presentation of the 2010 AIB Better Ireland Award Cheques in the Millstreet, Co. Cork Branch of AIB on Thursday, 15th April. From left: Seán Brennan, Branch Manager AIB Millstreet, Sr. Mercedes Behan (representing St. Vincent de Paul, Millstreet – St. Patrick’s Conference – €2,000.00 cheque), Joan O’Mahony. Principal (representing Presentation N.S., Millstreet – €3,000.00 cheque), Diarmuid McCarthy, Principal (representing Holy Family N.S., Rathmore, Co. Kerry – €5,000.00 cheque) and Mary Murphy, AIB Better Ireland Programme Coordinator, Millstreet AIB Branch, Co. Cork. (Picture: Seán Radley)
See the AIB Better Ireland Press Release below:
AIB Millstreet awards
€10,000 to three children’s projects in 2009/2010 AIB Better Ireland Programme
AIB Millstreet is delighted to present its 2009/2010 AIB Better Ireland Programme funding of €10,000 to its three short listed projects. Following the voting phase Holy Family National School topped the votes and received funding of €5,000 at the branch presentation. Presentation National School, Millstreet was first runner up and received funding of €3,000 and SVP Millstreet, St Patrick’s Conference was second runner up receiving €2,000.
The groups will use their share of the funding as follows:
- 1st Place – Holy Family National School, Rathmore: Funding of €5,000 will be used to set-up and equip a multi-sensory area in the school. This area will facilitate and provide therapies for children at Holy Family who have intellectual and physical disabilities, including Autism, Cerebral Palsy, A.D.H.D., Congenital defects, Epilepsy and general and specific learning disabilities.
- 2nd Place – Presentation National School Millstreet: The €3,000 from AIB Millstreet will enable the school to purchase additional learning resources for children with specific learning difficulties such as dyspraxia, cerebral palsy and mild general learning disabilities.
- 3rd Place – SVP Millstreet, St Patrick’s Conference: The project will use the funding of €2,000 to provide holidays and school trips for those individuals and their families who otherwise could never hope to experience one.
Speaking at the presentation, Seán Brennan, AIB Branch Manager, AIB Millstreet said:
“We would like to congratulate the three groups from AIB Millstreet for their success in the public vote competition and extend our thanks to all those who voted. We’re looking forward to seeing all the projects progress over the coming months. We had a fantastic response to the voting stage of the Programme with 602,172 votes cast nationwide. The success is primarily due to the enthusiasm and energy that all the groups put into campaigning at a local level. ”Almost 1,300 applications were received online in 2009 from a variety of community groups across Ireland. In January, 546 groups were short-listed for the public to vote and choose their favourite local community group to receive a share of the €10,000 each from their AIB Branch. €1.82 million is being shared amongst all the short listed groups.
Log onto www.betterireland.ie for a full listing of all the projects who received funding in the 2009 / 2010 AIB Better Ireland Programme.
