An Garda Síochána in West Cork is pleased to launch the 25th annual West Cork Garda Youth Awards, in association with SuperValu.

The West Cork Garda Youth Awards celebrate outstanding young people between the ages of 13 and 21 years. An Garda Síochána in West Cork and SuperValu recognise that a lot of good work is being done by young people in every community in West Cork. Awards will be considered for nominated young people who make their communities a better place in which to live. Media Partner for this prestigious event is The Irish Examiner.
This year, due to Covid 19, it won’t be possible to hold a presentation ceremony, but the process for nominations will remain the same, and Gardai will be distributing nomination forms to schools, youth groups and voluntary organisations right across West Cork. The Awards will be organised in adherence with all Government Covid 19 guidelines. Following on from the judging in November, Award winners will be notified by the Organising Committee.

It’s also important to remember that due to Covid, there hasn’t been the same opportunity for young people to become involved with activities or projects compared to previous years. However, we have also witnessed that many young people were active on the ground throughout the Covid 19 crisis, volunteering and becoming involved in a variety of projects that supported both the vulnerable in the community, and the frontline services.
Garda Damian White, Community Garda in Bandon, who is PRO for the Youth Awards, commented that every nominee will receive a certificate, even if they do not win an award. This way, all nominees are recognised for their efforts, and the certificate is a very valuable item to have on a young person’s CV into the future.
The nomination forms are now available from any SuperValu store in the West Cork Garda Division, and also at Garda Stations throughout West Cork. Application forms will also be distributed by the Community Gardai in each local Garda District. Electronic versions of the nomination form are available from [email protected]

The Award Categories are; Individual Award, Group Award, Community Safety Award and a Special Achievement Award.

The Individual Award is open to young people who have made a positive contribution to their community, making it a better place to live.
The Group Award category applies for groups of two or more young people whose combined efforts have contributed positively to their communities.
The Community Safety Award is for a young person, or group, who through a crime prevention or safety innovation, have made their community a safer place to live.
The Special Achievement category is open to any young person who has overcome difficult circumstances, or defied the odds and whose commitment deserves recognition.

In launching this year’s Awards, Inspector Ian O’ Callaghan, Bantry Garda Station, who is Chairman of the Organising Committee, remarked “These past number of months have presented unprecedented challenges for our community, We wish to recognise the sacrifices made by young people, as they contribute to their community, both at a local level, and also in wider areas. An Garda Síochána would like to pay tribute to SuperValu for their continued sponsorship of the Youth Awards, and to the Irish Examiner for their support as Media Partner.”

As SuperValu stores are independently owned by families who live and work in their local communities, SuperValu truly believes in supporting the local community in which they operate. The West Cork SuperValu stores which have sponsored these Youth Awards for the past 24 years are Caulfield’s SuperValu Bandon, Smith’s SuperValu Kinsale, Healy’s SuperValu Dunmanway, O’Leary’s SuperValu Macroom, Boherbue Coop, Field’s SuperValu Skibbereen, Murphy’s SuperValu Castletownbere, O’Keeffe’s SuperValu Bantry, Scally’s SuperValu Clonakilty and O’Keeffe’s SuperValu Millstreet.
SuperValu serves over 2.6 million customers every week and has 223 stores nationwide. Together with its retail partners, SuperValu employs approximately 14,500, making it one of the State’s largest private-sector employers. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible which helps to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy.
The closing date for the applications is Friday 30th October 2020.
Application forms are to be submitted to:
Garda James O Mahony, Juvenile Liaison Officer, Bandon Garda Station, or
Garda Don Davis, Juvenile Liaison Officer, Bantry Garda Station.
Forms can also be emailed to: [email protected]