Lauren announced a Pramerica Top 20 Finalist for the 2020 Spirit of Community Awards

4th February 2020 by Website Editor

CO TYRONE YOUTH VOLUNTEER HONOURED FOR GIVING BACK TO HER COMMUNITY

Lauren Gaynor, from Co. Tyrone has been recognised as one of 20 exceptional young people from across Ireland, who have been chosen as some of the country’s most outstanding youth volunteers, working to make a positive impact on their local communities.

A Sixth-Year student at Loreto Grammar School, Lauren has been involved in volunteering from a young age and has organised and participated in fundraising activities regularly such as, bag packing, baking and serving at coffee mornings. She was chosen by her school to participate in an exchange programme and subsequently volunteered in a Washington Soup Kitchen. The Soup Kitchen was established to help feed and provide shelter for the homeless people in the city.

Lauren also had the opportunity to visit Cambodia on a four week expedition and took part in numerous projects such as designing concrete cylinders for the local drainage system, helping to build a damn which allows the locals to transport food over the river and planting banana trees for the poorest family in the local village. Lauren also donated some of her own money to buy the local people she was helping with food and livestock which was instrumental in creating an income for families.

Both trips were an eye opening and life changing experience for Lauren. Lauren used these events not only to fundraise but to raise awareness of the plight of those in need.

The top 20 local students were revealed as Pramerica announced its top 20 finalists for the 2020 Spirit of Community Awards, the only all-Ireland youth initiative of its kind that rewards post-primary students for their exemplary acts of volunteerism.

Passionate about a range of topics including homelessness, mental health, disabled rights, climate change, animal cruelty plus many more, the 20 finalists will gather for this year’s awards which will take place at Titanic, Belfast on Tuesday 31^st March. Each finalist will receive an impressive €500 to donate to their preferred charity and are in the running to win a once in a lifetime trip across the globe to Washington, D.C.

The programme, which is run in partnership with the National Association of Principals & Deputy Principals (NAPD) and the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI), is one of Ireland’s largest youth recognition programmes, this year’s awards received a remarkable 250 applications from across Ireland.

Naomi Hegarty, vice president, Risk Management, Pramerica Systems Ireland is overwhelmed with the selfless work being carried out by young people across Ireland.

“Year upon year I continue to be humbled by the incredible volunteer work carried out by young people in towns and villages across Ireland. The 20 finalists selected as part of this year’s awards programme are proudly taking a stand for what they believe in and actively empowering others to do the same. Our awards programme celebrates these passionate and dedicated young people and aims to give them the recognition and voice they truly deserve.

“At Pramerica we are committed to supporting youth volunteers and understand that even the smallest of contributions can make a big difference to those who are in need and vulnerable. In sacrificing their spare time to give back to their community, these young people are showing that they genuinely care, and we want to make sure that their selfless good deeds don’t go unnoticed. We cannot wait to welcome all of the chosen finalists to the awards ceremony in Titanic, Belfast on 31^st March of this year.”

The 20 Pramerica Spirit of Community finalists are:

Lidia Ballocchi, Sixth Year, Assumption Grammar School, Co. Down
Sasha Barrett-Ferris, Sixth Year, Sullivan Upper School, Co. Down
Gavin Bennett, Third Year, Ard Scoil Chiarain Naofa, Co. Offaly
Jemma Campbell Sixth Year, Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Co. Antrim
Rebecca Colley, Sixth Year, Castleknock Community College, Co. Dublin
Jessica Collins, Fourth Year, Skibbereen Community School, Co. Cork
Keira Culleton, Third year, Loreto College, Co. Derry
Jamie Duffy, Sixth Year, Beech Hill College, Co. Monaghan
Lauren Gaynor, Sixth Year, Loreto Grammar School, Co. Tyrone
Charlotte Gallagher, First Year, Our Lady’s School, Co. Dublin
Liadh Hanley, Sixth Year, St. Angela’s College, Co. Cork
Rebecca Irvine, Sixth Year, Carrickfergus Grammar School, Co. Antrim
Grainne McGlynn, Fourth Year, Rosses Community School, Co. Donegal
Julie Reddan, Sixth Year, Borrisokane Community College, Co. Tipperary
Jake Redmond, Sixth Year, Larkin Community, Co. Dublin
Aurora Riddiough, Fifth year, Ballycastle High School, Co. Antrim
Sophia Shally, Third Year, St Louis Community School, Co. Mayo
Aaron Smith, Sixth Year, St Louise’s Comprehensive College, Co. Antrim
Emma Smyth, Sixth Year, St Louis Grammar School, Co. Antrim
Teagan Stanley, Fifth Year, Newtown School, Co. Waterford

For further information, contact Caroline Murphy or Susan Jackson at AIKEN on 02890663000 or caroline@aikenpr.com / susan@aikenpr.com or Harold Banks, Pramerica, 973-216-4833 (U.S.) or harold.banks@prudential.com