Laois Community & Voluntary Award Health and Wellbeing winner 2024 #laoisawards24

The Thomas Hayes Trust - Teac Tom has won the Health and Wellbeing Award at the Laois Community and Voluntary Awards 2024.

This award recognises community health and wellbeing groups including mental health, sexual health, awareness raising and promotion around medical conditions, disorders and disabilities, increased meaningful daily activities, developing confidence and providing a sense of purpose and positive self-worth for citizens in the community.

This award acknowledges Community groups, organisations and clubs that promote physical and mental health and wellbeing, focusing on prevention and keeping people healthier for longer including opportunities for social connections.

Teac Tom, which has an outreach centre in Stradbally, provides free counselling and support to individuals, and families. This ranges from play therapy for young children up to the age of 12, Adolescent therapy, and general therapy. Through their community engagement talks, Teach Tom provides workshops on mental health, and open discussion on this topic, and they respond to concerns that people might be experiencing for themselves, or friends, or families. 

Morrin Drislane from Cork County PPN congratulated the winners: "Teac Tom - all I can say is what an incredible organisation - there needs to be a Teac Tom in every single community around the country. A pleasure and an inspiration to learn about you."

Simon Walton, Interim Chief Executive Laois County Council presented the award on the night to Teac Tom. The Runners-up in this category was The Cuisle Centre, Portlaoise which helps people diagnosed with cancer, their families and carers.

The Runners-up in this category was The Cuisle Centre, Portlaoise

The other nominees in the health and wellbeing category were:

• SOSAD
• Borris-in-Ossory Community Development Association
• La Leche League Portlaoise
• Rossdarragh Rathevan Residents Association
• Academy of Success & Happiness
• Rosenallis Senior Citizens Committee 

Simon Walton, Interim Chief Executive Laois County Council presented the award on the night to Teac Tom. The runners-up in this category was The Cuisle Centre, Portlaoise which helps people diagnosed with cancer, their families and carers by confidentially providing information, counselling and therapies, free of charge to everyone.

The award was presented with the award at a gala reception in the Midlands Park Hotel on Friday, November 8.  

This is the 15th year of the awards which were hosted by Laois County Council in association with Laois Public Participation Network and sponsored by People First Credit Union.

This award is sponsored by Laois Local Community Development Committee (LCDC). Laois LCDC creates an integrated approach to community development by coordinating access to funding, developing and delivering projects and promoting community engagement. 

The following are the nominee profiles for the Health and Wellbeing Award:

SOSAD: SOSAD (Save our Sons and Daughters) is a free non-government funded charity who delivers free counselling for anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations, bereavement, self-harm or if you simply just need to chat. The group work with people from the ages of 16 years whom come from all walks of life, different ethnic minorities to wide age demographics. Focus groups can then be identified whereby specific group therapy is created based on the needs identified outside of the one-to-one counselling.

Borris in Ossory Community Development Association: Borris in Ossory Community Development Association is a voluntary group who strive to improve the village of Borris-in-Ossory. The projects they have been involved in have been invaluable to their community making a massive contribution to the enhancement of the village. The most recent achievement and largest project the group has participated in was the development of the An Ríocht Spraoi Playground which was 20+ years in the making. The group continue to work on other projects such as the maintenance of Onnys Garden, and the maintenance of the new Sli ná Slainte Walking.

La Leche League Portlaoise: La Leche League Portlaoise put an amazing amount of time and energy into supporting all those who wish to breastfeed their infants. Each month the group runs a main meeting in Treo Nua Resource Centre, a coffee mornings and a special Nursing Beyond Infancy 9+ months. The group is available 24/7 for anyone with breastfeeding queries, be they parents, grandparents or Health care providers. Each of the volunteer Leaders keeps up to date with information attending in service training and an annual conference. All the Leaders have busy family lives yet continue to go the extra mile to support families needing help, taking video calls or home visits on evenings, weekends and occasionally in the small hours of the night.

The Thomas Hayes Trust -Teac Tom: Teac Tom provides free counselling and support to individuals, and families. This ranges from play therapy for young children up to the age of 12, Adolescent therapy, and general therapy. Through their community engagement talks, Teach Tom provides workshops on mental health, open discussion on this topic, and they respond to concerns that people might be experiencing for themselves, or friends, or families. This encourages people to call in and access support if they feel the need. Teac Tom provides its services to any member of the community who finds themselves in need of support for their mental health, whether as a result of grief, homelessness, trauma, stress and anxiety, or other life challenges.

Rossdarragh/Rathevan Residents Association: Rossdaragh/Rathevan Residents Association’s main function is to collect fees to cover the cost of maintaining the substantial green areas in the estate. The Committee, made up of seven residents who participate on a voluntary basis, meets once a month to discuss issues that have been brought to the attention of the committee members, with a view to resolving them. Other activities include communicating with Laois County Council and other relations on matters pertinent to the estate, organising family activities for all residents (Christmas and Easter activities, Summer Family Fun Day), and issuing of quarterly newsletter to communicate with all residents.

Academy of Success & Happiness: The Academy for Success and Happiness, established in May 2023, is a new organization supporting the integration and well-being of migrants and refugees. Their mission is to promote mental health, self-development, learning and empowerment, enabling people to live their best lives. Over the past year, the Academy has organised more than ten face-to-face meetings and trainings, as well as productive online marathons, such as “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, “7 Laws of Spiritual Success” and “Rating – a system of continuous Personal Development.”
One of their famous projects, “Remember Your Childhood: Bounce With Us,” aims to bring together people from different backgrounds who share similar cultural and social values. The Academy also launched chess games in Portarlington in July, encouraging young people to engage in strategic thinking and mind games.

The Cuisle Centre: The Cuisle Centre help people diagnosed with cancer, their families and carers by confidentially providing information, counselling and therapies, free of charge to everyone. The unique Cuisle Centre does amazing, good and very much-needed work, helping families and friends, helping them to find the best way of coping and dealing with the very complex surrounding issues. In 2023, 6500 people availed of support services offered by the Centre. Each person attending the centre is given a care programme suited to their needs whether it is to support them during their cancer treatments or support a family member, child or friend.

Rosenallis Senior Citizens Committee: Rosenallis Senior Citizens/Active Retirement Committee is 50 years old this year having been formed in 1974 consisting of over 120 senior citizens who reside in the area. The group consists of a voluntary committee of 10 with other members of the community volunteering their time various events. Rosenallis is a rural village based at the foot of the Slieve Bloom mountains. The focus of the committee is to promote social inclusion by organising activities and events for the senior citizens of Rosenallis and surrounding areas.

The Leinster Express / LAOIS LIVE is honoured to be the media partner.