PRESS RELEASE
Immediate release: 9 December 2020
DUBLIN WOMAN WHO SUPPORTS VICTIMS OF CRIME IN COURT NAMED IRELAND’S COMMUNITY HERO 2020
A Dublin woman who supported the victims of crime in court for over 30 years, where last night named Ireland’s Community Hero 2020 at the annual Charity Impact Awards. Last year, Noelle Fitzsimmons from Tallagh volunteered 163 days in court supporting victims of serious crimes like domestic violence, assault, burglary and sexual abuse.
Presented by The Wheel, the national association of charities, the Community Hero Award is a lifetime achievement award honouring a volunteer who has made an extraordinary contribution to their community throughout their lifetime.
Noelle volunteered with Victim Support Ireland for many years before becoming a founder member of Victim Support at Court (V-SAC) in 2005. She supports victims of crime in the Four Courts, courts in the Dublin Metropolitan area and other courts around the country. She is well respected by local judges, An Garda Siochana, legal professionals and other support agencies. Always at the forefront of Noelle’s mind are the victims she meets and she is a great ambassador for V-AC.
Congratulating the Noelle, Deirdre Garvey, CEO of The Wheel said, “Noelle exemplifies what it means to be an active citizen. She reminds us of the positive difference one person can make in the lives of many.”
Accepting the award Nolle said,” Over the years I’ve met so many people in difficult circumstances, but at the end of the day we are all human beings. I’ve learned so much from all of them.”
The award was presented during the online Charity Impact Awards Ceremony. Presented by The Wheel, the Charity Impact Awards celebrate the positive impact these organisations, and the individuals behind them, make in the lives of millions of people in Ireland and beyond.
Over 150 people and organisations were nominated for the Charity Impact Awards this year, and the entries reflect the huge effort charities made this year to support the people and communities they serve, often under very challenging financial circumstances.
The other winners of the Charity Impact Awards were:
- Blood Bikes East, won the Impact Award for Small Organisations. The organisation was set up to provide emergency medical transport services to our public hospitals and care homes in Dublin.
- The Impact Award for Medium-sized Organisations went to Engaging Dementia, a charity set up by a Speech and Language Therapist to address the isolation of dementia.
- St Joseph’s Shankhill which provides residential care for people with dementia won the Impact Award for Large Organistions. Residents are housed in six small households where people at the same stage of dementia live, eat, socialise, relax and are cared for together from the early stages all the way through to the end of life, palliative stage. During COVID- 19, households have been cocooning together and still feel loved and occupied, even in the absence of family.
- The Charity Trustee of the Year Award went to Donal Kavanagh, the outgoing chairman of the Jack and Jill Childre’s Foundation.
- Meals4Health, a social enterprise which supports older people to live independently at home for as long as possible with home delivered meals which combine great taste with nutritional support won the Social Enterprise of the Year Award.
The online event also featured surprise appearances from a host of famous names, including EMMY and BAFTA award-winning actress Sharon Horgan, singer Daniel O’Donnell, former Olympic athlete Sonia O’Sullivan, broadcaster Ray D’Arcy and many others.
For more information on the Charity Impact Awards and the winners visit www.charityimpactawards.ie or see #CharityImpact
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Contact Gert Ackermann on 086 176 9287 or email gert@wheel.ie
Note to Editors
- The Wheel is predicting a funding shortfall of over €400m for the sector by the end of this year.
- In a survey of charities carried out by The Wheel in August, 82% of charities said they very concerned about whether they will have sufficient funds to provide their services in 2021.
About The Wheel
The Wheel is Ireland’s national association of charities, community and voluntary organisation and social enterprises and charitable organisations. With almost 1,700 members, it is the largest representative body for the community, voluntary and charity sector. Visit www.wheel.ie for more information.
