Applications open to Meath groups for National Lottery Good Cause Awards

Applications are now being accepted from groups, clubs and individuals in Meath for this year's National Lottery Good Cause Awards.

The awards honour the inspiring work and achievements of projects, clubs and individuals all over Ireland, who have had an extraordinary impact on their local communities.

Individuals, community projects and organisations in Meath who received funding from the awards between the 2020 and 2024 are eligible to apply.

This year’s Good Causes Awards has seven categories: Sport, Health and Wellbeing, Arts and Culture, Heritage, Community, Youth and Irish Language.

Each category winner receives €10,000 while the overall Good Cause of the Year receives an additional €25,000.

A special category, ‘Hero of the Year’ will also be announced at the awards final. This is in recognition of outstanding work done by an individual within an organisation and will receive a prize of €5,000.

National Lottery CEO Cian Murphy said: “This is the seventh year of the National Lottery Good Causes Awards. Again, we are reminded of the extraordinary positive impact that the people who drive Ireland’s good causes have in shaping a brighter and more inclusive future for all.”

A special category, ‘Hero of the Year’ will also be announced at the awards final.

Speaking at the launch the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Jack Chambers said: “It is a great pleasure to support and participate in the launch of the National Lottery Good Causes Awards.

“As Minister and as a public representative, I see first-hand the enormous value this initiative has generated across our towns and cities, on our sports fields, in our community halls, in the arts, and in supporting people in our communities for the past four decades. Irish people as a whole are incredibly generous and the support these programmes receive from the general public further underlines this. It has been an honour to engage with some of the awardees and to learn about their life changing work they are doing in communities every single day. I wish the best of luck to all entering the 2025 Good Causes Awards and look forward to hearing about the good work being carried out by the 2025 applicants with National Lottery funding.”

Mark Dwyer, Director of Services at the Children’s Cancer Charity ‘Hand in Hand’ and Good Cause winner of the Year in 2024 said: “We are incredibly grateful to have received the overall Good Cause of the Year award 2024. It has been hugely significant for Hand in Hand with the funding we received enabling us to continue providing essential practical and emotional support services to families throughout Ireland affected by a childhood cancer diagnosis. The profile of the charity and the services we provide has increased significantly and, most importantly, more families are now aware of the supports we can offer them.”

This year’s awards ceremony will take place on Saturday 18 October in Killashee House Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare.

Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage and the Irish Language.

In total, more than €6.5 billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 37 years ago. In 2023 alone, €227.9 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland.

Applications are now open and beneficiaries can enter and check eligibility here.