The Melting Pot Community Society and Ballinlough Granlahan Heritage Group are the two Roscommon community groups and organisations announced today as county winners in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2022.
The awards were created to honour and showcase the inspiring work being carried out by thousands of projects, clubs and individuals in their local communities across Ireland thanks to National Lottery Good Causes funding. Nearly 30 cent of every euro spent on National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes all over the country.
The Melting Pot provide support to people who are marginalised and experiencing social exclusion within the community by offering them an opportunity to volunteer, access work experience or a respectful place to relax within the Melting Pot café, charity shop and community space. The funding received through the HSE National Lottery Grant enabled the organisation to set up a Meals on Wheels Service in Roscommon town and the surrounding catchment area. The service supports people to live as independently as possible and ensures their customers receive nutritious meals.
The Ballinlough Granlahan Heritage Group promote and educate visitors about Lake O Flynn, its crannóg and the ruins of Kiltullagh Church in Granlahan. Good Causes funding received through the Heritage Council of Ireland enabled the group to commission a 3D animation company to produce an animated representation of the Ballinlough crannog, the lake and its environment as it may have appeared in the middle ages.
Announcing the County winners today, National Lottery CEO, Andrew Algeo, said: “The stories and insights that we read in this year’s entries truly exemplified the positive impact that the groups, sports clubs and organisations who receive National Lottery funding, are having in towns and villages all over Ireland. Celebrating the inspirational work being carried out by these extraordinary beneficiaries and recognising the effect that they have on their communities is exactly what the Good Causes Awards are all about”.
The awards, which culminate in a Gala Awards dinner in Kildare on Saturday October 1st, has seven main categories: Sport, Health & Wellbeing, Heritage, Arts & Culture, Community, Youth and Irish Language.
