We are excited to announce our Annual Environmental Awards 2024, which are now open for nominations.
As more people, companies, public bodies and individuals take action to address the climate and biodiversity crises and sustainability for our communities and society we know there are many projects and actions you are aware of that we may not be. We depend on you the public and our members to submit nominations for the great work being done by an individual, a group, a public body, a business in their commitment to protect the environment, to restore it or to have a greater commitment to sustainability. We are also asking for nomination for action and projects that support our Special Award category, the Circular Economy, by demonstrating how to rethink how we use materials and minimise waste.
Awards are nominated under the four main pillars of the Forum , Public Sector, Business and Commercial Sector , Community & Voluntary Sector and our Outstanding Individual Category. Our Award for Circular Economy is a new addition since 2021 for initiatiatives that demonstrate circular economy principles to rethink how we use materials and minimise waste.
The process is very easy and we can get back to you if we need more information but the main request is to think of the projects and initiatives you are aware of that mean something to you and whom you would like to be recognised and acknowledged by making a submission via this easy to complete NOMINATION FORM.
To inspire you, check out all the amazing Award Winners over the past 20+ years.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given from time to time at the discretion of the Board of The Environmental Forum.
Annual Environmental Awards 2023
We are excited to announce our Annual Environmental Awards 2023, which are now open for nominations.
We depend on our members and on you the public to submit nominations. Often you will be more aware than us of some great work being done by an individual, a group, a public body, a business in their committment to protect the environment, to restore it or to have a greater commitment to sustainability. Or an initiative that supports our new Award category, the Circular Economy, by demonstrating how to rethink how we use materials and minimise waste.
Awards are nominated under the four main pillars of the Forum , Public Sector, Business and Commercial Sector , Community & Voluntary Sector and our Outstanding Individual Category. Our Award for Circular Economy is a new addition since 2021 for initiatiatives that demonstrate circular economy principles to rethink how we use materials and minimise waste.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given from time to time at the discretion of the CEF Management Committee.
To inspire you, check out all the amazing Award Winners over the past 20+ years.
The process is very easy and we can get back to you if we need more information but the main request is to think of the projects and initiatives you are aware of that mean something to you and whom you would like to be recognised and acknowledged by making a submission via this easy to complete NOMINATION FORM.
The deadline for nominations is extended to Sunday 5th November 2023
Local action to combat climate change and support nature and sustainability spotlight of CEF Awards
The Cork Environmental Forum Annual Environmental Awards Ceremony took place on Thursday 7th December in the lovely venue that is Nano Nagle Place in Cork City. The evening shone a light on some of the wonderful action being taken across all sectors with a strong theme of valuing resources and creating more circularity for food, white goods, buildings and our everyday items. Green spaces evolving from the input of citizens and places taking action to protect and restore biodiversity also featured. The theme of community was strongly evoked throughout the evening in many of the presentations as was leadership, empowerment, hard work and commitment.
The Lord Mayor, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy, who presented the Awards under the Business and Commercial Category picked up on the theme of circularity in heritage and the built environment referencing how Nano Nagle Place itself is one of the best examples of a quality renovation in the City. He noted that Nano Nagle reflected with her work, which spanned across so many of the needs of people and the community, what we know today as the Sustainable Development Goals. He complemented CEF for their own resilience in their efforts for almost 30 years with engaging all sectors in environmental care.
Circular systems for food was highlighted with the Award to My Goodness, introduced by nominator Lisa O’Grady who said “the whole ethos of their vegan food business is about sustainability and working through a holistic approach to producing their food and drinks, from harvesting rain water for their kefir drinks to running the business in a very ethical and fair way.”
Continued awareness and education is very much what Lilian Gleave the Outstanding Individual Award winner is doing, focusing on the need to fix fashion, teach skills such as mending, promote the change from linear to circular systems and learning to value and protect water. Lilian gave an acceptance speech that challenged the audience to not accept the status quo and the need to use our voices and our own power to make more of a difference as we all can.
The Deputy Mayor of the County, who presented the Individual Category, congratulated all of the Awardees whose effort are both inspiring and a source of hope given the level of challenge our communities face and are experiencing. He particularly noted how important the voice of young people such as Lilian Gleave are in ensuring that awareness and understanding continues to grow.
Carbery Housing Association scooped the Community & Voluntary Category Award specifically for its RED WoLF Project. Through this innovative project it was able to retrofit houses, troubled by inefficient heating systems, helping to generate substantial financial savings for tenants but also significantly reduce carbon emissions, contributing to the fight against climate change. Frank O’Connor, Anois, who presented the Award commended the group for this work which additionally is important in helping to keep buildings in use.
Bandon Environmental Action Group received a commendation for the substantial amount of actions and projects they have delivered as part of their Biodiversity Action Plan for the town and surrounds of Bandon.
Pic: Diane Cusack
Richard Leahy, nominator, said that by using different locations throughout the City and availing of the skills of a range of “fixers” “menders” and “repairers” at each meeting Cork Repair Café is helping to lengthen the use and time of products in the economy, creating community and promoting activities and practical actions for sustainability. Jude Sherry, presenter, complimented the group on its efforts in changing the mindset of so many as regards the value of the resources we already own and empowering people to develop repair skills. Kim Eastman in her acceptance gave a strong message that if we have positive and healthy communities we will by default have healthy environments.
Iona Appliances, received a commendation for its long-term efforts to keep white goods in use, nominator Shirley Gallagher said they were focused on repair far in advance of any Directives or legislation from the EU they have been leading and serving the population of Cork for 30 years.
Mick Hannigan, applauded the Public Sector Award winners Marilyn Lennon and Sean Taylor for The Kinship Project, supported by City Council Arts Office and the Creative Ireland Climate Action Fund, which uses creativity and the arts to extend the opportunity for a ground up rethinking of Tramore Valley Park using interventions that engage citizen-led skills and knowledge based public exchanges, artist’s placements and the construction of a KinShip EcoLab based on sustainable construction methods. The Bandon Environmental Action Group received a commendation for the manner in which they inclusively compiled their Biodiversity Action Plan for the town and as Isabelle Sutton nominator said, “It’s not just a plan gathering dust it is being implemented in an impressive way already having delivered on 27 of the 56 actions committed to.”
CEF honoured posthumously Andrew St. Ledger, with a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by CEF Chairperson Isabelle Sutton. Andrew was a sculptor, an educator, a passionate advocator for the environment, most especially the protection and restoration of our native and ancient trees, often referenced as the Warrior of the Woodlands. Bernie Connolly, MC & CEF Coordinator thanked Andrew’s two sisters June St. ledger and Emma Ward and his nephew Shaun Walker for making the long round trip from Dublin to accept the Award. She read some moving memorial words sent from Canada by Diana Beresford-Kroeger whose film Call of the Forest: The Ancient Wisdom of Trees Andrew featured in and said “It behoves us all to continue Andrew’s work and especially to support his dream of restoring the Great Forest of Aughty”. Cork’s own local tree and heritage hero Ted Cook, who set up the Woodland League in 1999 with Andrew, said a few words and read the lovely Wendell Berry poem, “The Peace of Wild Things”.
The COP28 talks got a few mentions throughout the evening and whilst the talks to date do not give much hope, the Awards are an event that energises and creates hope. The Awardees signify just a small portion of all of the nominations received and those a small portion of the very many actions being taken by so many across all of the sectors of society. It is the level of local action ultimately that will determine the future of each place and whether or not our environment can sustain us.
Cork Environmental Forum Awards honours cross sectoral Environmental Action at Annual Awards Ceremony 2022
At a packed ceremony at the Firkin Crane Centre, Shandon, Cork Environmental Forum honoured Award winners across the sectoral pillars of the Forum and it’s recent Circular Economy category. The Awards are a fitting tribute to the people taking positive action and honours the effort, long-term commitment and work being done from recording of birds, to tacking plastic in our ocean, energy efficiency in business, providing parks that deliver multi-functional public space and circular social enterprises.
Deputy Mayor Cllr. Damien Boylan presented the Awards under the Outstanding Individual category, ornithologist Pat Smiddy who has spent a lifetime recording, researching and writing about birdlife in Cork and beyond was the well deserving winner, with a heatfelt introduction by nominator Martha Cashman. Joined by family and friends from East Cork Pat emphasised the danger of accepting the shifting baselines from one generation to the next which can mask the real declines of our bird populations. Niamh Guiry received a commendation in this category, in her introduction Catherine O’Mahony detailed the considerable work Niamh has undertaken as a student in UCC and more recently in the Green Campus in helping to imbed sustainability within the University, the learnings of which she has brough to the process of establishing the Nature Forum.
Kay Quinn, Schull Community College, who was the nominator of the Community & Voluntary Award winner expressed her own love of the ocean and how wonderful it is for their school and 5 other West Cork schools to be able to engage in such a hands on way with Rory Jackson and the Oceans Plastic Project. The students go out to the local beaches, cleaning the litter, collecting and logging it and the students learn about marine waste, pollution and gain a better understanding of coastal biodiversity and marine life. The school has benefited too from a repurposed fibre glass board that is now a table and chairs. Rory in his acceptance highlighted the importance the ocean has played in his own life and that through this project he is able to engender care and protection to this younger generation who are so keen to be involved.
One of the lengthiest applause of the evening was for the Maedhbh Furlong and the participants of the L’Arche Cork, Go Green Project, which provides short courses and workshops on horticulture and sustainability specifically tailored for people with Intellectual Disability focusing on food security, biodiversity and recycling. Deputy Mayor of the County Cllr. Anthony Barry was very impressed by both projects and keen to engage more so in the future.
of L’Arche Cork, Go Green Project with Deputy Mayor of the County, Cllr. Anthony Barry
Darren McAdam O’Connell’s introduction to the Public Sector Award recognised that the City Council may often be judged in a critical way but that when projects are delivered well it is important to acknowledge them. Marina Park Phase 1 is receiving the Award for the way in which accessibility, mobility, space for recreation together with space for nature have been considered and consciously blended in the delivery of this public green space. Liam Casey, Director Parks & Recreation, Cork City Council stressed that this was the result a team effort of many people and that the consultative phases of the project with feedback from many quarters including CEF helped to shape what was implemented. Phase 2 will build on what has been achieved with even more care for nature. Presenter, Anna Hill, River Cycleway Europe, reiterated the importance of the creation of such spaces in the urban environment.
The food business partnership of Denis O’Mullane and Marianne Delaney of Liberty Grill and Café were acknowledged in the Business and Commercial Award Category for their investment to energy efficiency as well as consciously implementing circular economy practices and choosing to omit out of season and/ or environmentally damaging ingredients and products from their menus. Youenn Lowry, SE Systems who contributed to sponsorship of the Awards gave credit to the partnership for showing leadership in the way they are transitioning to low carbon and sustainable businesses.
Introduced by Katie Mann the Circular Economy category winner was Cycle Sense based in Skibbereen. Evolving from a cycle training initiative into a fully fledged social enterprise whose focus is on reuse projects which help to reduce the need for raw materials by reclaiming discarded existing products and giving them an extended life through repair and repurposing that include bicycles, paint and an evolving food area. Jerry Murray, City View Wheels and Award sponsors presented the Award commenting on how important active travel has become again and the transitions being made in all businesses.
Ellie Donovan made the introduction to Meitheal Mara who received a commendation in this category for the many ways they build circularity into everything they do from the building of the traditional Irish Currachs from natural, renewable materials. They create beautiful tote bags from ‘end of roll’ materials from Acme Blinds whilst handles are made from materials salvaged during river clean-ups.
A common thread from all those honoured was working in a collaborative way with others and having a strong conviction of making a broader societal contribution.
The Ceremony was attended by the first recipient of a CEF Award and a founding member of the Forum, Terry O’Regan. Terry referenced the longevity of the Forum and the importance of it retaining the process of working in adherence to Local Agenda 21.
“The Awards are a joyous occasion as we celebrate all these well deserving winners whom we offer our congratulations to and thank for giving hope and showing leadership in their actions and work which make an important impact on addressing our climate and biodiversity challenges” said Bernie Connolly, CEF Coordinator.
CEF wishes to acknowledge the kind sponsorship of the Awards by the SE Systems, City View Wheels, Paul Merriman of Pax and Ask Paul, and our main funders Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
The Awards themselves are beautiful bog oak and bog yew herons by sculptor Kevin Casey with commendations created by Don O’Sullivan & Martha Casj=hamn, More Clay Less Plastic.
The Four Liars Restaurant and My Goodness were thanked for the food. Diane Cusack for the photography and Ann Rea and team at the Firkin Crane for all their assistance & hosting of the event.
We are excited to announce our Annual Environmental Awards 2022, which are now open for nominations.
We depend on our members and on you the public to submit nominations. Often you will be more aware than us of some great work being done by an individual, a group, a public body, a business in their committment to protect the environment, to restore it or to have a greater commitment to sustainability. Or an initiative that supports our new Award category, the Circular Economy, by demonstrating how to rethink how we use materials and minimise waste.
Awards are nominated under the four main pillars of the Forum , Public Sector, Business and Commercial Sector , Community & Voluntary Sector and our Outstanding Individual Category. Our Award for Circular Economy is a new addition since 2021 for initiatiatives that demonstrate circular economy principles to rethink how we use materials and minimise waste.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given from time to time at the discretion of the CEF Management Committee.
To inspire you, check out all the amazing Award Winners over the past 20 years.
The process is very easy and we can get back to you if we need more information but the main request is to think of the projects and initiatives you are aware of that mean something to you and whom you would like to be recognised and acknowledged by making a submission via this easy to complete form .
The deadline for nominations is 11th November 2022 .
Who wouldn’t love one of these beautiful sculptures by artist Kevin Casey?
