Intel reveals winners of the 2023 Pride of Place awards

13 North Kildare community organisations will receive grants after being selected as winners in this year’s competition

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  • May 30, 2023

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​On Tuesday 23rd May the winners of the 2023 Intel Pride of Place competition were revealed at an awards ceremony which took place in Castletown House, Celbridge. 

The Pride of Place competition invites community organisations located in Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth, to share their project ideas that help improve their organisations whilst also benefiting the local community. 

The project ideas are reviewed by a panel of judges, made up of business professionals and community representatives, who select a number of the submissions to receive grants as part of the initiative which is funded by Intel. 

This is the 9th year of the Pride of Place competition and once again there was a fantastic response from community groups in the local area with a large number of diverse project ideas being submitted. 

The Pride of Place 2023 judging panel included Mark Rutherford, Global Environmental Health and Safety Manager at Intel, Gordon Jamieson, Maynooth University Senior Development Manager, Michelle Lee, Head of Technical at General Paints Group who are based in the Celbridge famine workhouse and Lisa Harlow, Chief Operating Officer at Lifeline Ambulances.

The 2023 winning projects were revealed at an awards ceremony which took place in the Hunting Room of Castletown House in Celbridge. Guests were treated to some light refreshments as well as a beautiful performance from Our Lady's Gospel Choir Leixlip.

This year 13 different local projects were selected to receive funding as part of the competition. The 2023 winners are as follows. 

St. Raphael’s Special School
The Pride of Place Award will support St. Raphael’s in creating an upgraded outdoor learning area and performance stage. The area will be made from sustainable materials and will include buddy benches made from biodegradable materials which the pupils will help to paint.   

St. Wolstan’s Community School
The students and teachers at St. Wolstan’s are developing their Biodiversity and Sustainability Education and Resources in the school. With funding from Pride of Place they will add additional flower beds protecting students from cars mounting paths, while also expanding the biodiversity spaces on the school grounds.

Confey GAA All Stars
To Pride of Place award will support the purchase of a number of items such as rebounder nets, and sensory equipment to help develop the children's skills and provide flexibility in adverse weather conditions.

North Kildare Leixlip Arch Club
The Arch Club are involved in a pilot 6-week Nature Wellbeing Programme. With funding they will be in a position to roll this programme out to all club members and incorporate local relevant groups. The aim of the Nature Wellbeing programme is to discover ways to improve wellbeing through nature.

Start with Art
Start with Art is a recently formed group of carers for their adult children with disabilities. Their project involves a series of art classes for beginners, with classes taking place in the Leixlip Community. A local artist will facilitate the classes, providing guidance on the essential elements and skills involved.  Funding from Pride of Place will help to get Start with Art up and running.

Leixlip Youth & Community Centre
Leixlip Youth and Community Centre are setting up a Youth Cafe in the area, providing a safe, dedicated quality meeting space for young people ranging from 13 to 17 years old. The Pride of Place grant will enhance this café enabling young people to engage in social interaction in a safe and supportive environment.

St Mary's GAA
The Pride of Place award will provide signage and a scoreboard at the side of Radley Pitch promoting mental and physical health for all ages. Having signage with visible contact details and website information when games and training is on will hopefully resonate with people the importance of well being.

Liffey Celtic Basketball Club
The Pride of Place funding will be used to upgrade the club’s scoreboard which is located in the Leixlip Amenities Centre - the venue for all the club’s home games. The proposed scoreboard is FIBA approved and essential for Super league and National competitions, enabling 100 home games and several tournaments to be played in the Leixlip Amenities Centre.

Gaeilge an Bhradain
“Gaeilge an Bhradáin” is a voluntary organisation aimed at promoting the Irish language. The Pride of Place funding will support plans for a “Féasta Sráide” (“street party”) on the local gaelscoil’s grounds which will be an afternoon of activities and events for a range of ages. Activities will range from sporting activities to Irish language classes.

Young Life Ireland
Young Life club provides numerous activities encouraging teenagers to engage in extra circular activities from sports, music and art to spaces for chatting or silent areas, providing an inclusive area for teenagers with sensory difficulties. The Pride of Place award will enable Young Life Ireland to improve the standard of excellence in their club activities with the purchase of new and improved equipment.

Maynooth Autism Friendly Town Initiative (MAFT)
MAFT plans to create social clubs for children in Maynooth. The Pride of Place award will support the purchase of resources for this social club, connecting children and their families, who are often socially isolated, to share special interests and experiences.

St. Mary's Brass & Reed Band Maynooth
The Pride of Place award will help towards the purchase of a gazebo structure providing shelter for the band during outdoor performances in various venues such as Maynooth Town Square and other locations across Co. Kildare and beyond. The award granted by Intel will allow the local community to benefit from more concert.

Presentation Girls School Parents Association
The Presentation Girls school parents association intend to create an outdoor sensory space for the Busy Bees Autism Pre-School class in their school. This is an early intervention class for students with Autism. This award will facilitate a playground that is inclusive and promotes a healthy environment for children of all abilities to learn from and accept each other.

Speaking at the event Sarah Sexton, Intel Ireland’s Director of Public Affairs, said “There is such a strong community here in North Kildare, made possible by the tireless efforts of so many local people. It is our pleasure to support the work that they do and to help them in bringing their ideas for continued community development to life. I would like to congratulate the winning groups and I would also like to acknowledge the time and effort that all participants have put into their Intel Pride of Place applications.” 

Since the Pride of Place competition began in 2014, some 80 community projects have been supported with over €300,000 of funding. The 2023 winning projects will now be completed over the coming months by the recipient organisations.