Nominations are now open for the Louth Volunteer Leader Awards, celebrating the people who support, encourage and organise volunteers across communities throughout the county.
The annual awards recognise those who often work behind the scenes to keep volunteer groups running, whether by coordinating teams, supporting individual volunteers or helping organisations grow.
Louth Volunteer Centre has been running the awards for a number of years, with previous winners coming from organisations and community groups across Drogheda, Mid Louth, and North Louth.
This year’s awards will feature categories for South Louth, Mid Louth, North Louth, Leading Young Volunteers and Trustee of the Year.
New Volunteer of the Year award
A new Volunteer of the Year category has also been introduced for 2026.
Louth Volunteer Centre said previous award recipients had valued being recognised for their leadership but also wanted an opportunity to celebrate the volunteers they work alongside.
The new category is intended to recognise those volunteers and the contribution they make to organisations and communities across Louth.
Olivia Conlon, Engagement & Operations Lead with Louth Volunteer Centre, said:
“We’ve been running the Louth Volunteer Leader Awards for a number of years now. It’s wonderful to see how they’ve grown. Every year, the nominations tell inspiring stories about the people who give their time and energy to support volunteering across Louth. Reading about the care, commitment and impact behind each nomination is a powerful reminder of how much these leaders and the volunteers they support mean to their communities.”
Previous editions of the awards have recognised people involved in family resource centres, sports clubs, arts organisations and other community groups across the county.
Ceremony in November
The 2026 awards ceremony will take place at Bellingham Castle on Wednesday, 4th November, ahead of International Volunteer Managers Day on 5th November.
Anyone who knows a volunteer leader or volunteer they believe deserves recognition can submit a nomination through the Louth Volunteer Centre website.
Louth Volunteer Centre also runs volunteering initiatives, training and networking activity throughout the year from its bases in Drogheda and Dundalk, as well as outreach in Ardee.
Nominations can be made at volunteerlouth.ie.
