We work with the National Lottery on their Good Causes Awards which celebrate and honour the inspirational work carried out by hundreds of volunteers, coaches, caregivers and other individuals across Ireland, and the organisations they represent.

We help the National Lottery to tell the stories of these people and it is genuinely humbling to interview such selfless people and to highlight their phenomenal work which has a real and lasting impact on the communities and causes they support.

Some of the stories we have told range from a small soccer club in Sligo to a bat rehabilitation centre in Limerick, from a dance theatre in Dublin to female snooker players in Kildare and biodiversity campaigners in Mayo. There are also more poignant stories of how hydrotherapy classes are giving solace to cancer patients in Kerry and how counselling is helping sexual violence survivors in Tipperary.

The one thing the stories all have in common is that they received vital funding from the National Lottery.

In fact, nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on all 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 €6.5bn has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 36 years ago.

Telling of the Good Causes stories culminates in the Good Causes Awards where a total of 35 national finalists attend a Gala awards dinner to find out the winners.

The seven category winners for 2024 — announced at the event which was held last month in Killashee House Hotel in Co. Kildare — each received €10,000. The overall Good Cause of the Year, Hand in Hand — which works to give practical and emotional support to families nationwide affected by cancer — received an additional €25,000

Congrats to all the worthy winners on the night and we look forward to continuing to tell more Good Causes stories in 2025.