An upcoming nationwide art exhibition series will highlight the benefits being brought to the wellbeing, confidence and social connectivity of young people across Ireland living with lifelong physical health conditions by Helium Arts’ Distance Creates online art programme.

This year’s Budget does not go far enough in supporting the most marginalised in our communities. That’s according to Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBs), the national representative body of 16 ETBs. ETBs support, monitor, and deliver youth services across the country.

A choir for Ukrainians living in Ireland, set up by Local Development Companies (LDCs) across the country, has led to 90% of its members feeling a greater sense of belonging in Ireland. That’s according to a survey by Empower.

The Neurological Alliance of Ireland is calling for funding in this year’s Budget to address what they say are stark regional inequities in access to services for the 860,000 people in Ireland who live with a neurological condition.

This new awareness campaign – ‘Take a minute, before you bin it!’ is aiming to increase awareness and knowledge on how to improve waste segregation. As Ireland transitions to a more circular economy, this national initiative highlights how simple individual actions, can collectively boost Ireland’s recycling rate.

A community member of Hill Street Family Resource Centre (FRC) will outline the support her FRC showed to her, and the impact it had on her life – including after the Dublin Riots earlier this year – at a briefing to Oireachtas members.

The Coalition Against Hate Crime is disappointed that the Minister for Justice and government have decided to drop the incitement or hate speech sections of the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022.

A significant portion of young people in the Generation Z age group in Ireland would consider getting involved in politics, civic activism and social innovation, with social media playing a crucial role in helping them make their views and opinions heard.

This year’s local election saw not only a doubling of the number of migrant candidates running than in 2019, but now also double the amount of migrant candidates getting elected to city and county councils across the country, with 21 candidates of a migrant background elected.

National charity Ruhama supported 30 per cent more women impacted by prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation last year than in the previous year and saw a 29 per cent increase in new victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) has seen a further increase on the number of people accessing its homeless and addiction services, a trend that has continued for over a decade. 13,516 individuals sought support from the charity in 2023, compared to 12,764 the previous year.

Dublin Simon Community urges Government to prioritise homelessness on return to Dáil Éireann, amidst demand for services growing by 11% in 2023. Dublin Simon Community Annual Impact Report shows over 6,000 people supported by its services in 2023.

Equality proposals to combat poverty and end polarisation in communities enjoy public support and should be considered for Budget 2025, according to Community Foundation Ireland.

A community mental health nurse who overcame breast cancer returned from France at the weekend after completing a self-funded, 750 km charity cycle over six days from Paris to Nice.

Material deprivation – the share of individuals in households unable to afford two or more items from a list of ten essentials – rose from 17.7% in 2022 to 20.1% in 2023 for those aged under 18. This means 230,000 children are currently estimated to experience material deprivation: an increase of almost 30,000 since 2022. The rise comes amidst a 3% real (inflation-adjusted) decline in the average disposable income of households with children.

The Volunteer Ireland Awards are the major annual initiative to celebrate volunteers in Ireland. The awards shine a light on the remarkable achievements of volunteers around the country by honouring them at a national level. Nominate a volunteer (or many!) today.

We are excited to announce that Stand Up Awareness Week 2024 will take place 4-8 November 2024. This is the 15th year of our annual anti-bullying campaign - a time for post-primary schools, youth services and Youthreach centres in Ireland to join us and take a stand against homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

Time to Talk: Tomorrow Starts Today is a campaign by Irish Hospice Foundation which aims to normalise conversations about dying and grieving. Death and grief affect us all. It’s important that we explore and think about our end-of-life wishes, and that we discuss them with our loved ones.