After COVID-19 pandemic break, the City Hall in Cork returned with the Lord Mayor’s Civic, Community Spirit & Cultural Awards and Community & Voluntary Awards.

Lord Mayor Mayor Colm Kelleher in his opening speech said  ” its an honor” to chair such an “important and prestigious event”. He said that this day is “a recognition of the enormous contribution that individuals and organizations have made to the fabric of the city, to families, to local communities.”

The city’s Chief Executive Ann Doherty, admitted that it was a great privilege to be in the City Hall with a full audience to witness the honoring of worthy audiences in this way.

“Your presence at the gala, referring to hundreds of gathered people, is a very important recognition of the fact that your actions mobilize and inspire others”

“It is also a real declaration and demonstration that we are all in this together. Today we’re showing that Cork is a great city of good neighbors and helpful friends. ”

This year, a special award was given to Caitriona Twomey from Cork Penny Dinners in recognition of her support for the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic and her work and journey to the Polish-Ukrainian border with medical supplies.

Cork’s Barrack Street Band provided entertainment and Cultural Award winner Seán Ó Sé presented to the public a renewed version of his hit “An Poc ar Buile” with a special verse addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This year’s award categories included arts, culture, recreation and sport; social inclusion and social services, charities and the environment; community development and lifelong learning; and health.

During the gala, the speakers emphasized the special importance of social integration in relation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the invasion, the Together-Razem  has been active in the area of ​​supporting refugees from Ukraine,  and  was nominated competing in the finals with three other organizations: Cork Migrant Center Garden of Solidarity and LGBT + Pride Festival.

The decision was announced by the Lord Mayor of Cork  and it turned out that Together-Razem won the main award.

The award was collected by Brendan Dempsey, Vice-Chairman of the Board, together with members and volunteers of Together-Razem.

This award is a result of the hard work that has been done since February by the organization that redirected all its resources to responding the crisis with refugees from Ukraine.

As a result, hundreds of refugees received support and a dozen or so people a day receive it in the newly opened Together4Ukraine Hub in May.

Meeting new arrivals with welcome packs, toiletries, providing the necessary information on what to do, where to go in to resolve the social and medical issues, enrolling children in school or organizing intensive English classes twice a day – these are just a part of what people associated with Together-Together do.

In addition, supporting the Ukrainian community and advocacy on behalf of refugees at the local and national level.

If you wish to find our more read  the last “Impact report” here:

Our impact report May 2022 – Ukraine crisis response

It is also very important to involve volunteers from Ukraine who came here and feel they support their nation – they are Katia, Masha, Tanya, Natasha, Olga, Oleksandra, Lydia, Maria, Anna and many more.

All these activities are appreciated by the city authorities, they are appreciated by the Polish and Ukrainian authorities through their diplomatic missions, but most importantly, they are appreciated by the Ukrainians themselves who came to Ireland. They are appreciated with a good word, sometimes with tears in their eyes, or a simple handshake.

Together-Razem’s activity will not end with this award. There are many more plans for the development of the organization. Soon, participation in the Cork City Marathon, where over 90 people runnin in solidarity with Ukraine, the Laptops4UA campaign or trauma counselling for people from war-affected areas and, of course, a permanent offer, i.e. Polish diaspora education, support for Poles and therapeutic and advisory services, and many other tasks.

If you want to support the organization, click here:

https://donorbox.org/ukrainian-refugees-1