Campaigning & Activism Shortlist 2025

When Joe Condon was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011, he faced it alone. There were no dedicated supports, no peer networks for people with Early Onset Parkinson’s (EOPD), and little understanding of what it meant to live with the condition at a younger age. Rather than accepting that isolation, Joe turned his experience into action. As a volunteer, he founded EOPD.ie, creating Ireland’s first organisation dedicated to supporting, connecting, and advocating for people living with Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease. 

From the very beginning, Joe’s leadership and passion transformed what began as a small peer support network into a powerful national voice. Most notably, he championed the creation of the Community Grant Scheme for People with Parkinson’s, which has funded exercise classes, social groups, and wellness activities across Ireland. These community-led projects have not only improved physical and mental health but have also built lasting local networks of connection and solidarity — the very things Joe himself lacked at the time of his own diagnosis. 

Joe’s nominator writes: “His impact reaches from hospital wards to radio studios, from government offices to the homes of individuals newly diagnosed and frightened about their future. Every life he touches is changed by his empathy, his courage, and his belief that together, people with Parkinson’s can create a more understanding, inclusive Ireland.” 

Through the experience of caring for her daughter Jennifer who died 2 years ago from an eating disorder, Paula learned firsthand how large a gap there is in services for people with eating disorders. Ten years ago she founded CARED Ireland (Caring About Recovery from and Eating Disorder), a voluntary WhatsApp support group for parents and carers of loved ones with an eating disorder. The organisation has become a 24/7 beacon of hope for parents and carers who support each other through the group. Through the group, parents and carers sharing their lived experience to give hope and support to help families, a beacon of hope to help families navigate this life-threatening illness. Paula leads the time to provide peer support and organises support through the organisation of educational events on the New Maudsley Skills based training for carers and parents supporting loved ones with an eating disorder. These workshops have also been attended by Bodywhys and other professionals supporting people with Eating Disorders.  Paula continuously advocates and lobbies for full services to be available for people suffering from eating disorders crossing mental health and physical health boundaries. Paula and CARED Ireland have met with HSE and the Minister for Mental Health NCPED (National Clinical Program for Eating Disorders) on numerous occasions to continuously push for more and improved services for parents and carers and all those struggling with Eating Disorders.

Fahmeda Naheed exemplifies active citizenship and positive social change through her extensive voluntary work, lived experiences, leadership, and advocacy in Cork and across Ireland for over fifteen years. She is the founder of the Irish Pakistani Community of Cork, building connections between cultures, supporting the underprivileged, and promoting community cohesion. 

Fahmeda hosts the weekly Let’s Integrate radio programme, co-chairs the Cork Three Faiths Forum, and serves as an Ambassador for Schools of Sanctuary, helping schools become welcoming, safe environments for refugee and migrant learners. A skilled communicator, Fahmeda speaks honestly yet respectfully about the challenges she and many others face globally, using her voice to break the silence around uncomfortable truths. She believes deeply in community power and often builds connections through community cooking initiatives—creating spaces where food, culture, and dialogue become bridges between people. She brings “unsettled” conversations into the open and transforms them into learning moments through empathy and effective communication. “Her special contribution lies in her ability to create welcoming, safe spaces where people of all backgrounds can share traditions and build understanding,” writes her nominator.