Large Group Shortlist 2025

HUGG is the national suicide bereavement organisation. Between January-to-September 2025, HUGG Volunteers held 246 support groups nationwide, providing 480 hours of suicide bereavement peer support which served 1,129 attendees. HUGG volunteers are on hand to help with events like their Annual National Suicide Bereavement Remembrance event, offer education or practical support to families navigating the complex bureaucracy of a recent loss, or supporting research on suicide. Around 15% of the population has lost someone to suicide.  Ultimately, the most profound contribution of HUGG volunteers is the deep human connection and compassion provided. Volunteers give generously of themselves at a deep level, often listening to numerous stories of personal tragedy from members of the public at events or consoling people who are opening up about a loss in a way they had not done before. Individuals coming to a HUGG volunteer for support in their grief are met with compassion, understanding and validation, demonstrating that the volunteer’s time and empathy are truly the reason we can provide the work that we do. 

Helping Hand Waterford has been supporting people in need for 10 years now. They started with a table providing soup and sandwiches and now have their own premises where they provide hot meals, hot drinks, tents, sleeping bags, torches and clothes to people who are unhoused. They also have funds for emergency accommodation for vulnerable people. They provide a vital link between service users and resources that can help them, including assisting with paperwork or forms they might need to access services. They treat everyone who comes through the door with dignity and respect. This might involve listening to stories or washing clothing. Some of their volunteers are training in first aid and mental health first aid to provide care and comfort to service users facing physical or mental pain. “We have been told many times by service users that we have saved their lives” writes their nominator. 

Foster volunteers are the lifeblood of the National SPCA, Dublin. Each year around than 1,500 pets are welcomed into the homes of our dedicated foster volunteers, a number that speaks volumes about the compassion and commitment of this extraordinary group. These volunteers often drop everything changing work schedules, cancelling plans, and rush up the Dublin Mountains to collect the animals. Their willingness to respond quickly and selflessly is a huge support to our animal care team who never know when or how many animals will arrive at the shelter any given day. Having this reliable network of foster volunteers to call on means we can provide timely, compassionate care and safe temporary homes for animals in crisis. foster volunteer’s home is far more than just a stopgap; it’s a place where transformation and rehabilitation begin. Volunteers provide everything from socialisation and training to cosy cuddles on the couch. This experience allows animals to build trust, gain confidence with their surroundings and human’s again to help prepare them for life in a permanent home.