Faithlegg Hotel & Golf Course Waterford Ireland

Brendan Halligan of Children’s Group Link nominated for ‘Waterford Person of the Year 2010’

Brendan Halligan, manager of the Children’s Group Link centre in Waterford has been named quarter one winner of the FBD Hotels/Munster Express Waterford Person of the Year Awards 2010.

Established in 1979, the organisation was initially known as the St. Mary’s Junior Centre and had twelve children as its first members. In 1982, the name was changed to Children’s Group Link as it was felt that this  better described the work being carried out and indicated that the volunteers could be a link with the children; the children would link with each other and the whole group a link with the community. Today, Children’s Group Link has become one of the most successful organisations of its kind in Ireland and is to the forefront of working with children, young people and their families from all backgrounds, in Waterford city.

Brendan Halligan has been manager of Children’s Group Link since 2002 and his work has further strengthened and developed the organisation as an integral part of the caring community that it is today. However, he has been involved with group link since its inception back in 1979.
The Children’s Group Link centre is located at Military Road, Waterford, and provides a friendly haven for young people in Waterford. An informal setting offers a large assembly hall, mini-café, arts and crafts room, resource room, library and computer room, all of which facilitate a wide range of activities. Outside, an enclosed all-weather sports pitch, a beautiful garden with trees, pond, lawn and seating, offer a choice of sporting activities or a tranquil location to relax.

 Outside of Childrens Group Link, Brendan facilitates workshops and provides advice and training in communications and conflict resolution. Brendan is a voluntary Director of the Travellers Youth Project and Waterford Credit Union. He sits on the management committee of the Youth Transport Service and is the former Chairperson and Director of the Probation Residence Hostel Board of Management.

Presenting the quarterly award, Alison Redmond, General Manager of Faithlegg House Hotel said, “Society would collapse without the work of Children’s Group Link and other organisations working so hard in the voluntary sector. The enormous achievements of these great organisations often go unseen and unacknowledged by society in general but, in the case of Children’s Group Link, it is a critical resource for the young people of Waterford. However, it is clear that there are many people who are aware of and very much appreciate the solid record of achievements of Children’s Group Link which was demonstrated by the great number of nominations we received for this award.”

Ambassador for the FBD Hotels Munster Express Waterford Person of the Year Awards, Nichola Beresford commented, “We just had the overall 2009 Waterford Person of the Year Award presentation to Nuncie Murphy of the Waterford Carers’ Association, who is a very deserving winner. Starting out this year, we want to hear from people who wish to nominate those hard workers within our community who are very deserving of some recognition for the work that they quietly do without looking for recognition, so get e-mailing and filling in the coupons for nominees for the quarter two segment, which closes on June 30.”

Each quarter, a ‘Waterford Person of the Year’ winner is presented with an award at a lunch function in the Tower Hotel and the four quarterly winners go forward to the final for the overall Waterford Person of the Year 2010. The overall winner will enjoy a holiday break at the Sunset Beach Club, Costa del Sol.