Shanagolden’s Tommy Gray, an Irish Red Cross volunteer with the West Limerick Branch of the organisation, has this week picked up a ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award at its National Volunteer Awards held at Croke Park.
The Awards celebrate the hard work, dedication, and achievements of its members, who give their time in voluntary service to support the most vulnerable in communities across Ireland.
Tommy has been a member of the Irish Red Cross for close on 30 years and is currently the Chairperson of the West Limerick Branch.
He was influential in supporting the building of new training rooms for the Branch and has dedicated thousands of hours of volunteering to support the organisation. He is deeply involved in the local community and organises Christmas parties for residents of St. Ita’s Hospital in Newcastle West and regular fund-raising events in West Limerick.
Tommy qualified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in 2011 and continued to practice as an EMT until 2022.
He looks forward to continuing volunteering with the organisation for many years to come.
Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross, Deirdre Garvey, told the Weekly Observer:
“Tommy has made an invaluable contribution to the Irish Red Cross and truly is a role model for members in West Limerick. We thank him for his many loyal years of service as he dedicated so many hours and days voluntarily in pursuit of our humanitarian mission. I know that the West Limerick branch and local community are very grateful for his commitment and dedication.”
The Irish Red Cross identifies and provides humanitarian assistance, delivering impartial services and support both at home and abroad, to those who are most in need. As well as supporting the response to humanitarian crises around the world, it is involved on a daily basis in many aspects of local and regional community life, through the work of over 3,000 volunteers in over 70 branches across Ireland, including West Limerick.