Two Irish Charities Awarded €5,000 in Special Health & Wellbeing Movement for Good Draw

Two outstanding Irish charities have been awarded €5,000 each in the latest Special Health & Wellbeing Draw through the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards, supported in Ireland by Ecclesiastical Insurance. 

Gort Cancer Support Centre, based in County Galway, and Operation Childlife, based in County Dublin, were selected from thousands of public nominations to receive funding aimed at supporting organisations with a core mission in health and wellbeing. 

This latest draw is one of several special awards from the Movement for Good initiative, recognising charities that promote physical and mental health, provide care services, and support vulnerable individuals. Ten charities across Ireland and the UK have each received €5,000 in this round of funding, helping them to continue and expand their critical work. 

The Irish charities accepting the grants in this round of the funding are: 

•  Gort Cancer Support Centre: a confidential, free of charge, and community-based service offering support to individuals and families affected by cancer in South Galway and North Clare.   
• Operation Childlife: a charity providing life-saving paediatric surgical and medical care in low and middle-income countries, while also offering hands-on clinical placements for Royal College of Surgeons Ireland students and training for local healthcare professionals. 

Providing these charities with this donation means that they can continue to operate and improve the lives of hundreds of locals in communities across Ireland. The Movement for Good Awards are an annual programme of giving, funded by Ecclesiastical Insurance and its parent company, Benefact Group. More than €1 million will be given away in 2025 to charities across Ireland and the UK through a mix of €1,000 and €5,000 special draws and larger grants by application. The €1,000 grants are open to all Irish-registered charities, and nominations can be made by anyone at any time throughout the year at: www.movementforgood.com. 

David Lane, Managing Director of Ecclesiastical Insurance Ireland, proudly part of the Benefact Group, said: “At the heart of the Movement for Good Awards is a commitment to supporting charities that are creating real, lasting change. Gort Cancer Support Centre and Operation Childlife are doing remarkable work, from providing vital emotional care at home to delivering life-saving medical expertise abroad. We’re proud to recognise their efforts, and we’re especially grateful to everyone who took the time to nominate a charity. The public support is what makes these awards so meaningful.” 

Mary Nolan, Director at Gort Cancer Support Group, said: “We are deeply grateful to the Benefact Group and all those who supported us through the Movement for Good Awards. This generous €5,000 grant will enable us to provide vital counselling and play therapy for children aged 4 to 12 who are facing the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis, These services are a lifeline for young children navigating incredibly difficult circumstances and this funding ensures we can continue to offer them the compassionate support they deserve”. 

John Collins, Chairperson of Operation Childlife said: “This incredible donation from the Benefact group will help Operation Childlife bring life-saving and life-transforming surgeries to children in less developed countries. In addition to bringing international medical professionals to perform surgeries, the donation will also help us educate local healthcare professionals to improve their own knowledge and expertise, therefore enhancing their healthcare systems. The donation provided is enough to fund a team of three volunteers, for a one-week clinical mission to one of our partner hospitals in Vietnam, Tanzania, Mongolia, or Jordan”. 

For more information on how to support the Movement for Good Awards, or to nominate a cause, visit www.movementforgood.com