The president's award

Mathew (down left on the picture) is our Irish best friends' son, he spend a week of work experience with us last year at Riviera Expat, and I’m proud to edit this post about him.

"The FROGS say Hi Mathew, take care and go get that Gold Award !!!" (Don't bring your Dad to the celebrations tho', 'cause he can't behave in front of the president...!)

The President’s Award is Ireland’s National Challenge Award, the country’s most prestigious and respected individual award programme, and a challenge from the President of Ireland, to young people between 15 and 25 years of age.

They are a group of five teenagers from Dublin who, after completing their Bronze and Silver Gaisce awards, decided to take on the challenge of the Gold Award.
As this is such a prestigious award, and invokes the idea of a self challenge, they decided to walk across Ireland. They are walking from the Grand Canal Basin in Dublin to Oranmore in Co. Galway. The walk will take them along the Grand Canal Way, until they reach Ballinasloe. From there they will take the N6 through Loughrea and on into Oranmore. The total distance they will be covering on the walk is 200km. They expect it to take them 8 days, covering a distance of approximately 25km per day.

They have been training intensively for the walk since the beginning of March and feel they are now ready to take on the challenge.

One of the principal requirements of the Gaisce award is that they fund it entirely themselves, through sponsorship and fundraising, and the entire organisation of this fund raising must also be done by them. They sent out many sponsorship letters expecting to receive very few replies, however the response was brilliant. Roadstone came on board as their main sponsor, while Tesco Ireland, Appian Wealth Management, Heitons Builders Merchants, The Coca Cola Company, The Presentation Company, Bank of Ireland and Musgraves have also offered them sponsorship.

However, this sponsorship did not raise sufficient funds to cover all of their equipment, food and accommodation costs. To this end, they spent an evening bag packing in Dunnes Stores. The response there was incredible. They raised well over what they expected and need and they have decided to donate the excess to Our Lady’s Hospital For Sick Children, Crumlin.

As well as the organisation of finance, there was also the organisation of the walk itself. Accommodation, food, equipment, support vehicles, first aid and more. They also had to take on the responsibility of all these matters. As a result they have been working around the clock with lists and phone calls and many hours on the internet researching, booking and planning while also juggling their school work and end of year, 5th year exams.

A lot of hard work and effort has gone into the planning and organisation of this walk, and at the moment it is looking like being a very successful expedition. They are indebted however to the support of our sponsors and, of course, the help and support of their parents, without whose numerous contacts, this walk would not have been possible.