JCI Mayo in association with the Mayo Advertiser and AIB has selected four winners in the JCI TOYP awards.
The awards ceremony, which was hosted by AIB Castlebar branch, took place on Monday April 15. The four winners will now go forward to the national JCI awards final which will be hosted by JCI Mayo in Breaffy House Resort on May 18.
The Outstanding Young Person of the Year competition is a drive to identify young people aged 18 to 40 for their dynamism and enthusiasm in their fields, and last year a Mayo winner took one of the top awards on the world stage. Aisling Neary was named among the 2012 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World for her extraordinary work in international healthcare and education for the underprivileged.
JCI Mayo president Deborah McAndrew said: “We are confident we have selected four extremely talented winners again this year and look forward to the national finals in May.”
Technological Development category winner
Starting his career in a design studio in Dublin after completing a diploma in visual communications in Dun Laoghaire Cillian Ó Mongáin moved back to Mayo working freelance as a graphic designer for websites and adverts.
In this line he has won many awards including an Institute of Designers in Ireland design award and two Institute of Creative Advertising and Design Bells.
After seeing a niche in the market he co-founded a company called Sticky Pixels – a company that would go on to produce high quality apps and interactive pieces.
With three apps already brought from concept to download and two more due for launch this summer Cillian is a worthy winner of the Technological Development award.
Contribution to Human Rights category winner
With a passion for education, mental health issues and active participation June Devaney decided to use all these together and founded the Mind your Mind initiative in 2011.
This initiative aims to educate young people about the importance of looking after their mental health and how to access the appropriate supports if struggling.
The initiative works by giving talks in schools, colleges, at conferences and forums. By running workshops and awareness campaigns and advocating for mental health supports and services.
June is a peer educator for the Real Deal (a HSE and crisis pregnancy service ) a committee representative for Mayo youth mental health initiative and was elected to the 2013 council of the US Embassy in Ireland.
Business and Entrepreneurial Accomplishment category winner
The first six years of Jenny Brennan’s career was spent in Dublin – firstly as an event co-ordinator, then in office management and on to personal assistant. In this time she gained practical experience in managing, marketing, business set up and company financing.
In 2011 after moving to Mayo for better quality family life and a lengthy search for work she decided to use all the skills she had developed to help other businesses and set up Virtual Office Worx, a virtual PA offering a range of services including marketing, admin, and bookkeeping.
Two years on Virtual Office Worx now offers three core services – virtual book keeping, social media consultancy/training and management, and virtual assistant services like debt collection, sales calls, and market research.
Environmental Contribution category winner
After seeing a niche in the market for waste recycling products Tommy Griffith set up Balla based PEL Waste Reduction Equipment in 2005.
Firstly designing and patenting a bottle crusher that is used by pubs and restaurants to reduce their bottle waste he then went on to design and develop a range of products to reduce general waste, cardboard, and even plastics.
PEL now has bases in London and Washington DC and plans of expansion to Manchester and Birmingham. It has established itself as a leading manufacturer of equipment for waste reduction with more than 80 per cent of what is produced going to export.
