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Excellence in Sustainability & Climate Action – Sponsored by Gas Networks Ireland Pictured: Excellence in Sustainability & Climate Action award sponsored by Gas Networks Ireland is presented to David and Lisa Walsh-Kemmis from Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery by Lar Burke. Picture: Alf Harvey. Winners of the Best Small to Medium Sustainable Business in the 2022 PwC Sunday Business Post sustainability awards and the Sustainability Award in the 2022 Small Firms Association awards, Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery have a holistic approach to sustainability, integrating it into all parts of their business. They are independently audited as part of their Origin Green membership, and have been awarded Gold status this year. They have reduced their energy use by 23% and water use by 4% since the start of 2020. They have also switched their energy use to 100% renewable, and have installed a solar panel array which will soon be upgraded to a larger system. All of their beers are made with water and barley from the farm, with consequent low food miles. Organic waste from the brewery is ploughed back into their barley fields to recycle the nutrients. They have also introduced a deposit scheme on reusable beer cups at every festival they attend, and replaced plastic pallet wrap and box tape with compostable alternatives.
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Spirit of Laois Award – In Memory of Albert FitzGerald Winner: Karen McHugh: Finalists: Gerry Browne, Karen McHugh, Mountmellick Neighbourhood Watch, Portlaoise Family Resource Centre. To read more about the winner and award see below picture. Pictured: Stephen Fitzgerald from Midlands 103 with the Spirit of Laois Award in Memory of Albert Fitzgerald and won by Karen McHugh. Picture: Alf Harvey. This is a non-business award, giving recognition to those whose good deeds may have gone unnoticed. This award is designed to recognise and celebrate the success of Community and Voluntary individuals, organisations and groups in county Laois. Often working behind the scenes, providing their time and efforts to help their fellow citizens. The award was presented by Albert’s son, Stephen FitzGerald. Karen McHugh is the Chairperson of the Laois Integration Network. Those who nominated her for this award say that for many years, Karen has been an inspirational part of our community and deserves to be recognised for all of her hard work. Karen takes everything in her stride and does so all in a voluntary capacity. She makes a fundamental impact in the community, and touches and inspires every person that she meets to work harder, to support those less privileged than ourselves, and to make a positive, ever-lasting impact in our society. We can only describe Karen as the glue that keeps our whole community of Laois together and she is the only reason why the Laois Integration Network is so successful.