Laois County Council have received a national award for their annual Live Well Expo held in April.

Laois County Council’s flagship Health and Wellbeing Event, the Live Well Expo, was last night honoured with the Active and Healthy Ageing Award at the annual National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards on Thursday October 23.

This award recognises the Live Well Expo’s outstanding contribution to promoting health and wellbeing among older adults. The award celebrates initiatives that empower older people to maintain active, engaged lives within their communities.

Members of the Laois Older People’s Council, alongside representatives from Laois County Council, attended the prestigious awards at the Galmont Hotel in Galway.

Pictured: Catherine McGuigan, Chief Officer, Age Friendly Ireland, Cllr Barry Walsh, Cathaoirleach, Trudy Nealon, Chairperson, Older People’s Council Laois, Kieran O'Donnell TD, Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Anne Campbell, Older People’s Council Laois, Emma O’Connor, Healthy Laois Co-Ordinator, Danielle Keane, Community Development, Eileen Hughes, Age Friendly Ireland Regional Programme Manager, Sr Barbara Raftery, Vice Chairperson, Older People’s Council Laois, Paul Rowe, Department of Health, Anna May McHugh, Laois Age Friendly Ambassador, Anne Terrett, Older People’s Council Laois, Michael Rainey, Chief Executive, Laois County Council. Photo courtesy of Age Friendly Ireland.

“I am both delighted and proud that the Live Well Expo has received national recognition through this prestigious award," said Michael Rainey, Chief Executive of Laois County Council.

"Supporting our communities and making Laois a great place to live for people of all ages is central to the mission of Laois County Council. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Live Well Expo, as well as to the many other initiatives that continue to enrich the lives of Laois residents," the Chief Executive finished.

Held in April at Portlaoise College, the 2025 Live Well Expo marked its third successful year, welcoming approximately 2,000 attendees. The event was delivered through Laois County Council’s Age Friendly and Older People’s Council Executive, in partnership with Healthy Laois and the Healthy Laois LCDC subcommittee.

This year’s Expo in Portlaoise introduced several new features, including panel discussions on key topics of the event, followed by interactive Q&A sessions with experts and speakers. The event boasted a 'create and play area' spearheaded by local artists, and an activity zone hosted by Laois Sports Partnership. 

Pictured: Members of Portlaoise Men's Shed at April's Live Well Expo in Portlaoise

Over 114 exhibitors attended the event, representing various community groups, service providers, agencies, and organisations across Laois and the wider community.

One of the most popular elements of the day was the free health screening, provided by the HSE, Hidden Hearing, Vision Ireland, and the Irish Heart Foundation. Together, they delivered nearly 400 screenings to attendees.

"The Live Well Expo is more than an event. It is a community-driven movement to empower the elderly, create social bonds, and encourage lifelong learning," said Trudy Nealon, Chairperson, Laois Older Person’s Council.

"With its focus on personalization, inclusion, and empowerment, it exemplifies the very best of what we can achieve together, and we are delighted to be recognised for its profound impact in Laois," Ms Nealon praised.

Emma O’Connor Healthy Laois Co-Ordinator highlighted the efforts of inclusion delivered to Laois locals through this event.

“Live Well brings Healthy Laois’s evidence-based strategies directly to the Age Friendly population promoting informed, inclusive health and wellbeing support delivered in partnership with Age Friendly Laois," Ms O'Connor said.

"This unique pairing has resulted in a fun collaborative event with over 114 partners and forms a cornerstone for the delivery of both programmes within Laois County Council. We couldn’t do this without our partners, and this award is a result of everyone’s hard work and shared vision," she finished.

The co-ordinator's words were seconded by Mr Tom Curran, Age Friendly Coordinator for Laois, who expressed his delight in the awareness raised through this annual event.

“The Live Well initiative was born out of public consultations conducted by Healthy Laois and Age Friendly Laois, which identified access to information as a key barrier to ageing well whilst recognising the overlap and merit of sharing expertise and resources," Mr Curran said.

"In response, Laois County Council created the Expo to raise awareness of local services and supports, offering a welcoming space where people could meet providers face-to-face—bridging the gap often left by online-only resources," he finished.

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