The Kids’ Own team was delighted to win the Arts & Culture Award at the 2019 National Lottery Good Causes Awards!

From hundreds of applicants to the Good Causes Awards, Kids’ Own was announced as one of 6 winners at the National Lottery Good Causes Awards gala ceremony, held in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road in Dublin on Saturday the 2nd of November. Creative Director of Kids’ Own, Jo Holmwood, and members of the Kids’ Own team were presented the award by entertainer and advocate (and Queen of Ireland!) Panti Bliss (aka Rory O’Neill). We also won €10,000 towards our work with children and we are in the process of developing some exciting plans for that prize fund so stay tuned for more!

Jo Holmwood, Creative Director of Kids’ Own, said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this Good Causes Award from the National Lottery and are enormously grateful for this recognition of our work. We have been championing children’s voices for more than twenty years and are extremely passionate about giving children opportunities for self-expression through publishing and the arts. We are working towards a vision for a society that recognises and values children as equal and active citizens and this award is really such an important stepping stone in that direction.”

National Lottery funding has helped Kids’ Own reach more children from all backgrounds and to engage with different communities of children. Good Causes funding has also enabled Kids’ Own to make crucial connections and develop important partnerships and funding opportunities with other agencies and organisations, such as Focus Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, and South West Mayo Development Company as well as youth groups, libraries, arts centres, and education centres nationwide. Funding from the National Lottery was instrumental in allowing Kids’ Own to move into a central location in Sligo town in 2018.

Watch the video about Kids’ Own made by the National Lottery for the Good Causes Awards below!

This video features the wonderful group of children who created the book A Strong Heart: A book of stories and dreams for the future by Syrian and Palestinian children living in County Mayo. The book was created as a result of a partnership with various agencies including Mayo County Council and South West Mayo Development Company. Read more about A Strong Heart here and you can buy  the book here!