Eileen K Halligan Awards.

A small act of kindness can change the world.

Celebrating kindness and resilience

Kindness is a fundamental aspect of building strong, compassionate communities. In the heart of every community lies the potential for kindness to blossom, especially among our youngest members.

In a world that often seems focused on negativity and wrongdoing, it’s crucial to recognise and celebrate the resilience and acts of kindness that bring people together and foster positive change.

Let kindness blossom

The Covid-19 pandemic showcased the remarkable kindness and resilience within our community, particularly among our youth. Inspired by this, in 2020, we established the ‘Eileen K Halligan Kindness and Resilience Awards’ to honour and celebrate young people who demonstrate these traits.

Eileen Halligan, one of our founding members and CEO, believes that through recognition, we empower our future leaders, shaping a community where the roots of kindness run deep.

The Kindness Award aims to recognise a young individual who spreads unconditional, unwavering, and selfless kindness among their community.

The recipient of this will represent and emanate most, if not all, of the following criteria:

  • Exemplify traits of generosity, teamwork, compassion, and ethics.
  • Have a positive attitude toward classmates, school, and the community.
  • Display an understanding and appreciation of civic responsibility.
  • Possess strength of character and the courage to do what is right.
  • They should exhibit kindness.

This award serves as a reminder that acts of kindness have a profound impact on individuals and communities. It shows how even small acts of compassion can create a ripple effect, inspiring others to choose kindness in their everyday lives.

Local primary schools nominate students for the Kindness Award through our partnership with the Just Finance Foundation’s LifeSavers Financial Education programme and school savings clubs. Learn more about the LifeSavers programme here.

Past award winners:

Recognising resilience

It’s not just kindness that’s recognised. Alongside this award is the Eileen K Halligan Resilience Award.

This award celebrates and encourages qualities that contribute to a child’s resilience; emphasising the development of skills and attitudes that enable them to navigate the ups and downs of life with strength and positivity.

There is an abundance of resilient young individuals in our communities. This award recognises an individual who has demonstrated resilience in a single event or over a course of time.

The award’s recipient will embody most, if not all, of the following qualities:

  • Shows perseverance and determination when facing challenges
  • Adapts well to change, whether transitioning to new situations, overcoming setbacks, or adjusting to different learning environments
  • Demonstrates strong problem-solving skills, finding solutions in difficult or conflicting situations
  • Maintains a positive attitude, fostering optimism and resilience even in tough times
  • Recognises when to seek help from family, peers or support services, showing a healthy approach to managing challenges