The Hidden Hearing Heroes awards scheme is back for 2023, with three new awards categories recognising our changing communities.
Nominations are currently open for the awards, which honour ordinary people for their contribution to Irish society, to their community, workplace or family, as well as for sporting and charitable achievements.
The Hidden Hearing awards are open to everyone, young and old, from all walks of life, and with or without a hearing impairment.
New categories this year include a Diversity award, for those supporting a more inclusive society, regardless of gender identity, socioeconomic background, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or neurodiversity. A Sustainability award will recognise support for social, environmental or economic programmes designed to achieve sustainable communities.
Also new is the Immigrant Hero category, to celebrate those who are not native to Ireland, but who currently call the country home, and who make a positive difference to those around them in their new community. Other nomination categories include ‘Age Is No Barrier’, a Young Hero, ‘Triumph over Adversity’ Hero, Healthcare Hero and Charity Hero, with award categories also recognising those with Impaired Hearing, Family Heroes and a Sporting Hero.
Back for its twelfth year the awards scheme is supported by Hidden Hearing, but nominees are not necessarily hearing impaired, according to Dolores Madden, Marketing Director of Hidden Hearing Ireland.
“Hidden Hearing backs the Heroes awards programme because, like our hearing, special people can sometimes be taken for granted and not fully appreciated."
“The motivation is to honour ordinary people, doing extraordinary things, quietly, within their community or family. I would encourage everyone to think about nominating the people who go above and beyond, for others, and who deserve recognition”, said Dolores.
The 2023 award presentation will take place on Wednesday 11th October next, in the InterContinental Hotel in Dublin, presented by TV personality, Mary Kennedy, a longtime supporter of the Hidden Hearing Heroes event.
The awards programme, going since 2011, will recognise eleven real-life heroes, with the organisers calling for people to nominate as many deserving recipients as possible.
Nomination forms will be available online at HiddenHearing.ie and in Hidden Hearing clinics countrywide. The closing date for entries is Friday, 8th September, 2023
Slán go fóill.