Three NI towns win cash prizes in Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards 2020

• Newry City claims City Award and Dromore’s Via Wings wins Local Community Enterprise Initiative, each taking home £9,000 cash prize
• Enniskillen named runner-up in population category, winning £4,500 cash prize
• Kinsale crowned overall winner as Ireland’s Most Enterprising Town, taking home the trophy and a cash prize of €50,000
• 20 towns shared in the prize fund of over £180,000

6 October 2020

Newry City and Dromore in Co Down were announced today as two of the towns recognised in the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards 2020.

A new Award scheme available for the first time in Northern Ireland, the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards bring business and community groups together to support local recovery and rebuilding. The initiative was fast-tracked to provide funding to winning towns in early October and directly assist their Covid-19 recovery.

Newry City won the City Award because of the community’s collaboration and consistency of approach throughout the area, including work between public sector organisations and the business sector. The judges particularly liked Newry’s Smart VIP Fob. As an innovative way to encourage footfall, the free fob lets local shoppers receive discounts and offers directly to their phone.

The Awards programme also honoured local towns and organisations for their responses to Covid-19. Dromore-based Via Wings won the Local Community Enterprise Initiative Award as part of this category, in recognition of how the organisation adapted to support the needs of cocooners and vulnerable families affected by Covid-19.

Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, was also recognised at the Awards as runner-up in the 7,001-14,000 population category, coming in second to Ballina, Co Mayo. Judges were impressed by Enniskillen’s community spirit demonstrated through its Covid-19 response, as well as the town’s many investments, either planned or underway.

Francesca McDonagh, CEO, Bank of Ireland said, “The enterprising spirit and ‘can-do’ attitude of our communities has always been strong but this is no ordinary year. Communities across the island of Ireland told us their stories and I’ve been really impressed by their sense of partnership, passion and ambition. For most of this year we’ve all had to keep apart but that won’t stop us from working together. The Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards are positive proof that communities and businesses can and will overcome this challenge and I’m proud that we at Bank of Ireland can support them.”

The Awards are one strand of the Bank of Ireland “Begin Together” programme, a £3.3 million investment three-year initiative to improve the financial, physical and mental wellbeing of Ireland’s communities. In April, Bank of Ireland also donated a further £910k in emergency funding to communities with urgent needs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

To find out more about all of this year’s Begin Together Awards prize winners visit https://businessbanking.bankofireland.com/campaigns/begin-together-awards/

Notes to editor