Creative Lives, the registered charity that champions community and volunteer-led arts activity, has announced the winners of the 2022 Creative Lives Awards – with a Fermanagh local’s initiative being named the Ireland runner-up.

Set up by Nuala O’Toole from Enniskillen, The Kindness Postbox, which connects children and elderly care home residents through cards, letters and drawings, was named the runner-up from Ireland in the awards.

The initiative began with a child-sized postbox which was placed inside a local shop for two weeks, and pupils from a nearby school dropped mail into it, which was then delivered to a care home.

The project has grown with more schools participating and a partnership has been created with local Men’s Sheds to build the postboxes.

Nuala said: “We are delighted to be runner-up for Ireland in the Creative Lives Awards.

“We accept the award on behalf of all the children and teachers, care home residents and staff, and everyone who has been involved in our project.

“If you can make one small difference to one person’s life for one minute in one day, just do that.”

The Ireland winner was Fatima Groups United. Located in Dublin, the group offers counselling, health and wellbeing, arts and creativity sessions.

With a strong dance programme and poetry group, this led to a project, ‘Dance Till Dán’, that saw Fatima Dance Group join forces with the Fatima Poetry Vigilantes to create a celebration of community through dance, poetry and film.

Each year, the awards are held in a different location across the UK and Ireland. This year, it is taking place in Leeds as part of LEEDS 2023 Year of Culture.

Robin Simpson, Chief Executive, Creative Lives said: “It is truly amazing what volunteer-led creative groups achieve within their communities, overcoming challenges with ingenuity, determination, goodwill and volunteer effort to provide inspiring, life-enhancing experiences for local people.

“The stories behind the Creative Lives Awards are moving, surprising, joyful and genuinely uplifting.

“At a time when people face so many difficulties, Creative Lives is proud to celebrate the remarkable creative activities taking place in almost every local community that demonstrate how creativity helps us to find a way to make things better.”

Each winner received an award and/or framed certificate, cash prize and free access to all of Creative Lives’ future Creative Learning online training sessions.