Local Ring of Gullion Youth Rangers have collected their 200 hour Millennium Volunteer Award at a glamorous award ceremony;
Siblings, Divij, 16, and 17-year-old Ria Prajapati, picked up their award at the event hosted by Volunteer Now in Titanic, Belfast.
Both have volunteered over 270 hours as a Youth Ranger at the Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership and for Cancer Research UK at Daisy Hill Hospital.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Roisin Mulgrew said: “Divij and Ria are an outstanding example of our local young people.
“They have both volunteered a huge amount of their free time for two very worthy organisations. It is fantastic to see their volunteering recognised through the Millennium Volunteer Award.
“We hope this achievement will encourage and inspire more people to volunteer and become Youth Rangers at the Ring of Gullion this summer.”
Speaking about their experience of volunteering within their community, Ria said, “I would recommend volunteering to anyone who would like to learn new skills and give back to the community at the same time.”
And Divij added: “It is heart-warming to know that you helped out a cause or charity that you care about and that your efforts will help others.”
The Ring of Gullion Youth Ranger Programme runs for two weeks in July and provides 14 to 17 year olds the opportunity to explore the Ring of Gullion whilst carrying out practical conservation work and learning useful outdoor skills.
Applications for the 2018 Youth Ranger Programme are now open.
For more information, visit www.ringofgullion.org/jobs or email volunteer@ringofgullion.org.
