The Vodafone Ireland Foundation announces winners of The World of Difference 2011/ 2012 Programme

07 November 2011

Following a nationwide search, the Vodafone Ireland Foundation is delighted to announce the four winners of the World of Difference programme who will now set off on their year-long journey to make a difference to their charity of choice.

The World of Difference programme offers four people a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for a charity of their choice with a salary of €40,000.

Following 400 entries, 20 telephone interviews and 12 face to face pitches, the judges decided on:

Laura Hickey - Arthritis Ireland

Laura will be leaving her busy finance job to focus on her true calling, Arthritis Ireland whose support services saved her own life at the age of 23.
Laura will be working as Young Arthritis Network Co-ordinator to bring the charity’s services to children, teenagers and adults under the age of 40 who are living with arthritis in Ireland.

Vincent Howard – St John Ambulance

Vincent was made redundant from the retail sector earlier this year after 27 years service and will be taking up the position of Change Champion within St John Ambulance Ireland which has been at the forefront of providing first aid training and services for over 100 years.

Bebhinn Hare - Care Local

A previous 3 month WOD winner, Bebhinn will be able to take the good work she started at Care Local to a new level to create and launch a franchise model for Platepals, the innovate service which works to alleviate malnutrition and loneliness in Ireland’s elderly population.

Oisín Schollard Turn2Me

Within his role at Turn2Me, an online mental health charity offering direct support, Oisín will be working on a one-to-one corporate counselling service and developing new technologies to improve the accessibility of the services turn2me offer.

The winners were chosen by the panel of World of Difference celebrity judges: Gavin Duffy, Ray D’Arcy, Roisin Ingle, Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin and Mary O’Kennedy from Fundraising Ireland.

Speaking at the launch, Paul Ryan of the Vodafone Ireland Foundation and Vodafone Ireland Director said, “This is the fifth-annual World of Difference programme which offers this unique opportunity to those who would like to dedicate their talents to charity but haven't had the time or the financial support. Each year the calibre of applicants gets higher and higher so the judges based their decisions on those who they believed could make the most difference. We believe Laura, Vincent, Bebhinn and Oisín have the determination, commitment and passion to really make a difference to their chosen charities during these difficult economic times”.