Top award presented to Ballyfermot instructor at Buckingham Palace

By Maurice Garvey

BALLYFERMOT Training Centre instructor Richard McCarthy won a prestigious award for outstanding achievements at the City & Guilds of London Institute’s annual Prince Philip medal ceremony.

Mr McCarthy won the President’s Award for his success in developing renewable energy and sustainable construction courses, and dedication to training and improving the lives of those most in need throughout his career.

Richard, an instructor in renewable energy and sustainable construction, was presented with his award by the Institute’s President, Princess Anne, at Buckingham Palace.

Richard said: “Receiving such a prestigious award is a real honour, especially when it is for something that I passionately believe in. My aim has always been to make the public and in particular, the construction industry, aware of both the environmental and financial benefits of energy conservation.

“I will continue this journey and hopefully this award will give me the opportunity to pass on the message to a much wider audience.”

Richard’s idea for the courses followed one of his many voluntary trips to orphanages in some of Europe’s most disadvantaged countries.

Having witnessed the difficult conditions, Richard encouraged Irish businesses to provide windows and insulation materials for orphanages, and fitted them himself.

Following this, Richard developed the new City and Guilds pre-apprenticeship programme in partnership with Solas and the Construction Industry Federation in Ireland.

The programme is the first to be delivered in Ireland and is due to be rolled out nationally across the Education and training Board network.

Before joining Ballyfermot Training Centre, Richard worked with disadvantaged inner-city young people with learning and behavioural difficulties.

After many years working within the Youth Training Programme, he retrained as an IT Instructor and worked at Jervis Street Training Centre, before transferring to Ballyfermot Training Centre in 2002, where he started his full-time career as a carpentry and joinery apprenticeship instructor.