On Tuesday 27th May the winners of the 2025 Intel Pride of Place competition were revealed at an awards ceremony which took place at the Intel campus in Leixlip.
The Pride of Place competition invites community organisations located in Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth, to share their project ideas to help improve their organisations whilst also benefiting the local community.
The project ideas are then reviewed by a panel of judges, made up of business professionals and community representatives, who selected a number of the submissions to receive grants as part of the initiative which is funded by Intel.
This is the 12th year of the Pride of Place competition and once again there was a fantastic response from community groups in the local area with a large number of diverse project ideas being submitted.
This year 12 different local projects were selected from 37 applications to receive funding as part of the competition.
An awards evening took place at the Intel Ireland campus to reveal the winners of the awards. Guests were treated to some light refreshments as well as a performance from Our Lady’s Gospel Choir, Leixlip.
Presenting the awards to the winning projects were Joe English, Intel Ireland Vice President and Factory Manager and the Pride of Place 20 25 judging panel which included Marina Lucey, Intel Ireland’s Environmental Health Safety Manager, Martin Ryan, Intel Facilities Manager, Gordon Jamieson, Maynooth University Senior Development Manager, and Inspector Seamus Houlihan from Leixlip Garda station.
The winners of the 2025 competition are as follows;
Maynooth Community First Responders
The Pride of Place grant will be used for the installation of a solar-powered heated Automated External Defibrillator (AED) cabinet and AED near Pikes Bridge along the Royal Canal Greenway between Maynooth and the Intel campus. Maynooth Community First Responders is a volunteer group established in 2018, working closely with the National Ambulance Service to respond rapidly to cardiac emergencies within a 5-kilometre radius of Maynooth.
Maynooth Autism Friendly Town
Funds from the Pride of Place grant will be used to complete a sensory garden in Maynooth. Located in the grounds of the Maynooth Community Church, the garden will serve as a tranquil space open to everyone in the community, with particular attention to the sensory needs of autistic individuals and those with additional needs. They will purchase high-quality sensory play equipment and interactive features for the garden.
Community Cancer Caregivers
Funding from Pride of Place will enable Community Cancer Caregivers to provide families with food vouchers whilst they are attending active treatment for cancer.
Scoil Uí Dhálaigh
Funding will be used to create a sustainable school garden (An Seomra Beo) to be used by all the students in the school. This project will include the purchase of a polytunnel, wooden storage shed, tools and equipment needed to prepare and maintain the garden. Accessible furniture will be purchased to ensure the garden meets the needs of all pupils.
Maynooth Community College
The Pride of Place award will be used to run the An Cuan Games, a unique and inclusive sports day. The name An Cuan—meaning "The Harbour" in Irish—represents the commitment to providing a calm, supportive environment where every student can shine through sport. 8 schools took part in last year's games, and they aim to increase the availability to more schools.
Scoil Mochua Parents Association
The funds awarded through the Pride of Place grant will be used to develop a library of resources for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) at Scoil Mochua in Celbridge to benefit children, their families, caregivers and school community. Items include weighted blankets, ear defenders, wobble seating, sensory mats, foot cushions and textured materials will be made available for students to use during school and try out before families make large investments in items.
Leixlip educate Together National School
The Pride of Place award will be used to introduce an annual intercultural event at the school to celebrate the diverse cultural backgrounds of the community. A central feature of the event will be the launch of an intercultural children’s cookbook, developed with input from pupils and their families. The event will also include preparation demos and tasting of the dishes from the cookbook.
Leixlip Musical and Variety Group
The funding provided by the Pride of Place awards will be used to support the 2026 programme, which will include two major productions: a family pantomime in January and February 2026, and a musical production in April 2026. This will include funds to go towards hiring a professional production team, building sets and props, renting sound and lighting equipment, venue and rehearsal space hire, costume creation, and covering copyright and licensing fees.
North Kildare (Leixlip) Arch Club
As the organisation looks forward to their 40th anniversary they plan to use the prize from Pride of Place to host a public art exhibition locally to show of the hard work of the members as art has been a major aspect of the club. The event would be supported by experienced artists. North Kildare (Leixlip) Arch Club is a voluntary social club for adults with additional needs from Leixlip, Celbridge, Maynooth, Kilcock and other surrounding areas.
Leixlip Youth Community Centre
Leixlip Youth & Community Centre (LYCC) is the largest community facility serving Leixlip, Celbridge, and Maynooth. They provide essential services, including youth clubs, educational programs, community events, social inclusion initiatives, and support for local groups. The funds from Pride of Place will be used to upgrade the administration to management technology which will improve the efficiency of the centre.
Celbridge Youth Environmental Action Group
The group was developed within Salesian College Celbridge. The Pride of Place funds will support the development of CYEAG, provide funding to cover the cost of training all Transition Year students on ECO-UNESCOs TY for Sustainable Development programme in 2025/26 academic year, and the purchasing of trees, seeds and gardening equipment for the Salesians community garden which they would like to develop.
1st 10th Kildare Leixlip Confey Scout Group
The Pride of Place funding will be used to update the external areas of the Scout Den. They will open the space to allow for more flexible use. The space will be used for campfires, fundraising events, formal events and games. The multi-purpose space will also allow the troop to offer a wide range of activities such as pioneering, backwoods and first aid.
Speaking at the event Joe English, Intel Ireland Vice President and Factory Manager said, “Over the past 35 years, we have gotten to know, to work together with, and to learn from people across our local towns. We have had the invaluable benefit of being welcomed by people who care deeply about their local areas. It is a glowing reflection on the community here in North Kildare that after 12 years of the Pride of Place competition, there is no shortage of ideas to help strengthen the local towns. There is no shortage of energy and passion in the volunteers who deliver these projects, and we are delighted to continue to support the work of these groups”.
Since the Pride of Place competition began in 2014, some 103 community projects have been supported with over €380,000 of funding. The 2025 winning projects will now be completed over the coming months by the recipient organisations.
