KINGNEWSWIRE // Press release // Sixth annual HELP Awards at the Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin recognised volunteers, organisations and community leaders serving people across Ireland.
DUBLIN, Ireland — April 23, 2026 — The Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin marked International Volunteer Recognition Day 2026 by hosting the sixth edition of its annual HELP Awards, an event recognising individuals and organisations whose work has contributed to communities across Ireland through service, cultural inclusion, humanitarian action and practical support for those in need.
The 2026 ceremony brought together volunteers, community leaders, human rights advocates, changemakers and past honourees for an evening focused on the role of volunteerism in everyday social life. First established in 2019 by the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Ireland, the HELP Awards were created to acknowledge people and groups whose efforts improve lives through direct community service.
The keynote address was delivered by Frank Allen, a previous awardee, playwright, director and former Dublin Prisons teacher, who reflected on the diversity represented in the room and on the significance of equal recognition. “The diversity, the integration and the fact that human beings of all walks of life are here under one roof and are being equally acknowledged resonated deeply with me. That’s the Ireland I want to live in,” Allen said.
This year’s HELP Awards recognised a wide range of activity, from mental health support and migrant assistance to cultural preservation, charitable food provision and community event support.
Walk And Talk, represented by Stephen Brennan, was honoured for supporting people facing mental health challenges, addiction issues and other difficulties through a simple but effective walk-and-talk model that encourages connection, conversation and mutual support.
The Kurdish Community of Ireland, represented by Mokthar Moradi, was recognised for providing support to migrants and for helping strengthen community ties nationwide. The award acknowledged sustained work aimed at helping people settle, connect and participate more fully in Irish society.
The Indonesian-Irish Association, represented by Irene Murphy, received recognition for promoting inclusion through cultural, social and charitable initiatives that bring communities together and encourage mutual understanding across backgrounds.
Scoil Rince Ní Áogain, represented by Denise Egan, was honoured for encouraging a love of Irish dance while maintaining accessibility and supporting wider community and charitable causes. The recognition highlighted the school’s role in linking cultural heritage with active social contribution.
Nicolae Dulea was recognised for advancing cultural, social and charitable initiatives within the Moldovan and Romanian communities in Ireland, while promoting heritage, diversity and human rights.
Joseph Orgin and Feljose Shristeca, both recognised as IT specialists, were honoured for contributing to cultural and community initiatives, including Saregama Dublin, and for supporting diversity and human rights through their involvement in community life.
Stefano Bonvini, an international musician and composer, received a HELP Award for supporting charitable causes and for helping foster intercultural and interfaith connections through music and public engagement.
Mohammed Rashid, of Safco Fine Foods, was recognised for helping provide fresh and nutritious meals to vulnerable individuals, including people experiencing homelessness. The award highlighted the value of practical, direct support that responds to immediate human needs.
Mass Events Ireland was also honoured for its contribution to cultural, charitable and community events and initiatives across Ireland, reflecting the importance of organisational support in enabling public-minded activities to reach a wider community.
Two further honours recognised long-standing public service. Dr. Mahesh Baj was acknowledged for decades of contribution to healthcare, education and community service, while Neera Baj was honoured for her work in cultural preservation, social welfare and humanitarian initiatives.
The HELP Awards are part of the broader work of the Scientology Volunteer Minister programme, created by L. Ron Hubbard. The programme trains volunteers to provide practical assistance in communities and during times of crisis, addressing social challenges and helping improve conditions through direct action. In Ireland, the annual HELP Awards have become a way of publicly recognising that contribution while also highlighting the role of local civic initiatives in building a more inclusive and compassionate society.
The 2026 edition also aligned with a wider year of attention on volunteerism in Ireland, where Volunteer Ireland’s International Volunteer Year 2026 initiative has placed renewed focus on the social value of voluntary service.
Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the United Nations, said the Dublin event reflected values with broad relevance across Europe. “Volunteer recognition is also a recognition of the social values that hold communities together. When people from different nationalities, professions and traditions are acknowledged for helping others, it reflects the best of Europe’s civic spirit: dignity, responsibility, mutual respect and practical solidarity.”
By bringing together organisations and individuals working in mental health support, migrant assistance, cultural initiatives, charitable food provision, education, music, social welfare and human rights, the event underlined how much of community life depends on people willing to take responsibility for the wellbeing of others. For the Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin, the annual HELP Awards continue to provide a platform for acknowledging those whose work often takes place quietly, but whose impact is felt across neighbourhoods, associations and communities throughout Ireland.
The Church of Scientology, its churches, missions, groups and members are present across the European continent. Scientology Europe reports a continent-wide presence through more than 140 churches, missions and affiliated groups in at least 27 European nations, alongside thousands of community-based social betterment and reform initiatives focused on education, prevention and neighbourhood-level support, inspired by the work of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Within Europe’s diverse national frameworks for religion, the Church’s recognitions continue to expand, with administrative and judicial authorities in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany Slovakia and others, as well as the European Court of Human Rights, having addressed and acknowledged Scientology communities as protected by the national and international provisions of Freedom of Religion or belief.
