President of Network Ireland, Louisa Meehan, launching the re-design of Network Ireland's annual awards, to reflect the radical changes that have happened in women's working and home lives this year. Their annual conference and national awards ceremony will be streamed online on October 2nd. (Photo: Eva Blake)

Reflecting the new realities for Ireland’s working women in 2020, Network Ireland has unveiled the transformation of its annual awards programme.

Determined to forge ahead with their prestigious national awards and annual conference despite Covid-19 restrictions, the group has also set out plans to stage the event online on October 2nd.

The award categories have been reshaped to take account of the ongoing changes in members’ lives.

The list includes the ‘Power Within Champion’ to recognise the challenges of caring for family and others, remote working, coping with a period of isolation or all of the above. The category is open to all members.

President Louisa Meehan says she was always determined the event would go ahead: “Network Ireland members have ‘stepped up’ to such an amazing extent in holding branch events online since March, that it never occurred to me to cancel this occasion.

“My theme for this year is Power Within, and I’m 100% confident our members will draw on that to make this a huge success”.

Showing the way forward

AIB has been the official national partner of Network Ireland since 2013 and Head of Business Banking-Market, Catherine Moroney says the new plan is further evidence of the pioneering character she’s witnessed since then.

I’ve come to know Network Ireland’s leaders and members quite well in recent years and it makes complete sense that they would show the way forward in working around obstacles and adversity, to find a way to make important things happen. I’m genuinely looking forward to how this new iteration of awards ceremony comes to life, and wish them every success!”

Virgin Media TV presenter Elaine Crowley is set to host the event. Entries are now being accepted (visit networkireland.ie) and the closing date is Friday, July 17th.

Branch winners will be announced in August. National judging will begin in the first week of September.