We are delighted to announce that the Jim Quigley Volunteers of the Year 2024 here in Skerries are Charlie and Marion Heasman! Below a short explanation about the award, one picture of the awards ceremony, and the nomination received by the judges.

Jim Quigley was a champion of community development; a larger than life personality who was a dreamer and a doer; an idealist and an activist.  1970, Jim married Brigid Carolan and shortly afterwards the couple came to live in Skerries, purchasing their home in the newly built Hillside Estate. He was a Director of the Skerries Community Association for 22 years and Chairperson for ten of those years and worked on many, many projects.  Perhaps the most visible legacy of his work in Skerries is the Community Centre. In 1977, the Skerries Development and Community Association set up a sub-committee to look at the needs of their fast-growing town.  It was finally opened in 1982. Every year, the SCA selects a volunteer, or volunteers, who are announced at its AGM.

Charlie and Marion’s dedication to volunteering has left an indelible mark on the community of Skerries. Their passion for biodiversity and their tireless efforts have resulted in numerous positive changes and a profound impact on the local environment.

Over the years, they have become well-known advocates for the Ballast Pit, leading nearly a dozen biodiversity walks in the area. These walks not only educate the community about the local ecosystem but also inspire an appreciation for the natural world.

One of the most significant impacts has been the establishment of pollinator corridors for the Large Carder Bee, creating new habitats that support these vital pollinators. Hundreds of school children in Skerries are now actively engaged in bee conservation efforts, thanks to Charlie and Marion’s initiative. They painstakingly reached out to every school in the area, nurturing relationships and cultivating a sense of responsibility among the students. The result is a flourishing wildflower meadow at Skerries Educate Together, now in its second year, where children actively participate in nurturing the local environment.

Furthermore, they have contributed to the creation of two new festivals in Skerries – the Skerries Bee Festival and the Scarecrow Festival. These events not only bring the community together but also raise awareness about biodiversity.

Charlie and Marion have touched the lives of numerous people in Skerries. They operate a Pollinator-Friendly Gardening WhatsApp group, connecting like-minded individuals who aim to enhance biodiversity in their gardens. Their expertise and support are invaluable, particularly in initiatives like the Skerries Open Orchards Project, where they played an integral role in planting 100 fruit and nut trees across eight mini orchards in Skerries.

Charlie and Marion have also embraced new technologies and channels to reach more people, co-running the Instagram account @SkerriesBees, which serves as an educational platform and a source of inspiration for the community.

Their efforts were further recognized when the National Biodiversity DataCentre, responsible for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, chose Skerries for their first-ever Wild Bee Festival in 2022, an event they later transformed into the annual Skerries Bee Festival in 2023. They were also invited to speak at the national Wild Bee Festival in Tralee in 2023, and at biodiversity events in Clare and Kerry this year.

Their collaborations with Fingal County Council have resulted in tangible change, such as the reduction in roadside verge mowing. They were instrumental in establishing a pollinator-friendly planting trial in Turvey Natural Reserve, for which they supplied the kidney vetches, of which they grew some 1,500 over the last two years. More kidney vetches were also planted in Rogerstown Park.

Perhaps most remarkably, their love for bees and the environment has had a ripple effect on the entire community. Biodiversity has become a central concern in Skerries, as evident in the creation of a pollinator-friendly garden at the Community Centre, with the involvement of children attending Montessori/Playgroup programs; wildflower areas in most schools in Skerries, established with active help from Charlie and Marion; relaxed mowing regimes voted in by a number of residents’ associations; stretches of the South Strand, Skerries Mills / Townparks and Mourne View being planted up with kidney vetch and knapweed plugs.

And it’s not just about biodiversity – Charlie dedicated four years volunteering with Fáilte Isteach, teaching English to immigrants locally, demonstrating their commitment to fostering inclusivity in the community. This is in a way being continued now through the Skerries Community Garden, where they organised a course for Ukrainian refugees living in Skerries last year, which was very well received, as well as one with International Protection Applicants living locally this year.

The impact is also palpable in this note from Christine, mother of two and Skerries resident:

Charlie and Marion are like the granny and grandad of biodiversity in Skerries. In a town where many people don’t have their family living nearby, they have naturally created a sense of family and togetherness that many of us cherish. They’ve voluntarily come along to people’s gardens (invited of course) to help us figure out wildflower meadows or how to rethink more nature-friendly gardens. Last year they grew 1500 kidney vetch plug plants on their own initiative and ‘borrowed’ space in some gardens to create wildlife corridors across the town for the large carder bee. The Gardening for Pollinators WhatsApp group is often ‘hopping’ with activity when kids or adults alike spot one of the beautiful bees in a place we didn’t anticipate. … Apparently, bees can remember human faces so when we see Charlie and Marion just walking around on the wildlife corridor up at Barnageeragh or at the Ballast pit we fully suspect the bees also recognise them. We always learn a bit more about nature just through talking to Charlie and Marion and part their company with a smile and an echo of their laughter. Their approach is literally from the ground up and it has been the best form of environmental engagement a town could ask for!

Here are just some glimpses of the many things Charlie and Marion were involved in over the years: