Notable distinction for progressive west Mayo sports club

Re-turn, the operator of Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), has announced that Aughagower Athletics Club has been named as a finalist in the ‘Small Town, Big Difference’.

The initiative invited community groups, clubs and schools across the country to share inspiring stories of how they are making a big difference in their local area through the DRS.

Aughagower Athletics Club has received a donation of €2,000 from Re-turn to support its fundraising efforts.

With €105,000 raised to date, this donation brings the initiative closer to achieving its goal of raising €500,000 for an athletics facility including a running track, jumping areas, throwing zone, and a community walking trail.

Local community groups were asked to share their story to the Re-turn.ie/Heroes webpage, highlighting how they are making a difference through DRS.

In total, Re-turn received over 340 incredible entries from across Ireland. From these entries, ten outstanding finalists have been selected – and now, a panel of judges, including broadcaster Jennifer Zamparelli and social media stars Tadhg and Derry Fleming, will choose five winners.

These winners will go on to feature in a national advertising campaign – appearing on billboards, bus stops and radio ads – celebrating the big difference that the smallest of donations can make.

Over the last year, over 3,400 local community groups have made a difference by raising funds through the DRS by asking people to donate their deposits from plastic bottles and cans to good causes.

Commenting on the response to the Small Town, Big Difference campaign, Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn, said: "We were thrilled to receive hundreds of inspiring stories from across the country, showing how innovative and passionate local groups are when they rally behind a shared goal.

"Each entry brought to life the incredible impact that turning deposits into donations can have.

"It’s a powerful reminder of why it is important not to discard plastic bottles and cans – especially when there’s an orange bin nearby. Instead, they can be transformed into real value for communities like Aughagower.

"We are delighted to support the club with a €2,000 donation and wish them every success with their goal of building an incredible athletics facility.”

Remarking on the shortlist success for Aughagower Athletics Club, Alan Dillon, Minister of State for Small Business and Retail & Circular Economy, said: "I congratulate Aughagower Athletics Club on being selected as one of ten finalists.  I want to see these finalists inspiring others to get creative and help Ireland meet our current and future circular economy targets.”