Mayo Changemakers shortlisted for RDS Foundation Awards
THE Royal Dublin Society (RDS) has announced that social enterprise Accelerating Change Together (ACT), Joe O’Neill, and Paul Maguire have been shortlisted for the 2026 RDS Foundation Awards.
Representing Mayo on a national stage, the three finalists have been shortlisted across the Circular Economy Awards (Social Enterprise Category) and the Forest & Woodland Awards (Teagasc Farm Forestry Award and Native Woodland Conservation Award categories).
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the RDS on April 16, as part of the Finding Common Ground Festival.
Accelerating Change Together are a social enterprise of architects and policy specialists delivering regenerative design, sustainable urban planning, and community co-design.
The nominee in the Teagasc Farm Forestry Award is Bohola forest where managed commercial and hardwood plots balance sustainable timber production with environmental benefits.
Furnace native woodland is nominated for the Native Woodland Conservation Award. Furnace is a native woodland managed for biodiversity, habitat conservation, and forest immersion programmes for wellbeing.
For almost 300 years, the RDS has been about turning ideas into action. Today, our greatest challenge as a society is a divided landscape where environmental needs and economic realities often seem at odds.
The RDS Foundation Awards celebrate the leaders who are already ‘finding common ground’ - proving that a thriving economy and the environment can go hand in hand.
The RDS Agriculture & Forestry Awards and the RDS Circular Economy Awards recognise individuals, organisations, and businesses driving economic, environmental, and social progress in Ireland - from strengthening rural communities to advancing sustainable production and consumption.
Keating, sustainability and innovation programme manager at the RDS, said: “The finalists are perfect examples of the ‘common ground’ we are seeking to highlight. They are doing the work on the ground – showing us that the transition to a sustainable future is not just a theory, it’s a practical reality that strengthens our local communities and economies.
“This festival reflects the RDS’s commitment to creating spaces where practical ideas can be shared and collaboration fostered. Together, we can accelerate progress and build a more resilient and sustainable future for Ireland.”