The school also actively supports the Tidy Towns Committee through litter collection, tree planting, and water quality testing. In 2024, Ballymoney NS received the International Creativity in Schools Award for its innovative climate education.
The innovative young designer works with upcycled fabrics in her designs, selling them via online marketplaces including Depop and Etsy. Abalonia embraced sustainability at a young age, having attended a Steiner school focused on learning through nature and growing up on an organic farm.
Her community work includes:
As part of BALLYDONUTS (Doughnut Economics Group), she also co-created DANU, a prize-winning art installation highlighting sustainability and mental health.
Two other Cork people were celebrated at the awards:
The Full Circle Awards, now in their first year, are presented by Circular.ie, which is funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment through the Circular Economy Fund. You can follow the campaign on social media @CIRCULAR.IE.