Laois County Council’s flagship Health and Wellbeing Event, the Live Well Expo, was honoured with the Active and Healthy Ageing Award at the annual National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards.
This award recognises the Live Well Expo’s outstanding contribution to promoting health and wellbeing among older adults.
The award celebrates initiatives that empower older people to maintain active, engaged lives within their communities.
Members of the Laois Older People’s Council, alongside representatives from Laois County Council, proudly attended the prestigious awards.
Michael Rainey, Chief Executive of Laois County Council said: “I am both delighted and proud that the Live Well Expo has received national recognition through this prestigious award.
“Supporting our communities and making Laois a great place to live for people of all ages is central to the mission of Laois County Council.
“I would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Live Well Expo, as well as to the many other initiatives that continue to enrich the lives of Laois residents.”
Held in April at Portlaoise College, the 2025 Live Well Expo marked its third successful year, welcoming approximately 2,000 attendees.
The event was delivered through Laois County Council’s Age Friendly and Older People’s Council Executive, in partnership with Healthy Laois and the Healthy Laois LCDC subcommittee.
This year’s Expo introduced several new features, including:
- Panel discussions on key topics, followed by interactive Q&A sessions
- A Create and Play area led by Laois artists
- An Activity Zone hosted by Laois Sports Partnership
- 114 exhibitors representing community groups, service providers, agencies, and organisations.
One of the most popular elements of the day was the free health screening, provided by the HSE, Hidden Hearing, Vision Ireland, and the Irish Heart Foundation. Together, they delivered nearly 400 screenings to attendees.
Trudy Nealon, Chairperson, Laois Older Person’s Council said: “The Live Well Expo is more than an event.
“It is a community-driven movement to empower the elderly, create social bonds, and encourage lifelong learning.
“With its focus on personalization, inclusion, and empowerment, it exemplifies the very best of what we can achieve together, and we are delighted to be recognised for its profound impact in Laois.”
Emma O’Connor Healthy Laois Co-Ordinator said: “Live Well brings Healthy Laois’s evidence-based strategies directly to the Age Friendly population promoting informed, inclusive health and wellbeing support delivered in partnership with Age Friendly Laois.
“This unique pairing has resulted in a fun collaborative event with over 114 partners and forms a cornerstone for the delivery of both programmes within Laois County Council.
“We couldn’t do this without our partners, and this award is a result of everyone’s hard work and shared vision.”
Tom Curran, Age Friendly Coordinator for Laois added: “The Live Well initiative was born out of public consultations conducted by Healthy Laois and Age Friendly Laois, which identified access to information as a key barrier to ageing well whilst recognising the overlap and merit of sharing expertise and resources.
“In response, Laois County Council created the Expo to raise awareness of local services and supports, offering a welcoming space where people could meet providers face-to-face—bridging the gap often left by online-only resources.”
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