Ann Beckett Award Winner 2026
Congratulations to our 2026 Winner
The Ann Beckett Award Committee is delighted to announce the winner of the 22nd AOTI Ann Beckett Award. Congratulations to:
Ciara Langan ‘Grow Your Roots’ – a Community Garden Project
The Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland (AOTI) is delighted to announce that the prestigious 2026 Ann Beckett Award has been awarded to Ciara Langan, Senior Occupational Therapist, Primary Care Services HSE Dublin South West for her outstanding project titled “Grow Your Roots’ – a community garden project for internationally displaced refugees. It was obvious to the Ann Beckett visiting committee that what has been created is far more than a garden and that Ciara went the extra mile, going beyond her everyday remit to bring the project to life.
Visiting the City West Campus International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), Ciara witnessed the occupational deprivation experienced by older Ukrainian adults within that setting, i.e. strict routine and limited facilities for any meaningful activities. Underpinned by her awareness of occupational justice, her understanding of the context and the collective needs of those receiving services from Primary Care, Ciara started a weekly gardening group. Working creatively with limited resources and in collaboration with many people including Irina, the Four Districts Day Centre manager, and Rathcoole Health Centre, this has developed into a flourishing community garden called ‘Grow Your Roots’.
It has become a thriving community for people displaced by war, offering comfort, support, and strength through shared purpose and collaboration. In the face of difficult circumstances, the garden creates opportunities for connection, healing from trauma and a sense of belonging. Strong community connections, alongside support of resources such as CE/Tús schemes, have helped establish sustainable foundations for the project. ‘Grow Your Roots’ is a heartening example of the power of occupation to develop positive health-enhancing skills, enhance social integration and foster a sense of belonging among people who have been forcibly displaced from their homes.
Ciara's project reflects the values of the AOTI Ann Beckett Award. It makes us proud of the profession and confident that a new generation of leaders continue to ensure innovative and life changing practice by Occupational Therapists.
Ciara will be presented with the specially commissioned Ann Beckett Award trophy at the AOTI Annual Conference dinner on Thursday October 1st in the Radisson Blue Hotel, Cork. She will also showcase her award-winning project at the opening plenary session of the conference.
The Ann Beckett Committee would like to thank all the other applicants for their excellent projects. The highly commended and short-listed projects will receive their certificates at the conference dinner. All the projects reflect the values of the AOTI Ann Beckett Award and follow the foundations that leaders like Ann Beckett have laid, to ensure innovative, life changing and occupation based practice by Occupational Therapists.
The Ann Beckett Award is kindly supported by O’Neill Healthcare.
