Lucy Richards is 22 and from Dublin. She is a student and passionate about the world around her. This year, she participated in the Miss Dublin contest and went all the way to the final on Sunday 9th May. Although she did not win, she achieved a lot along the way. As part of the competition, they had to select a charity to highlight and help fundraise. At the beginning of the year, she raised hundreds of euros for GOAL by walking 280,000 steps in 28 days.
She says “GOAL is a charity that is close to my heart. My brother TJ (12) is from Ethiopia and my sister Aimee (19) is from India. So helping people in those countries is something that is dear to me. “When I was younger, I even had the opportunity to visit Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Kolkatta, India and see where my siblings were adopted from. These memories keep me grounded as I am very aware of the privileges we have in Ireland.”
As a third-year student in UCD, studying English and Drama, she has been kept busy during the lockdowns with exams but decided she wanted a new project. “Doing something like Miss Dublin is outside my comfort zone so I wanted to challenge myself. And even though this year’s contest is virtual it still a nice way of meeting new people. “Even after the contest I want to keep helping goal. I recently read that there are people in developing countries that have to walk a dozen kilometers to gather water each day. I can do this in about 10 seconds at home. We take so much for granted.”
Lucy says “I got great support from GOAL setting up my fundraising page and getting the word out. It was made so easy and so no matter how busy you are I recommend everyone to get out and fundraise in whatever way they can.” Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many of GOALs fundraisers have had to be adapted to the restrictions. This included the 2020 GOAL Mile which went virtual. Lucy’s solo fundraiser of 280,000 steps shows the innovation of many of our supporters. Like many of us, Lucy looks forward to the end of the pandemic. “When this is over I want to get out and do more fundraising for GOAL, maybe start my own GOAL mile. I also can’t wait to travel again. I would love to return to Addis Ababa and work in the children’s home where my brother was born.”
