Irish Life announced recently that the company’s employees have raised €365,000 for two Irish charities. The funds were raised throughout 2019 by the 2,330 Irish Life employees through various fundraising initiatives, with funds raised matched by Irish Life to reach the final total. This year, the charities chosen by Irish Life staff were Stewarts School, which caters for students with moderate, severe and profound general learning difficulties, and Pieta House, a centre that specialises in the prevention of self-harm and suicide. Each charity will receive a donation of €182,500 to support essential support services. This is a substantial amount raised for two worthy causes.
Irish Life employees took part in many fundraising activities this year for the chosen charities:
* 500 staff walked in this year’s Darkness into Light walk
* 15 staff cycled 500km for the Tour de Data Centre
* 70 staff cycled in the Great Dublin Bike Ride
* 300 staff took part in the Ultimate Fun Table Quiz
In addition, additional funds were raised by staff at Bake Offs, surveys and prize draws throughout the year.
Speaking at the presentation, Mary Carrig, Principal of Stewarts School said, “Stewart’s school will have a beautiful new, fully adapted playground in our new special school in Clondalkin due to the amazing support of Irish Life staff. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the school – it means so much that you have made our dream come true. Thank you all.”
Kieran Brady, Director of Funding & Advocacy of Pieta House Ireland said, “We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Irish Life for their support over the past year. Their passionate support for our services, and for helping us to expand our services. We now provide crisis services to those in suicidal distress, those who engage in self-harm, and those bereaved by suicide. We have 15 centres and four outreach services nationally, plus our 24-hour Freephone phone and text service.
“At its heart Pieta is about helping people to bring hope back into their lives, to help them to improve levels of self-care, and to support people and families that have been impacted by the loss of a loved one to suicide, to provide care, compassion and to nourish hope. We also believe in empowering people and our Resilience Academy, delivered to 2nd Year secondary school students, gives our young people the tools to cope with any difficulties they may face. It is so important that we make it easy for people to ask for and to get help they need, to make the difference in their lives.”
Commenting on the donation by Irish Life, David Harney, Group Chief Executive, said: “We are thrilled to support two such extraordinary charities this year. Through a range of events and activities organized and coordinated by our staff, we are delighted to have raised €365,000 for Stewarts School and Pieta House. Supporting those in need is integral to our culture at Irish Life, and our charity work and the amount we have raised reflects this. The money raised by Irish Life will go towards purchasing much needed play equipment for a new recreational area for their students at Stewarts School and fund crucial support services provided by Pieta House. “The commitment shown by the staff here at Irish Life to get involved and fundraise has been fantastic. I’m very proud of our staff for getting behind this initiative each year and being so supportive of our fundraising activities and giving their time for such worthy causes”.
John Roberts, Chairman of the Irish Life Staff Charities Committee, said, “Stewarts Care and Pieta House give so much back to our community and I am pleased we here at Irish Life can support them in continuing the invaluable work they do. Each and every year, staff at Irish Life dedicate themselves to awareness-raising and fundraising activities for our chosen charities. Their fundraising is testament to the invaluable services provided by both charities and the funds raised this year will go towards much needed services in the community.” Each year, the Irish Life Staff Charities Committee shortlists a number of Irish charities to receive donations collected throughout the year, and the final two are selected by Irish Life employees. Since its inception in 2005, the Irish Life Staff Charities Initiative has raised in excess of €2.9 million for a wide range of Irish and international charities.
Pic. Keith Arkins
