We are delighted to announce that Irish Life Staff Charities has donated a phenomenal total of €344,000 to two Irish charities this year. The funds have been raised through various fundraising initiatives undertaken throughout the year.

 

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. This year, the charities chosen were The Down Syndrome Centre, and the Laura Brennan Charitable Trust. Each charity this year will receive an incredible €172,000 to help run and maintain their organisation.

 

 

Since its inception, the Irish Life Staff Charities initiative has raised in excess of €2 million for a wide range of Irish and international charities. The €344,000 donation is the biggest donation in one year that has been made to date.

 

Commenting on the donation,  David Harney, Group Chief Executive, said; “Irish Life is delighted to donate this significant amount to two very worthy charities this year. The spirit of serving the communities in which we’re based and supporting those in need is a key part of our Irish Life culture. I’m proud to lead a team that really get behind this initiative each year, giving their time, energy and support in a way that makes a real difference.”, he said.

 

Fundraising activities by staff this year have included; The Great Irish Life Bake Off, production of a Christmas CD featuring the Irish Life Staff Choir, a competition for a trip to the Euros, ‘Last Man Standing’ soccer prediction competition with 300 staff, quiz nights and funds raised by staff who ran marathons and competed in triathlons throughout the year. Almost 300 employees took part in the ‘Hell & Back’ Challenge earlier this year which raised an incredible €116,000 alone for the two charities.

 

The Down Syndrome Centre was founded by Peter Gaw and his wife, Mary as a result of their frustration at not being able to access relevant services for their two youngest children, both of whom have Down syndrome. The couple run a services-led centre for children with Down syndrome and their families, providing speech and language therapy sessions, occupational therapy, and family support services.

 

The Laura Brennan Charitable Trust was setup to raise much needed funds to support children up to age of 18 years old suffering from serious, life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses across North County Dublin. The charity was set up in memory of Laura Brennan, who died in 2008 after a short illness. The charity aims to provide vital services to families with sick children, including; nursing care, respite care, treatment costs, counselling services and bereavement counselling.

 

John Roberts, Chairman of the Irish Life Staff Charities Committee said; “We are so delighted to have raised such a huge amount this year and exceed €2 million in donations to worthy Irish and international charities. A huge thanks to all the staff in Irish Life who participated or helped in any way to raise money throughout the year. We try to vary the charities we support each year and this year we have selected two very worthy charities to receive this donation, the incredible Down Syndrome Centre and also the Laura Brennan Charitable Trust, which is very close to our hearts at Irish Life” he said.