News
Irish Wheelchair Association appeals for support as charity cancels annual street collection
Irish Wheelchair Association in Kerry has decided to cancel its annual street collection due to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health and safety of the public, its volunteers and the people it supports.
The charity has launched an online appeal called ‘Without You, We’re Stuck’ and is asking people to make a donation through its website, www.iwa.ie.
Irish Wheelchair Association’s annual collection, which normally takes place across the country, raises €300,000 towards the charity’s work for people with physical disabilities. This is the first time in the collection’s 30-year history that it has been cancelled.
“The loss of this critical income is concerning at a time when our local fundraising events have already had to stop,” Terry O'Brien of the Irish Wheelchair Association Kerry said. “We estimate that we will have lost almost €1 million in fundraising income nationally by the end of the year. Without this support our services and the people we support will be stuck.
“We rely entirely on the generosity of the public to fund our wheelchair accessible buses, which are a lifeline for connecting people who cannot access public transport, to our services. Our children’s sports clubs, driving school and many other services are also supported through local fundraising efforts.
“We are all in this together as we face this pandemic and we are committed to protecting public health and that of our members and volunteers. As we sadly cancel our street collection, we are asking people, if they can afford it, to make a donation at iwa.ie.”
Irish Wheelchair Association is Ireland’s largest membership organisation for people with physical disabilities. It supports 4,000 people every week in every county of Ireland.
“This year is our 60th anniversary, and while we have had to postpone many plans, our frontline workers throughout Kerry have redoubled their efforts to ensure that nobody we support has been left alone and isolated throughout the crisis,” he said. “Our members in Kerry depend on our services and as an organisation we are working tirelessly to keep everyone we support connected to their communities.
“Our local community centres were turned into outreach services within hours of the lockdown being announced. Our assisted living team, which provides home support, has continued their essential work in peoples’ homes, with an emergency team of courageous frontline staff ready to work in full PPE with people who have to isolate.
“Our services are needed now, more than ever. We would be incredibly grateful if people could remember Irish Wheelchair Association services in Kerry this week and make a donation through our website.”
To support Irish Wheelchair Association’s ‘Without You, We’re Stuck’ appeal visit www.iwa.ie.
Five local postmen retire with 185 years service
RETIREMENT NIGHT: Pictured at the retirement party held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday, October 3, celebrating a combined 185 years of service with An Post, are Connie Brady, James Foley, Terry Potts, Pat Cronin, and D.J. Cahill.
Five well-known local postmen celebrated their retirement at a special function held at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday night, October 3.
The event brought together current and former An Post colleagues to mark the combined total of 185 years of service delivered across Killarney and surrounding areas.
Delivery Services Manager Terry Potts retired after 43 years with An Post. He began his career in Dublin, where he worked for 10 years, before moving to Killarney in 1993 for a further 33 years.
Pat Cronin completed an impressive 51 years of service between Killarney and Farranfore, spending 44 of those years delivering post on the Farranfore route.
James Foley served 35 years with An Post, delivering on routes across Killorglin throughout his entire career.
D.J. Cahill marked 32 years of service based out of Killarney post office, delivering mail across Killarney town, Killorglin, Kilcummin, and Headford.
Connie Brady retired following 24 years with the postal service, spending 17 years in Killarney town before completing his service in Killorglin.
The celebration offered local postal staff an opportunity to gather and catch up ahead of the busy Christmas rush.
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