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.