Our Nominated Charities
Diabetes Ireland
Since 1967, Diabetes Ireland has been the national charity dedicated to helping people with diabetes. They achieve this by providing support, education and motivation to everyone affected by diabetes. Diabetes Ireland also raises public awareness of diabetes and funds research into finding a cure for diabetes.
There are over 225,000 people in Ireland with diabetes. Through over 220 local free public meetings/events/screenings/ education courses per year Diabetes Ireland supports these people on all aspects of their diabetes management and educate the wider community.
Living with diabetes is not easy. However, with the right help, advice and support, there is no reason why Irish people with diabetes cannot live life to the full. This is their goal and each year through patient education and information services they provide that support to thousands of Irish people with diabetes and their families when needed most.
Diabetes Ireland’s Cork Regional Office, based in the all new Diabetes Care Centre on Mary Street, Cork City, manages all aspects of their services in the Munster region and oversees their branches & support groups stretching from Waterford across to Kerry.
The Cork Diabetes Care Centre opened this past June and currently offers retinopathy and podiatry services. It is estimated this not-for-profit Care Centre will see over 7,000 patients in its first 12 months with future services such as counselling, dietetics and hearing tests planned.
As well as maintaining overall charity services, Diabetes Ireland are committed to growing services long into the future, devising a new five year strategy entitled ‘Changing Lives 2016-2020’.
If you have any questions or queries in relation to diabetes please visit www.diabetes.ie or lo-call 1850 909 909.
The Cork Regional Office & Care Centre can be reached on 021 4274229 for any queries in relation to local branches/events/support groups as well as making appointments for Care Centre services.
Alzheimer Society of Ireland
The ASI is the leading dementia specific service provider in Ireland working across the country in the heart of local communities providing dementia specific services and supports and advocating for the rights and needs of all people living with dementia and their carers.
Their vision is an Ireland where no one goes through dementia alone and where policies and services respond appropriately to the person with dementia and their carers, at the times they need support.
A national non-profit organisation, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is person centred, rights-based and grassroots led with the voice of the person with dementia and their carer at its core.
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland has a national network of 115 specialist services, over 900 staff and 300 volunteers. Each year, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland provides over 1 million hours of community-based, dementia-specific, care throughout Ireland. In 2015, 6,355 clients were assisted through our Helpline and Dementia Adviser services and an overall total of 964,278 care hours were given. The Helpline and Information Service had its busiest year so far in 2015 with 4,685 people availing of the service, an 11% increase on 2014. The Alzheimer National Helpline offers information and support to anyone affected by dementia at 1800 341 341.
In Ireland, dementia affects almost 55,000 people and touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of family members. Over 14,000 of those diagnosed are living in the Munster region.
Money raised through the partnership with Munster Rugby will be used by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland to support Day Care Services in the Munster region. Currently The Alzheimer Society of Ireland operates 13 dementia specific day care centers in the Munster region. These day care services are highly responsive, person centred and nurse managed benefiting people with dementia at any and all stages of the illness.
For more information see www.alzheimer.ie
Haven Partnership (International Charity)
Haven is an Irish non-governmental organisation (NGO) which is strongly committed to empowering the people of Haiti to build strong and sustainable livelihoods. Launched in 2008, they work solely in Haiti, facilitating the provision of sustainable water and sanitation, training and education, and shelter solutions for its people.
Haven’s vision is to build thriving communities which prosper independently, and in which every person has a safe place to call home.
Their community-led Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) pogrammes respond to ongoing issues in communities across the country – such as poor water infrastructure, weak sewage systems and a lack of hygiene and disease prevention awareness – and work towards a safe, sustainable future for its people.
Training and education is crucial to the success and sustainability of all of Haven’s projects. So far, they have facilitated the training of over 78,000 people in Haiti in a wide variety of skills and areas, and directly employed more than 1,200 Haitian people.
Haven is committed to building a Haiti where everyone has a safe place to call home and to date have built, repaired and renovated homes and shelters for over 19,800 people in the country. They also successfully piloted an owner-driven reconstruction project, allowing the homeowner to project-manage the construction of their own home, with guidance and support from the team.
For more information see www.havenpartnership.com
Olive Foley, wife of the late Anthony Foley, has joined Munster Rugby and Irish Heart Foundation in launching a new charity of the year partnership for 2017/2018 that will drive CPR awareness across the province in memory of her husband.
The partnership is a significant collaboration in memory of the former Head Coach who died suddenly on October 16,2016.
In raising awareness for the work that is carried out by the Irish Heart Foundation and highlighting the importance of CPR training, it is envisaged more lives can be saved from sudden cardiac death. This announcement also comes ahead of European ‘Restart A Heart Day’.
Munster players, captain Peter O’Mahony, Billy Holland and Tyler Bleyendaal lined out with Olive Foley just days before Anthony Foley’s one-year anniversary on 16th October to back the charity initiative.
Together, Munster Rugby and the Irish Heart Foundation have teamed up to rally the public behind the prevention of sudden cardiac death which claims 5,000 lives in Ireland every year. The incredible support of Olive Foley and family, and the Munster Rugby partnership, is a vital first step to make the public aware of their power to save more lives through lifesaving CPR.
Said Olive Foley: “The Irish Heart Foundation does incredible work and it’s only right that we would give our full support to this initiative. This will hopefully help save lives and if it’s only one it will be more than worth every effort made. It’s an initiative that I know Anthony would really appreciate.”
The partnership begins with the Champions Cup game against Racing 92 in Thomond Park on Saturday October 21st. Thanks to title sponsor Bank of Ireland, a proud partner of Munster Rugby and Irish Heart Foundation, the province will have the Irish Heart Foundation’s logo on the front of the players’ jerseys for the European encounter as a mark of their support in the fight against sudden cardiac death.
Working closely with the Irish Heart Foundation the province will provide support for a number of initiatives throughout the season including the designated “Charity Match” on 26th December. Additionally, CPR training will roll-out across six rugby clubs across the province and Munster players and staff will also undertake training in lifesaving CPR skills to spread the vital CPR message.
Cardiac arrest kills more people in Ireland than some of the most serious diseases such as breast cancer, lung cancer and respiratory disease, according to the Irish Heart Foundation. The sudden and often fatal condition currently claims an estimated 13 lives daily in Ireland affecting all ages including babies, children and young people.
Irish Heart Foundation’s Basic Life Support expert Brigid Sinnott said: “Partnering with Munster Rugby is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest in Ireland which affects so many families every year. An estimated 5,000 people die here annually when their heart suddenly stops beating and often these incidents occur without warning. Together with Munster Rugby, our goal is to help more people understand the need to learn CPR because it could save someone you love.”
