By David Hennessy
The Irish Elderly Advice have risen approximately £18,000 to allow them to produce their booklet of information, advice and support to help older Irish people in the current coronavirus crisis. This endeavour far exceeded their target of £10,000 and allows them to send a 30 page booklet, rather than the planned eight pages, to all the 6,000 older Irish people on their database.
The Irish World reported about the appeal last and Andrew Carey, well known former publican, had risen in excess of the 10k with his fundraising in Spain before we had even gone to press.
Nora Mulready, Head of Culture, Irish Elderly Advice Network, told The Irish World: “He did great work. It was a real community effort. We had a huge amount of help from the Irish music schools and lots of people in the community and then Andrew of course doing his stuff with the bigger donors which was fantastic.
“Huge thank you to everyone who has helped meet our fundraising target and in fact go far beyond it.
“This is an incredible community effort and I am sure it will be a massive help to older Irish people throughout London. Well done all and huge thank you from all at Irish Elderly Advice Network.”
The Irish Elderly Advice Network lost their chair Alice Kennedy to coronavirus earlier this month. Alice was laid to rest in her native Clonaslee in Laois last week. Although travel restrictions prevented many of her friends from being there, they did record a song Going Home in tribute which was played at her graveside.
