500 families go without the charity’s help this Christmas
Friday, 6 December 2019. Barnardos children’s charity is today launching its Christmas appeal and calling for much needed donations from the public. The children’s charity, who work with more than 17,700 children and families each year, has in excess of 500 families waiting for their help around the country. Barnardos urgently needs donations from the public to reach these families and the need is particularly high at Christmas time. To help Barnardos be there for the children that need them this Christmas please visit www.barnardos.ie
The children’s charity has 41 centres throughout Ireland that provide a safe space for vulnerable children and families all year round. The children waiting for Barnardos’ help face the heavy burden of living with domestic abuse, neglect, parental mental health issues, poverty, and alcohol or drug abuse. Additional pressure is put on families at Christmas – with the support of the public Barnardos can ease the burden www.barnardos.ie
Barnardos CEO, Suzanne Connolly said: “Barnardos is working hard to ensure we can deliver services to those who need them the most – but our services are at breaking point. We have long waiting lists and the gap between the need and the funding provided by the Government continues to widen. We have to raise €8 million annually to meet this need, and it is down to the generosity of the Irish public that we fill this gap, however we still can’t reach every child that needs us. Donations at Christmas are vital to ensure we can reach more children each year”.
Barnardos Director of Fundraising Mary Gamble said: “Every year we work with families to help prepare them for Christmas. We provide family support services all year to help with budgeting and routines, and on a more practical level at Christmas we make sure they have everything they need for their family including pyjamas, bedding, books, food vouchers and hygiene packs.
“We make sure every child we work with, and their brothers or sisters receive a present and each child gets a visit from Santa. Without the help of the public, we couldn’t support families we work with, and we know there are at least 500 waiting for our help. To help us be there for every child that needs us this Christmas I urge you to please donate what you can afford at www.barnardos.ie”
Barnardos depends on donations from the public to enable them to do their work. Please donate what you can today at www.barnardos.ie to help a vulnerable child this Christmas, and beyond.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Barnardos Press Office: 01 7080442 / 086 0445966
Rachel Boyce; 01 7080443
Trudy McCarthy; 01 7080423