THE London Irish Centre (LIC) has launched its annual Christmas Appeal – which will focus on the contribution made by the older Irish to London life over many decades.
“2021 has been a difficult year for all of us,” LIC CEO Paul Knowles said this week.
“We would therefore be so grateful and so proud if you were to choose the LIC as your charity to support this Christmas,” he added.
The older members of Irish community have been among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic – with lockdown meaning enforced isolation for many of them.
The LIC, which first opened its doors in 1955 to meet the needs of newly arrived Irish emigrants in the capital, has worked hard since the onset of the pandemic to alleviate the pressures on the most vulnerable members of the elderly community.
In 2020, the charity’s services were remodelled in response to Covid-19 – which saw them supporting people through hot meal delivery, food parcels, information and advice, telephone befriending, a health and wellbeing advice line, library outreach and an online cultural programme.
Their efforts saw them deliver over 5,000 hot meals and 2,000 food parcels to those who were shielding across London.
Their telephone befrienders have made more than 3,000 check-in calls to their clients providing friendly, regular contact, and they have helped over 200 people through their wellbeing advice helpline.
“As many of our older friends now live alone and have health conditions, it has been a very difficult couple of years, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic,” the LIC team admits.
“The London Irish Centre asks you to join them in giving back to this great generation who gave so much to the London community,” they add.
To support the London Irish Centre Christmas Appeal click here.
How your donations help
£10 donation per month reduces isolation through supporting a stable, warm befriending relationship with a vulnerable person
£25 per month supports the London Irish Centre’s free physical and mental health helpline to assess and signpost people to expert care
£50 per month combats loneliness through a programme of free social and cultural events
£100 per month provides information and advice appointments to help relieve poverty, and provides access to much-needed benefits and housing support, crisis grants and legal advocacy
A once-off donation of £500 covers the cost of a bus to bring 50 people on a fun day trip
A once-off donation of £1,000 supports one month of the London Irish Centre’s telephone helpline
A once-off donation of £2,500 funds a special ‘thank you’ event for the wonderful volunteers of the London Irish Centre
A once-off donation of £5,000 funds a digital project worker to collect oral histories from older Irish people in London
