A Year of Support and Compassion Like no Other

THE LONDON IRISH CENTRE GOES THE EXTRA MILE DURING TIMES OF CRISIS

‘A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER.’ This is something we have heard many times in 2020, but for the London Irish Centre, we need to change this oft-mentioned phrase to truly reflect our year. 2020 for the LIC (London Irish Centre) has been ‘A year of support and compassion, like no other’.

We have been impressed by the outpouring of warmth, creativity, time, and financial support shown by our Friends, volunteers, donors, staff, and community. In true Irish spirit, we came together during to offer a warm greeting for the isolated, and now during the Christmas season, to find ways of bringing people together safely at the same time as working with people who are so lonely. We are so grateful for all the support we have received.

The spirit of the LIC shines through in our latest video

“I worked as a nurse all my life and I still found myself alone by mid-March and very worried. I related to the centre and between March and June the only people I saw and who helped me were the staff and volunteers from the London Irish Centre. They fed me three hot meals a week, sent me a lovely parcel of food, books and magazines on a Friday and called me most days to have the chat. It never felt like charity. It all came from a place of care. Without that, I do not know what I would have done. It could happen to anyone.” Margaret

In 2020, the LIC made a tremendous impact on our community

The numbers speak for themselves. We delivered over 5,000 hot meals and 2,000 food parcels to those who were shielding across London. Our volunteer drivers were often the only visitors for many people over 3 months. Our volunteer befrienders made over 3,000 check-in calls to clients providing friendly regular contact. We helped over 200 people through our wellbeing advice helpline taking the strain off the NHS. We set up over

70 telephone befriending pairs who speak on the phone several times a week and who have rich links across the generations and made new friendships.

Despite not being able to see one another, the LIC also held some fantastic fundraising events during the early months of the pandemic. Our online London Irish Charity Night hosted by our Patron Dermot O’Leary raised over £100,000 and brought joy to so many. 250,000 people participated in our digital SOLAS Season cultural programme to help people feel connected at a time of great isolation. We are immensely proud of these virtual events.

Moreover, our busy Advice Team won £363,596 in essential benefits for clients who are disabled and at risk of poor mental and physical health. Those who we helped claim benefits were on average £72 a week better off. We worked with over 1,300 clients who were in desperate need of support to help ward off food poverty and indebtedness.

With Christmas upon us the need for help is rapidly increasing once again. As many Irish people, particularly the older generation, live alone across London, this Christmas will be especially difficult as loneliness and isolation sweeps the city. Our services are needed more than ever and our teams have risen to the challenge to provide warmth and kindness safely to all in need.

Covid-safe Christmas activities for all have been planned and we look forward to celebrating the holidays together. Activities range from Irish musicians going from door to door to wreath-making, Christmas coffee mornings, lunches on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day; befriending support and access to our digital Wellbeing month which brings a host of storytelling; Irish choir and musicians and access to mindfulness and yoga.

We depend on the financial support of individuals and businesses to make all this happen. If you were planning to attend one of our events, or have a Christmas party budget that you want to put to worthy causes, we would appreciate you choosing the London Irish Centre as your charity to support this Christmas.

Full information and donation options can be found here: https://bit.ly/3afNND4

We look forward to continuing to bring smiles, support, and warmth to the Irish community and making 2021 a year of resilience, like no other.

WE WORKED WITH OVER 1,300 CLIENTS WHO WERE IN DESPERATE NEED OF SUPPORT TO HELP WARD OFF FOOD POVERTY AND INDEBTEDNESS.