Sligo shows its support for Focus Ireland’s Shine A Light Night sleep-out

The rate of homelessness in Sligo is increasing at an alarming rate and Focus Ireland this year alone have already supported 348 local people, this includes 31 people who have presented themselves to our service as homeless as recent as July.

In response to this, Bord Gáis Energy has confirmed the extension of its longstanding partnership with homelessness charity, Focus Ireland, to sponsor its annual fundraising initiative – Shine A Light Night on Friday, October 18th. The sleep out night challenges corporates, business leaders, colleges and communities across Ireland to sleep-out for one night and in doing so, raise vital funds to help alleviate homelessness.

For the first time in the eight year history of Shine a Light, Focus Ireland Sligo will be hosting a sleep out which will see business leaders sleep out at City Hall on Oct 18th 2019. This event is supported by Cllr Gino O’Boyle Mayor of Sligo. Other Shine a Light Sleep outs in the region includes one hosted by Sligo GAA County board at The Centre of Excellence, Scarden, Strandhill. IT Sligo and St. Angela’s College. These events will coincide with events in Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Limerick and Cork.

Sligo County GAA have also come on board to support this national sleep out campaign. They are hosting Shine a Light in the community on Friday 18th Oct also. Speaking at the Centre of Excellence at a County Board meeting Project Worker Roisin McLoughlin of Sligo Services said: “Focus Ireland works tirelessly with people experiencing homelessness to help them secure their home or to ensure they leave homelessness for good. We also work extensively across the area of prevention to make sure many other families and individuals in Sligo and the Northwest never become homeless in the first place”.

Commenting that “Shine A Light Night is an incredible initiative that needs all of our support”, County Manager Paul Taylor has asked that all the Sligo Gaelic clubs sign up and give one night to support the Shine a Light sleep out at the Centre of Excellence.

Business leaders in Sligo that are already committed to supporting the homeless crisis by Sleeping Out are Nicky Broujos and Barbara Gilroy of Jako, Operations Manager Daniel Morris from ABTRAN who along with staff members are swapping their work desks for sleeping bags! Sweet As, Eamonn Cunningham of E.J’s Menswear and Kevin & Fergal Quinn of Lola Montez are among some of the local business who are sleeping out. Local café owner Gary Stafford of Lyons Café and Bake Shop is supporting the event by sponsoring tea/coffee and breakfast rolls to all the participants after the sleep out, while nearby Sligo City Hotel will be supplying

the participants with hot drinks and goodies, while Finbar Filan of Centra, Castle St. will be sending pizza.

The Student Union Executive in St Angela's College will take part on the sleep out on 15th Oct and The Student Union of IT Sligo are equally committed to Shine a Light and will be running their one on Wednesday 16th Oct at IT Sligo, Ash Lane, Ballinode, Sligo.

Project Leader, Sligo Services Mary Jameson: “We rely on the support of organisations like Bord Gáis Energy to make a success of fundraising events like Shine a Light Night and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their generous support.” Events like these are reliant on local support by individuals and business alike. While we are ever grateful for the ongoing support we would encourage people in our community to get involved in the Shine a Light events on Oct 18th.”

For further information contact Monica Mc Elhinney, Fundraising and Marketing Executive for Focus Ireland on 086 4115660 or email monica.mcelhinney@focusireland.ie

To register to participate in Shine A Light Night 2019 visit www.focusireland.ie/shinealight