Cork company donates 50% of online sales in December to Simon Communities 

CORK Gaeltacht jam company Folláin has presented a cheque for €18,000 to the homeless charity Simon. 

It had pledged to donate 50% of its online sales for the month before Christmas.

The Baile Mhúirne food company made the gesture to mark 40 years since its foundation, in 1983.

The company’s co-directors, siblings Mícheál and Mairéad Ní Lionáird, presented the cheque to Wayne Stanley, executive director of the Simon Communities.

“Obviously we understand that this contribution is a drop in the ocean when it comes to ensuring Simon are in a position to continue their work, so we are hoping to continue the conversation and partnership with the organisation going forward and, in the meantime, we encourage you to find out a little more about the Simon Communities of Ireland,” said Mícheál and Mairéad in a statement.

“Thanks to your support, we were able to raise a total of €18,000 for this worthwhile charity; we are absolutely delighted with the final amount we are able to donate to the Simon communities of Ireland, and we feel it demonstrates the place Simon occupies in the hearts of our customers and the wider public, especially at a time when so many people are facing personal financial challenges.”

Mr Stanley told The Echo that a number of organisations helped to fund the charity and described the Cork company as a ‘particularly good partner’.

“This is the second year they’ve done this, providing 50% of the sales for December, and it’s raising increasing amounts, €18,000 this year, and what we do with that is that it gets distributed to the Simon communities across Ireland to go to support frontline services.”