Student-run Cork charity raising funds for African hospitals for almost 50 years

A Cork charity has been providing hospitals and communities across Africa with vital medical supplies, support and financial aid for almost 50 years.

Founded in 1977, Surgeon Noonan is a fully registered charity run voluntarily by fourth year medical students from University College Cork (UCC).

The charity was founded to commemorate Tim Noonan, a UCC Medical School graduate who worked for much of his surgical career across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Each year, the charity’s goal is to raise more than €150,000, all of which goes directly towards underfunded rural hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Surgeon Noonan chairperson, Aisling Gouldson, spoke to The Echo about the impact the charity has had, and how Mr Noonan’s legacy has inspired generations of medical students.

“Since its founding in 1977, the Surgeon Noonan Society has significantly impacted healthcare in underprivileged hospitals across Sub-Saharan Africa,” she explained.

The charity has supported hospitals in Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya, among others.

“Every year, fourth year medical students take on the mammoth task of aiming to raise over €150,000, funds which go to more than 10 hospitals across these countries.

“We are proud to be one of the only Irish registered charities who donate 100% of their collected funds to their respective beneficiaries,” said Ms Gouldson.

“We have a strong accountability policy, which involves monitoring what our beneficiary hospitals intend to spend the donated funds on, as well as stringent follow-up processes on where this capital is invested.

“Every year, we also try to collect medical supplies to distribute to the hospitals we visit. These hospitals are desperately lacking in basic analgesics, antibiotics, vitamins, sterile medical equipment, and more,” she added.

The society raised €186,000 for projects in 2024, and saw its work have a lasting impact on healthcare projects and programmes across several countries.

In St Luke’s Hospital in Zambia, a devastating cholera outbreak during the year left the hospital with insufficient water to treat patients, as well as with no supply for staff housing and facilities that were in dire need of repair.

Thanks to support from Surgeon Noonan, the hospital was able to restore the water and plumbing system and refurbish the roof of the physiotherapy department.

Bugisi in Tanzania, through the support of Surgeon Noonan, managed to roll out comprehensive, free antenatal care, making it accessible to more than 200 women in just two months.

In St Joseph’s in Zambia, two wards were renovated with help from Surgeon Noonan, including a ward for malnourished children.

“The society’s foundation was inspired by the legacy of Tim Noonan, a UCC medical graduate who dedicated years of his life to volunteering in hospitals in Nigeria and the Congo,” Ms Gouldson explained further.

“This legacy continues to inspire students, including myself, who are drawn to the opportunity to make a tangible difference in underserved communities.

“This year, the group has engaged in a range of fund- raising activities, including running marathons, hosting flag days, organising a New York holiday raffle, and producing promotional materials to raise awareness and funds.

“Collectively, we have raised €116,000 to date.”

Later this year, 29 students from Surgeon Noonan, referred to as ‘Noonanites’, will travel to Africa. They have been working tirelessly to raise funds and prepare for their journey.

From September to December, the organisation held flag days across Cork city and county, including in the city centre, Wilton, Douglas, Bantry and Charleville. 

They even ventured as far as the Listowel Races and to Kilkenny and Wexford before finishing off the initiative in Dingle for New Year’s.

In October, Surgeon Noonan teamed up with the UCC Fashion Society to host the ‘Bring a Dress, Buy a Dress’ initiative.

To promote circular fashion, dresses were donated from the wider UCC student body and were available for try on and purchase in the student union common room.

The event proved to be an enormous success, raising more than €400.

The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival in October, 2024, saw Surgeon Noonan break its own record by collecting more than €47,000. Organisers said they were blown away by people’s generosity at the event.

In a separate fundraiser, the society’s accountability officer Eoghan Heaney completed the Gap of Dunloe Marathon, raising more than €5,000 in the process.

With €116,000 raised so far, the society is busy preparing to raise more funds in the coming weeks and months to ensure it meets the target of €150,000.

Last weekend, Surgeon Noonan hosted its annual charity ball at the Rochestown Park Hotel. The organisation will next host a charity concert in the Aula Maxima at UCC on Thursday, February 13.

The 29 students travelling to Africa this year will visit Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya, where they will complete a four–week elective placement as part of their core structure for fourth year medicine.

This is a completely self-funded trip, ensuring that every cent raised goes directly to supporting the hospitals and communities in need.