Cork Counselling Services receives donation towards purchase of second premises

Cork Counselling Services has received a donation of €41,000 to purchase a second property, as an Irish insurance brokerage awards €230,000 to six Irish charities.

Donations were made by Brown & Brown (Ireland), formerly O’Leary Insurances, to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Cork Counselling Services, Pieta House, Jigsaw, Barnardos, and Family Carers Ireland.

The funding was raised at a local level across the company’s six Irish offices in Cork, Dublin, Galway, and Waterford, while the majority came from the Shifting Gears on Brain Health initiative, co-founded by Brown & Brown Inc president and CEO Powell Brown.

These funds will support a diverse range of projects, with €41,000 going towards a second property for Cork Counselling Services, while the Alzheimer Society of Ireland was awarded €83,000 to develop the dementia-inclusive generation programme, an e-learning initiative for schools and students.

Pieta House received €10,000 to support operational costs and sustain suicide prevention services; Jigsaw received €46,000 to fund Jigsaw Connect, an AI-supported referral system for young people seeking mental health support; Barnardos received €43,000 to hire bereavement counsellors, and Family Carers Ireland got €7,000 to fund a resilience support programme for young carers facing challenges.

Cork Counselling Services operations manager Betty Quinlan described the grant as “a transformative investment in the future of Cork Counselling Services” and thanked Brown & Brown (Ireland).

“Securing and renovating a second premises at 1 Salmon Weir, Hanover Street, will allow us to continue providing accessible, high-quality counselling and psychotherapy to those in need,” said Ms Quinlan.

Brown & Brown (Ireland) CEO Diarmuid Nolan said the company’s 200 Irish teammates “are committed to the communities we serve”.

He said: “These donations reflect extensive efforts to support those facing mental health challenges. The leadership team at Brown & Brown cares passionately about making a difference.”