Irish Red Cross sets up Creeslough community support fund

James Cox

The Irish Red Cross is establishing a dedicated Creeslough community support fund to help provide support to the local community following last Friday’s tragedy.

The explosion at a local service station left 10 people dead.

The launch of the new fund is being supported by An Post and Applegreen - both partners of the local retailer operating from the site of the tragedy. The Irish Red Cross will have a dedicated webpage at www.redcross.ie where members of the public can make donations online, which will go live later on Monday.

The Creeslough community support fund will work to assist those who have been bereaved, injured, made homeless, or left without an income as a result of the tragedy.

The Irish Red Cross, in effort to support the "courageous work already being undertaken by State and local agencies" has also offered its volunteers in the Creeslough area to provide assistance as needed

The charity will work with the local community in Creeslough to ensure that monies collected for the new fund will be used effectively to help support those affected in the weeks and months ahead.

An Post will accept donations for the Creeslough Community Support Fund at all of its 920 Post Offices nationwide. Donations can be made by cash or debit card and there will be no fee payable for making donations.

Applegreen, which has almost 200 locations in Ireland, will be promoting online donations to the Creeslough community support fund at all of its outlets and has also made an initial donation of €50,000 to the fund.

Irish Red Cross Head of Fundraising Charlie Lamson said: “The entire country has been shocked and saddened by events in Creeslough, and people want to show their solidarity with the community there at this hugely difficult time. The Creeslough Community Support Fund will enable the channelling of funds to the local community to provide practical help and support”

An Post Head of Communications, Anna McHugh said: “People across the country want to show their support for the people of Creeslough. An Post is helping to make it easy for everyone to support the provision of practical services by way of secure, direct donation to this Irish Red Cross Community Support Fund at any post office nationwide."

Applegreen Founder and chief executive Joe Barrett said: “We are deeply saddened by the Creeslough tragedy and the devastation this has caused for our local partner and their community. Applegreen has been inundated with offers of support from customers, suppliers, fellow retailers, and people throughout Ireland and beyond. We are very grateful to all those who have reached out in solidarity. We will be working with the Irish Red Cross to facilitate donations to the Creeslough Community Support Fund through our entire store network. All of Ireland has been touched by what has happened in Creeslough and I think people want to help in any way that they can. We’ll also continue to support our local partners in Creeslough over the coming days and months.”