"People are very aware of the homelessness crisis in Cork, they want to help"
Festive fundraisers such as the White Bay Christmas Day Swim have helped raise over €300,000 in aid of Cork Simon.
There are few times of year where we hold tradition dearer than we do at Christmas.
Whether it's following time-honoured rules as to who carves the turkey, or exactly how many presents are allowed be opened early on Christmas Eve, for many of us it's not truly Christmas until all our favourite hallmarks of the day are done just right.
While these Christmas traditions can be passed down from generation to generation, or started anew, or can range from goofy ones to the incredibly poignant, the one thing that any and all traditions have in common is that they mean something special to us.
Few Christmas traditions, however, are more meaningful than those of Cork Simon Community.
Each year, the charity’s wide network of donors and supporters rally together to drum up not just festive spirit, but also much needed funds to help the hundreds of men and women across Cork and Kerry who are at risk of, or are experiencing, homelessness.
Almost 60% of Cork Simon’s total annual income is generated in the weeks leading up to Christmas, where local festive good will combines with the charity’s most popular campaigns (such as Cork Simon Christmas Jumper Day) to great success.
Here, some of the incredible people who dedicate their Christmas each year to supporting Cork Simon and looking out for those who need it most share their stories.
For the past 14 years, Louise McCarthy has spent her Christmas Eve on Cork’s Patrick Street, at the heart of the action as people dash to do last minute gift shopping or grocery grabbing. While the weather over that time has often proved unpredictable, the one thing she’s always been sure of is that she’ll have excellent company!
Made up of a team of about 25 people each year, Louise’s Rhythm and Reeds jazz ensemble have become a stalwart of what makes the city centre so festive and magical on Christmas Eve. “We absolutely love it! The atmosphere on Patrick Street is always fantastic and there’s just great festive spirit around the place every December 24th,” Louise shares. “Rhythm and Reeds is part of the Cork ETB School of Music, so it's comprised of a group of teenagers between 14 and 18 years of age and all my students would tell you, the busking on Christmas Eve is something we all really look forward to every year! Past pupils have even text me asking can they come back to join us for the day and whenever we have new students join, it’s always one of the first things they mention — they're mad eager to go busking, they love the element of playing to a decent crowd out on the street.
“It's not just the students either, their parents and my ETB colleagues are great at helping out. I suppose it’s because it's for a cause that people are really eager to support, people recognise that Cork Simon is such a great charity and that homelessness sadly can happen to anyone. We actually first started busking for Cork Simon because I had a friend who became homeless and they were helped so much by the Cork Simon Services, so I wanted to keep supporting them. It’s great to know that the money we’re raising can help people in the same boat get back on their feet.”
As well as doing invaluable work to rehabilitate those experiencing homelessness, Cork Simon also go above and beyond to help their donors. Louise recalls one particular incident where the charity came to the rescue. “I know it’s Sing for Simon, but we’re actually instrumentalists rather than singers in Rhythm and Reeds. We’re a jazz ensemble who play flutes clarinets and saxophones — which can be tricky when busking out in cold or wet weather with our instruments! Last year it was absolutely lashing rain and we were worried whether we could even go ahead, but Cork Simon were so helpful and facilitated us to go indoors to the Cornmarket Centre over by TK Maxx.
“They’re always so easy to deal with, they have no problem sending a speaker out to our students to explain what Cork Simon is and the work they do, and I regularly get emails and newsletter updates. They're great at keeping us in the loop and are extremely transparent. I suppose that's why I've been doing the busking for 14 years and still counting, because I know the funds our group raises are going directly to people in need in Cork.”
When Caitlín Ní Lórdáin organised the first White Bay Christmas Swim in aid of Cork Simon back in 1993, she wanted to ‘make a splash’ — and boy did she succeed!
In the 30 years since, the swim has raised over €300,000 for Cork Simon — with Caitlín determined to keep it up until they reach half a million.
“Our Christmas swim, and of course the spirituality element for people of all religions, is definitely the highlight of Christmas Day for all of us,” Caitlín shares. “It’s also one of the highlights of the general sporting calendar in the Glanagow area. It’s a really fun event where we all go down to beautiful White Bay and take it all in. The weather is rarely too bad, I’ve never seen the sea there dangerous, even on a rainy day it’s usually mild and so we all dive in together on Christmas Day and just experience true festive spirit!
“It really is a fantastic event, and I think it’s something a bit different for people. People often say they never had a break from the kitchen on Christmas Day until they started coming down to White Bay. I would always encourage people to give it a go, why not get a group together, bring your Christmas visitors and friends along, have a bit of fun, all while raising much needed funds in aid of Cork’s homeless.
“There’s a great Irish saying, “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine”. It basically means we’re all interdependent and we all dwell in the shadows of one another — I believe what we give to Cork Simon each Christmas Day, the help we give to those in need, we get back. A very strong community and treasured friendships have grown from our annual swim, and an awareness of homelessness too. We have some people who’ve been coming for many years and helping out, but there are always new faces coming along too. In the past year we sadly lost our dear friend Gay Cotter who was a key member of the community and a great organiser of charity events like the Christmas Swim. He is a huge loss, so we’re dedicating this year’s swim to him and his family, which will be a nice way to bring everyone together in his memory.
“Especially now that we’re facing our first swim without Gay, we’re looking for more people to get involved and help us spread the word. We’re still handing out sponsorship cards for the swim but people can also donate online, so if anyone still wants to rope in a few of their friends and bring them down to White Bay, that would be great. The more the merrier!”
“Every year, the White Bay Swim is the work of many hands. This event has gone on for three generations of people and it’s all down to the goodness of people, that’s what’s kept it going all these years. We rely on good hearts and the community spirit, from neighbours, family and friends all across Cork. I’m in my 60s now and there are times when I look at all the work that goes into it and just wonder how we’re going to get there and pull it all together, but it’s just amazing how it works out, how people come together and make it a great success every year.”
This generosity and community spirit is also responsible for the success of Cork Simon’s Women’s Little Christmas Lunch — one of the most highly anticipated social events of the year for many local ladies!
Marjorie Clohessy and Pamela Coniry are inseparable friends who have been organising the event for many years. Before that, they had been long-time attendees of the event — as their mothers were before them!
“It’s such a highlight every year for us both, and for many other families,” Pamela explains. “It’s become the one fixed date every year that my sister and I get together. She travels home to Cork just to go to it, and she gets to catch up with people that she might not have seen in a year! It’s a great event to attend with friends, but it’s a special one to spend with family too.
"It’s becoming a generational thing as well. Marjorie and I started going because our mothers went, now we obviously attend it ourselves and all Marjorie’s daughters are going and her granddaughters are just starting to go, so it’s a lovely tradition that families can pass down through generations.
“I think it’s important that women have a fun day like this that they get to enjoy. It’s something nice to do for themselves, to spend an afternoon in the lovely Marborough Hotel, but it’s also a chance to connect with people close to them that maybe they haven’t had enough time with throughout the year. We’re so busy raising families, especially at this time of year, women are often hosting at Christmas or they’re busy doing the cooking, so this is really when we get to kick back ourselves and catch up with people!”
As well as doing the women of Cork a world of good, the event also goes along way in helping those less fortunate each Christmas.
“Helping the homeless is a cause we see first-hand that people are just so passionate about. Despite the tough times we’re in, with everyone feeling the pinch this year, we really haven’t struggled to sell tickets. They’re in very high demand,” Marjorie shares. “We always get such a positive reaction when we approach people about the event, especially once we explain it’s all in aid of Cork Simon. I think people are very aware of the homelessness crisis in the city and so they're very willing to come forward and spend their money to help, which is great. I must say the local businesses we've contacted to ask for spot prizes and donations for our raffle over the years have also always been very generous. We couldn’t do it without people’s support every year.”
This sense of good will, Marjorie says, adds a very special atmosphere to the Women’s Little Christmas Lunch each year. “There's just a lovely presence in the hotel on the day. I’ve been going to this event for more than 20 years, and I’ve never walked into that room and not felt this amazing energy. It’s all about women enjoying themselves, being kind to each other and lifting each other up, in aid of a fantastic cause.”
“We all need to support each other, especially with everything that’s going on in the world right now,” Pamela agrees. “Christmas is the perfect opportunity for us all to give what we can, and for people to think outside of themselves. Lending a helping hand to somebody in need is what it’s all about really.”
To help those in need yourself this Christmas, and to support Cork Simon, head to www.corksimon.ie.
