Lighthouse Charity summer lunch raises over €120,000

The Lighthouse Charity in Ireland recently celebrated its third annual fundraising event and raised over €120,000 at its Summer Lunch, held at the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin. The event was a sell-out, with over 500 guests arriving at the iconic venue for a day of networking, entertainment and fundraising.

For the third year running Master of Ceremonies was broadcaster Ivan Yates, who expertly hosted an exciting and engaging afternoon. Charity CEO Sarah Bolton delivered a speech welcoming and thanking the guests for their ongoing support and also thanking the committee members for their time and dedication to the charity.

Representatives from the Northern Ireland committee, retired members of the Ireland Committee and recently formed Lighthouse Beacons, Celbridge Boys Club and Blueballs Ireland were also in attendance.

After a warm welcome, guests enjoyed drinks and a four course gourmet meal prepared by the Mansion House’s award-winning chefs. The room was then filled with emotion, empathy and respect as Bernard Brogan, Dublin GAA legend and Oisin McConville, Gaelic Football Manager hosted a ‘fireside chat’ with two very special guests, who shared their very personal and poignant journeys of support from the charity.

This was followed by a panel discussion of esteemed stars and representatives from the Irish sporting arena including Carole Anne Clarke, former captain of the ladies Irish rugby team and mental health advocate. Eric Donovan, former European boxing champion, Sarah Ennis, equestrian eventer and Olympian, Hamish Adams, CEO of Athletics Ireland, Michael McKillop, 800m Paralympian runner and 400m running champion and gold medal holder Sharlene Mawdsley.

Sharlene had just returned from the European Athletics Championships in Rome and received a standing ovation from the audience as they watched her gold medal winning performance in the mixed 4 x 400 metre relay race. She proudly displayed her gold and silver medals as she spoke about her achievements and the importance of pulling together.

In a frank and open discussion, the sporting panel talked about their own challenges and experiences, again highlighting the importance of reaching out for support and maintaining a positive mental health culture.
A charity auction was very generously supported with 14 auction prizes donated from various construction companies in Ireland. The premium quality lots included vouchers for luxury holidays, top golf experiences, hurling and football fixtures, exclusive concert tickets and sporting memorabilia, to name but a few.

Derek Murphy, Chair of the Ireland Committee said: “It was fantastic to see so many of our construction colleagues, sponsors and supporters join together once again. This event celebrates the incredible work we do to support those in need within the construction industry and our initiatives offer hope and assistance, only made possible by the generosity of our loyal supporters. The lunch was a sell-out which demonstrates the passion and loyalty of our supporters. As well as the opportunity to meet and network with construction peers, this event also showcases our charity’s work and the difference we are making to our construction colleagues in need. As Chair of the committee, I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved. From the committee members who work so hard to make the event a success, our VIP guests who helped share the message of support, our sponsors and of course everyone that booked tables and contributed so generously on the day. Thank you so much and we look forward to seeing you at next year’s event”.
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is the only charity that provides emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to the construction community and their families, offering a wide range of free and widely available pro-active resources.

The charity offers a free and confidential 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline, live online chat service and text HARDHAT service which provides a range of information, guidance and support on a huge variety of wellbeing issues. These services are complemented by their free Self Support App which offers another route to support, along with their Lighthouse Beacons who provide a safe space for people to share concerns.
Their Wellbeing Academy offers a variety of free soft skills and leadership training delivered across a variety of platforms to suit every learning style from self paced e-learning, tutor led online training and bespoke onsite training.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, reach out for free and confidential support at
24/7 Construction Industry helplines – 1800 939 122 (ROI)

Live chat lighthouseclub.org

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Michael McDonnell Managing Editor of Irish Construction Industry Magazine & Plan Magazine

Email: michael@irishconstruction.com      WWW.MCDMEDIA.IE