Muff tractor run raises over €2000 for Friends of Inishowen Hospice

A charity tractor run organised by a host of community organisations in Muff has raised more than €2,500 for Friend’s of Inishowen Hospice.

The first charity tractor was organised in 2021 and stemmed from the desires of enthusiastic vintage tractor owners to get back to organising events after the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions and to assist local charitable causes to recover financially from the disruption and get back on track post-covid.

A number of local charitable causes are considered prior to the event. The decision to support Friends of Inishowen Hospice is a recognition of the valuable care and support the organisation provides to cancer suffers and their families in Inishowen, the need for ongoing funds to sustain the service, the availability of charity brand and the assistance of volunteers in promoting and ensuring the success of the event. Friends of Inishowen Hospice received  €2,522.50 in donations from this year’s charity tractor run. The event was run on Saturday, September 7, with the cheque being handed over on Friday, September 13.

The initiative was organised by Muff Vintage Club, The Cabin at the Park, facilitated and promoted by Muff Community Development Co-op (MCD) and made successful by volunteer tractor owners/drivers and cash collectors who set up and serviced collection points along the route. The model has remained the same with volunteer input from the promoters, volunteers and the beneficiary organisations.

Other charities in the past have benefited from this new event. MCD was the initial beneficiary. The 2021 event raised €2,173, towards the cost of installing a wheelchair accessible swing in the playground at Muff Community Park. In 2022, the proceeds were shared between Hughie’s Corner Child and Adolescence Therapeutic Centre and Muff Community Development Co-op, with both receiving €1,143. In 2023 Childhood Cancer Ireland-Advocacy- Awareness-Support Received the entire proceeds, amounting to €1,811.

Friends of Inishowen Hospice was established 24 years ago. They have begun doing community care and care for palliative patients. This allows patients to receive care in their own houses. 

They also provide help for families who may have to travel to Dublin or Galway as their loved ones receive treatment. 

The group has also got their own premises in the last few years. They are based out of the pastoral centre in Carndonagh. Some of the services provided there are counselling for bereaved family members and for people with cancer. Reflexology and massage treatments are also available. There is a drop in centre which is nurse led every Wednesday morning. The nurse will point the people in the direction of where they need to be.

They receive all their money through the generous donations from the people of Inishowen. They were absolutely thrilled to be the chosen charity from the Muff tractor run. They’d like to thank the whole committee for the amount they raised

People can contact the service through the public health nurse, their GP or their palliative care nurse. Friends of Inishowen hospice have a Facebook page. The contact number is 087 605 6694 or via email on friendsofinishowenhospice@gmail.com

The tractor Run is included in the MCD calendar of events for the year. It is also promoted at The Muff Vintage Show in May each year and through other charitable tractor run organisers and events. A number of event meetings take place from mid-July until the chosen date, at which plans are progressed, decisions re-viewed and adjustments made. The event is successfully staged through collaboration between enthusiastic and generous tractor owners/drivers, volunteer collectors and facilitators and charitable members of the public who donate.