Twin Towns volunteers awarded after raising over €1.1 million for Concern

A Ballybofey and Stranorlar based fundraising group who collected over €1.1 million for Concern Worldwide over the last 41 years have been awarded by the aid organisation for their continued support.

The Twin Towns Concern Action Group was given a Special Recognition Award at this year’s Concern Volunteer Awards in Dublin for their charitable efforts.

The fundraising group was set up in 1985 by a group of friends who wanted to support local aid worker and public health nurse Beth Jackson who was working for Concern in Yemen during a major humanitarian crisis.

“It was only meant to be for the six months that Beth was away, but the group continued and is still going today,” said Ita Ward, who is also a founding member of the group who continues to fundraise with Beth and others.

They have four main fundraising activities each year, which include Church gate collections, Christmas carols and a Monster Christmas Bizarre in Jackson’s Hotel in Ballybofey which is when hundreds of people attend an event that has lots of prizes.

Several members have undertaken self-funded field trips to some of the countries where Concern works like Bangladesh and Ethiopia.

Ita Ward, a retired public health nurse, also worked for Concern for two years from 1985 in Ethiopia.

“It was a beautiful country with incredible people but going through a very difficult situation at that time,” said Ita, who said many people who donate to them like to hear about the work Concern does around the world and the improvements that have been made.

“We are absolutely delighted to get the volunteer award, but it really is on behalf of the local community who support us.

“We are very grateful for all the support we get. The needs are still there in many parts of the world.”

Concern praised the Twin Towns group and people of Donegal for their “extraordinary commitment, generosity and four decades of unwavering support.” 

This was the second time the group received an award from Concern after they were honoured in 2018 for their “outstanding commitment.” 

“We are grateful to all our volunteers and supporters who help us reach millions of people living in extreme poverty and hunger every year,” said Concern’s Community Fundraising Manager Joanne Arnold.

“Concern’s work continues despite many challenges. The families we support in places like Sudan and Gaza cannot be reached without the support we get from our volunteers.

“They include the adjudicators who help us run Concern Debates which has been hugely successful in getting students thinking and talking about the many issues the world faces.” 

Concern’s Volunteer Awards began in 2013 to celebrate the vital contribution made by the organisation’s volunteers in Ireland.

Many raise funds that enable Concern to continue to alleviate poverty and hunger, which last year alone saw 27.3 million people reached in 27 countries.   

Concern was formed in 1968 in response to the Biafran famine in Nigeria.

READ NEXT: €300,000 funding for Donegal under Local Enhancement Programme

More information about Concern’s work and how to support the organisation can be found at concern.net. 

.