Weather forces postponement of local nursing student's 5k walk/run in Dunfanaghy

A fundraising 5k walk/run to assist a local nursing student part of a group travelling to Uganda to provide support work for local children planned for Saturday in Dunfanaghy has been postponed.

Third-year student Niamh Corcoran, who is from Kill, Dunfanaghy, and friends from the Intellectual Disability and General Nursing Students St Angela’s campus in Sligo of ATU are making the trip in July for two weeks.

As part of the fundraising drive, she had planned a 5k walk/run from St Michael's GAA pitch, but with Storm Kathleen expected in Donegal over the weekend, the decision has been made to defer the event.

"Unfortunately we have had to postpone the 5k on Saturday, with the weather warnings currently in place and with the possibility of change to further warnings," Niamh said. "Thanks to everyone who has kindly donated so far and to the people who have offered to help on the day! We will get another date organised as soon as possible and let you all know!"

The former PCC Falcarragh student will travel with Clare native Éabha Heffron, Joanne Cullen from Sligo, Tara Kelly of Roscommon and Galway’s Chloe McCormack on the trip. They will be joined by St Angela’s College staff Michelle McCabe, who is a lecturer in Home Economics, Sean Kelly from Marketing, Communications and Student Recruitment and Evelyn McManus, a lecturer and researcher within the Department of Nursing, Health Sciences and Disability Studies.

The group are planning to work with NGO Bright Kids Uganda (BKU), who work tirelessly to care for neglected and abandoned children in the Entebbe region.

They will also be working at Noah's Ark School for Children with Disabilities, a safe haven for kids who have been forgotten by society, simply because they're born different. Work will also involve community engagement through vision assessment and health clinics. A group from St Angela’s made the trip last year, although this will be Niamh’s first.

“We will be running hygiene workshops and aiming to provide bedding and medicines,” she tells DonegalLive. “We also hope to gain enough to pay a year’s wages for some of the staff. We’re fundraising at the minute and every single cent will go towards the charity, we aren’t taking out travelling expenses or anything like that. We’re also collecting used spectacles in Sligo, with the help of Specsavers and other opticians, to give to people in Africa.

“It’s very exciting and a wonderful opportunity. I focus on Intellectual Disability and this is a chance to see it in a different light.”

You can donate to the St Angela's GoFundMe by clicking here

“Please consider donating to our efforts on the ground in Uganda, where we can get much-needed supplies for the BKU orphanage and school, Noah's Ark and the community clinics,” Éabha posted on the group’s GoFundMe titled ATU St Angelas Uganda Aid. All donations will go directly to the source. “I would like to thank everyone who donated for July 2023. Your generosity has changed so many lives in Uganda and we hope to continue the change.”