In Pictures: Kindness and compassion at heart of Donegal’s giving culture

Giving comes in many shapes and forms, from gentle words of encouragement or compassion, to ambitious projects that make a big difference in people’s lives. And everyone has something to give - it doesn’t need to cost money or be overly demanding, it is simply about recognising the act of giving and how it all contributes to a better society. That was the message at the launch of Donegal Giving in An Grianan Theatre, which saw hundreds of people gather from every corner of Donegal on Thursday, November 6. Click on the arrows to see a fantastic gallery of photos by Stevie Toye of Logopix

This unique Donegal Giving project is the brainchild of leading Donegal marketing consultant and author, Evelyn McGlynn in collaboration with The Civic Labs for Young People (CLYP) at ATU, and key county-wide stakeholders.

Evelyn told those gathered - people of all ages  from Transition Year students to more mature participants - that they were all part of harnessing and developing the culture of giving in Donegal. 

“Remember, giving isn’t just about money or time, it’s the little things, maybe buying coffee for someone, sharing encouragement or wisdom, supporting a cause, a friend or a stranger,” she said. 

“Giving is everything we do to lift another person and in doing so, we lift ourselves. We know you are already doing it but now we want to give it the profile it deserves, to shine a big torch on it.”

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Evelyn said she has been asked a lot where she sees the initiative going.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I just know that I really, really believe in it and I am really passionate about it.

“Donegal Giving belongs to us all. There is no ego, nobody owns it. It is ours, the group that turned up today, the messages of support, the businesses and people saying ‘what can we do?’

“I believe that in years to come it will grow into something even more powerful and beautiful, something that shows the world what Donegal is made of.”

Evelyn’s promise of inspirational speakers and panellists was certainly well founded, with stories shared from the business and not-for-profit sectors.

The overriding message was one of how human connection and compassion are key to creating positive environments in which to work, study, and live. 

Hosted by MC Karen Murphy, keynote speakers were esteemed business consultant Caroline Faulkner, and Sylvester Clancy, Executive Director at FinTrU. Both spoke about the importance of mentorship. They shared how taking time to talk to people - particularly new recruits - about their work, could greatly enhance their career development and their contribution to the company or organisation. 

Youth worker Una Quinn introduced CLYP at the launch of Donegal Giving. She spoke of how young people can thrive given the opportunity, and how they value being listened to by adults. 

Lightning speakers were Tom Losey from Liquid Therapy, Heather Cassidy from  the Alzheimer Society in Donegal, and Ian Fallon, General Manager of Bumbulance. 

Panellists Eamonn Bonner, Nicola Baldrick, Seamus Devine and Christen Grant spoke about the importance of giving, and how ‘to have a good village, you have to be a good villager.’ In other words, small acts of giving can make a big difference to wider society in a way that benefits everyone.

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Eamonn in his role with the Donegal Volunteer Centre shared that there are challenges to volunteering, particularly with the time demands of modern life, as well as issues such as inadequate public transport and language barriers. But he said that if anyone felt they would like to get involved in volunteering, there were many opportunities to give one’s time, energy and experience in smaller ways. 

Dr Isobel Cunningham of ATU shared her expertise in discussion with Evelyn, who said it was Isobel who first introduced the concept of an eco-system. Evelyn described the Donegal Giving launch as a perfect example of such an eco-system and its benefits. 

The team behind the website, Crintus & Co, shared how warmly they had been welcomed to Donegal, and how this influenced their decision to stay. They were happy to give freely of their time and expertise in creating and maintaining the Donegal Giving website, and they encouraged people to continue to share their stories on the platform. 

Guests and participants were treated to delicious refreshments and lunch by Yes Chef catering, and everyone in attendance was presented with a gift in the spirit of giving. 

Evelyn thanked everyone involved in helping to bring her vision to a reality, and she also thanked those involved with the event, from speakers to the technical team and everyone who helped shine a light on Donegal Giving. 

See donegalgiving.com for more information and a selection of stories about the power of giving.