Charity to create Silver Mile

A CHARITY working with victims of sexual violence hopes to create a silver lining around one of Dublin’s most famous landmarks.

The One in Four organisation hopes to collect enough €2 coins to lay a mile-long trail of silver around the perimeter of the capital’s St Stephen’s Green.

The ‘Silver Mile’ event has the support of the cast of RTÉ’s Fair City and of Minister of State at the Office of Public Works, Tom Parlon.

They are all appealing for public support for the event, which takes place on Saturday, September 10.

One in Four’s director, Colm O’Gorman, said it’s hard to come up with new fundraising ideas but they hope this will work.

“This unique event takes the idea of a standard charity street collection and develops it into a more involved, interactive concept.

“It sets a challenge to the public to help ‘complete’ a silver mile; this is achieved by laying €2 coins, side-by-side, to cover a distance of one mile around the perimeter of St Stephen’s Green,” he said.

One in Four is the national charity that supports women and men who have experienced sexual abuse and/or sexual violence.

The charity, which delivers some 5,000 psychotherapy sessions and supports 500 women and men through its advocacy programme annually, must raise €200,000 to guarantee the future of the service.

Mr O’Gorman added: “Since the service was launched in February 2003, One in Four has been inundated with calls seeking assistance and support.

“The charity has received State funding annually, but this funding is simply not sufficient to resource the organisation and allow us to maintain our services.

“One in Four has had to operate a waiting list for its services since the foundation of the charity.

“Without additional resources, we cannot develop to meet the needs of those currently seeking to access the service or even to be able to maintain existing levels of service. We urgently need public support,” said O’Gorman.

The public can support the event by donating via www.oneinfour.org or by texting ‘oneinfour’ to 57786, texts cost €2 each.

Or members of the public can make a donation to One in Four street collectors on Grafton Street on the day.