VIDEO: St Luke’s seeks support to shore up shortfall needed to operate charity-run home in Cork

A major fundraiser is being planned to make up a shortfall in money needed to operate a charity-run home in Cork, which currently caters for 128 residents and 100 day care patients.

Photo credit: At the launch at the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo offices in Cork of the St Luke’s Home, Cork, annual corporate luncheon were, from left, Tom Crosbie, chairman, Landmark Media; Eamon O’Connell, O’Connell Group, sponsor; Joan Jeffery, deputy director, administration, St Luke’s Home; Deputy Lord Mayor Joe Kavanagh; David O’Driscoll, St Luke’s Home, corporate funding committee, and David O’Brien, CEO, St Luke’s Home. See irishexaminer.com for video. Picture: Denis Minihane

The board of St Luke’s Home in Mahon is appealing to the corporate sector to turn out in force to support its annual fundraising lunch which will be held this year on October 21 at Maryborough House Hotel.

The charity has been looking after elderly people since it was founded in the 1870s, first operating out of a building at Military Hill and in more recent times at a new premises in Mahon.

St Luke’s Home chief executive officer David O’Brien said the annual fundraising lunch is traditionally well-attended, “with loyal Cork support returning every year to contribute” to the appeal.

“Since it started back in 1993, our lunch has raised approximately €350,000, all of which has helped to maintain the excellent services and care available at St Luke’s,” Mr O’Brien said.

“We’re very aware that companies are watching their margins closely and that many good charities are looking for support.

“However, the specialist alzheimer and dementia care services provided at St Luke’s are vital and require charitable donations to sustain them into the future.”

Mr O’Brien said that some of the home’s services, which cost around €8m a year to run, were not funded by the HSE under the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Fair Deal Scheme) and fundraising was vital to keep them going.

Most of the money is spent on the cost of employing staff.

Canon Edward Hunter, a member of the St Luke’s board of management, said that fundraising efforts were vital, but added that the charity had been fortunate in recent years getting “a good few legacies which helped keep it going”.

The charity said it was delighted to announce that guest speaker at this year’s lunch will be Dee Forbes, director general of RTÉ.

She took up her post last July and is the first director general to be externally appointed and is the first woman to hold the position.

The event is being sponsored by the O’Connell Group, Glanmire.

The cost of a table for 10 is €600, while individual seats can be booked for €70.

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