Cork Penny Dinners recovery group go the extra Inch for mental health fundraiser

Volunteers pitched their tents on the strand and endured a night of heavy rain to raise funds for Cork suicide and mental health awareness group Shine a Light

Members of the Cork Penny Dinners recovery group, recovering addicts, braving the cold seas at Inch beach, in a fundraiser for  Cork suicide and mental health awareness group Shine a Light. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Some 30 volunteers slept out on a damp Inch Beach on Friday night, greeting the cold Saturday sunrise with a bracing seaside dip to raise funds for Cork suicide and mental health awareness group Shine a Light.

Members of the Cork Penny Dinners recovery group, recovering addicts who meet three times a week at the Cork charity’s Little Hanover Street premises, pitched their tents on the strand and endured a night of heavy rain to help a local group whose work is dear to their hearts.

Tommy Long, who began the Penny Dinners recovery group almost three years ago, said that despite the inclement weather, the group held their Friday night recovery meeting on the beach, and — because it was outdoors — it was the only recovery meeting in Cork to allow the smoking of roll-up cigarettes.

“We got soaked, but we had a fantastic night, in spite of the weather, with some great craic and banter, and it’s the sort of thing that I think will be the making of some of the lads,” Mr Long said. 

Alan Stanton, a member of the recovery group, said it was a great honour to help raise funds for the Shine a Light group.

“Suicide and mental health issues are things which touch us all, and the work Shine a Light does is just fantastic," Mr Stanton said. 

We decided we wanted to do something for Shine A Light, and as a recovery group, we love our swims, so we decided to combine the two. 

Joe Buckley, who is one of the directors of Shine a Light suicide and mental health awareness group thanked the recovery group members for their generosity.

“They’re a great bunch of lads. Our group is in existence for 11 years, and we’ve helped a lot of people in that time," Mr Buckley said. "We depend on the public for support, so we’re very grateful to the lads.” 

Tommy Long, who began the Penny Dinners recovery group almost three years ago, at the beach in Inch.

Tommy Long said so far they had raised roughly €650, and thanked Penny Dinners co-ordinator Caitriona Twomey.

“We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without Caitriona. She’s helping so many people,” he said.

 Caitriona Twomey said the recovery group has come a long way in a short time, and that there is always room for more to join.

“We are proud beyond words of all of the lads in the recovery group, and so grateful for the way they give back. The way they’ve all grown together, and the work they do, is truly inspiring,” Ms Twomey said.

“The lads in the recovery group would do anything to help anyone, and it’s an honour to know people as thoroughly decent as they are.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the Shine a Light fundraiser may do so at Penny Dinners on Little Hanover Street.