Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice together with Bewley’s 2019

It’s that time of year already as we are just days away from Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice together with Bewley’s! Looking back at what we achieved as a nation in 2018 is just astounding with over €1.8million raised across the country in local communities in support of local hospices. To say that we are blown away by the outpouring of good will is an understatement.

Suffice to say the funds raised in 2018 contributed significantly to the development of hospice services across Ireland, with hospice builds taking place in Wicklow, Mayo and a new unit due to open in Roscommon in 2020. We could not do this without fundraising and the incredible support of the people of Ireland. You can read a little more about these developments here and here.

Domhnall Gleeson chats with Norah Fagan, patient at St. Francis Hospice, Raheny

This year we had an incredible array of Ambassadors with Maia Dunphy, Domhnall Gleeson, Hozier, Marian Finucane, Ian Dempsey and Clelia Murphy to name but a few who dedicated their time and energy to get involved in the campaign, even An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has made time in a Brexit busy diary to show his support.

Maia Dunphy together with Palliative care nurses at Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross

Lastly, we simply must acknowledge the incredible 27 years sponsorship and support of Bewley’s who have helped us to grow the campaign each year and their dedication to hospice and local communities in Ireland is second to none.

Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning is full steam ahead, to those of you who are new to us, and those who have signed up to host yet again, we’re delighted to have your support which will go a long way to help patients and families at a most difficult time in their lives. We hope you have a wonderful coffee morning together with your friends, family and colleagues. Your support is going a long way!

Wicklow Hospice Development

In 2009 a committee was formed to fundraise for a Hospice building for Co Wicklow. Hard times were ahead with a recession, a change of Government plans and a battle to secure a site.

The Columban Sisters donated the land to the Wicklow Hospice at the very peaceful site Magheramore and a wonderful donor donated an incredible €1million and the fundraising began in earnest.

Bird’s Eye view of the Wicklow Hospice site development due to open in late 2019

After 10 years of fundraising the Wicklow Hospice will open the doors by the end of 2019. A dream to become a reality for the people of Co. Wicklow.

The people of County Wicklow and beyond have fundraised tirelessly for this facility, they never gave up hope and constantly found new ways to keep the momentum going even when all they could see was a field.

The Wicklow Hospice will have 15 beds, with day care, respite care and a palliative care team to cater for patients who wish to stay in their home.

The bedrooms at Wicklow Hospice all face towards the Sea

Campaigns such as Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice together with Bewley’s contribute significantly towards the development of these services and we could not do this work without the public’s incredible support.

Mayo and Roscommon Hospice developments

Mayo Roscommon Hospice

This year has been a historic one for Mayo Roscommon Hospice with the hospice building in Mayo completed and due to open late 2019.  The 14-bed inpatient facility, with full day care services cost in the region of €8.5 million euro to construct, with 100% of the funding derived from fund-raised income.

Mayo Hospice Unit which is due to open late 2019

Initially a loan was secured for the construction of the unit, but was not drawn down as it was possible to build using funds raised through campaign’s such as Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for Hospice together with Bewley’s, which is an incredible support to Mayo Roscommon Hospice each and every year.

Planning permission has been granted for Roscommon Hospice and we plan to commence the build in January 2020.  The Roscommon Hospice will be an 8-bed inpatient unit, with full day care facilities. It is hoped the Roscommon Unit will be constructed within a 12-month period.

The Mayo unit will be available to patients from the Roscommon area until the unit there is up and running. Both Hospices are being built at a cost of €15m entirely from fund-raised income.