Galway Simon Communityis calling on people from across the West to take part in their Sprint for Simon; 12 Days of Christmas Challenge to help fund their vital Homelessness Prevention and Housing Services, as the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to rise.
Sprint for Simon asks people to take the challenge tosprint, walk or run 1km a day for the 12 days of Christmas, from December 25th, and raise funds for Galway Simon’s frontline services.
The launch comes as latest figures released by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government showan annual increase of 34% in the number of people living in Emergency Accommodation in the West of Ireland during October. At the same time, Galway Simon Community say they have seen a huge surge in the demand for their own services.
Sprint for Simon Ambassador, and Olympic Medalist Furbo's Aifric Keogh chats to Galway Bay FM's campaign about the 'Sprint for Simon' campaign, world records, summer memories in Tokyo, the west Galway Olympic Village, plans for Paris 2024 and more.
Aifric Keogh, Sprint for Simon Ambassador explained her reasoning behind backing the campaign. “When I competed in the Olympics this summer, my entire community was behind me and it was such a proud moment for me.
"This Christmas I want to give back to my community by getting involved in Galway Simon’s Sprint for Simon challenge which will help to support the increasing number of people who are facing homelessness across the West,”Aifric said.
“Christmas is usually a time for giving and enjoying time with loved ones, but for those who are without a home, I can only imagine how challenging Christmas must be.We all know people who have struggled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been putting further pressure on people. That is why I’m encouraging others to join the Sprint for Simon, so that together we can help people who aren’t so fortunate this year,”Aifric added.
So far this year, Galway Simon Community has supported 746 households, including 868 adults and 527 children – an increase of 29% compared to the same period last year. The charity expressed concerns about the rising number of people becoming homeless.
“The fall out from the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact peopleacross our community. Not only are we seeing significant increases in the number of people turning to Galway Simon for help, we’re also seeing the number of people living in Emergency Accommodation across the West rising which is hugely concerning, especially in the lead up to Christmas. At the same time, our fundraising has taken a further hit this year with moreevents cancelled due to the pandemic, so the funds raised from the Sprint for Simon are crucially important,” said Karen Golden, CEO of Galway Simon Community.
