New campaign will aid elderly Irish
in Britain
 By Niamh
Hennessy
A MAJOR campaign to help the thousands of elderly and vulnerable Irish
people living in Britain has just been launched.
It will be run by the London-based Ireland Fund of Great Britain (IFGB)
who hope the money raised will provide some much-needed funds for the
thousands of Irish people in need across Britain.
A spokesperson from the IFGB said: “In the decades following World
War II hundreds of thousands of Irish men and women migrated to Britain.
They worked as casual labourers on the building sites and built motorways
and the London Underground.
She added: “These Irish workers not only re-built Britain but sent
remittances and savings back home which kept Ireland afloat in one of
the most darkest and most poverty-stricken periods of its history.”
The IFGB is now responding to the plight of these Irish workers with their
campaign The Forgotten Irish.
They have formed a task force of beneficiaries and grassroots charities
that support the elderly and vulnerable.
These charities, many of which have previously received funding from IFGB,
will work with them again to identify the needs of the many forgotten
Irish people.
The spokesperson said: “As these people approach their final and
most vulnerable years we need to significantly boost our support for the
elderly Irish people who remain in Britain and for those who wish to return
to Ireland.”
The campaign is expected to run over the next few years and if it is successful
it will help develop a growing network of volunteers across Britain.
The spokesperson said: “Cash gifts and pledges are tax effective
as the IFGB is a registered charity.”
The IFGB was founded in 1989 and is a charity dedicated to raising financial
support for charitable projects in Britain and Ireland.
It is the largest network of people of Irish ancestry and friends in Britain.
Over the last 17 years they have distributed over £3million in grants
to charitable projects in Britain and Ireland.
They are now putting the final preparations in place for their Black Tie
and Diamonds Winter Ball which will take place on Saturday, December 2
at The Park Lane Hotel in Piccadilly.
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