The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Rathmore Social Action Group
‘This charity cycle is a pillar we need in our communities’ -
IF there is one organisation that has seen its success grow in tandem with the Ring of Kerry Cycle it’s Rathmore Social Action Group where under the tutelage of Jeremiah O’Donoghue 41 members of the locality’s youth put their shoulder to the wheel to make a difference.
The success of this organisation is rooted in 1975 when Jeremiah organised a classroom discussion about ‘community’ and the role its youth wished to have in shaping it. That day set the seeds of something that has grown substantially over four decades. Rathmore Social Action Group has become a focal point where people can identify and contribute byway of projects that, quite literally, cover the local as well as the global for the group have also raised funds for various African projects.
The kernel of Rathmore Social Action Group is interaction. The latter enables youth to feel like their efforts help make a positive contribution to the community and it is this generational link that provides a structured vision for overall community prosperity. The Teach Iosagain Centre is a HQ any organisation would be proud to have, while in 1992 a Day Care Centre was added, followed in 2000 by the Care of Older Adults programme resulting in the construction of twenty houses for the elderly – all of which the members of Rathmore Youth Action Group helped play a vital role in achieving.
What is also noticeable about this charity is its unwavering potential to keep evolving and if evidence were required, one need look no further than the recent purchase and development of the Presentation Convent in Rathmore which has resulted in state of the art community homes for the elderly – a development the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle has helped by providing vital funding that helped to bolster the community fundraising efforts of the youth action group.
“The Ring of Kerry has done a huge amount for us. The cost of our recent projects was €1.7 million and we badly needed funds to complete this. We reckon about a €250,000 has been provided by The Ring of Kerry. Without it we just would not have been able to go ahead. It’s a huge contribution and there is no other grant available for this kind of a project,” said Jeremiah O’Donoghue of Rathmore Social Action Group.
Jeremiah explained that with a charity like the Ring of Kerry, it allows beneficiaries to plan ahead in terms of the work they do. Rathmore is always looking ahead and its next mission involves a series of projects that will require around €622,000. Rathmore Social Action Group plan to continue its great work in the community with a ‘drop in’ day centre and multipurpose rooms that will facilitate a Men’s Shed. A new 140 seater community theatre is also planned that will help foster a creative hub.
“The intergenerational links of this group are very important. There’s a mutual advantage of the old and the young coming together as they have much to teach each other. The most important thing is the human contact and the young and old get on great. The Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle, from our point of view, is good for morale. To know there is somebody there to call upon when you need them, financially, helps charities. The Ring of Kerry Cycle is a pillar that we need in our communities.”