Temple Street Foundation

THE Temple Street Foundation is the first national charity to be included as one of the ten designated charities for the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle. The foundation was established in 2000 for the sole purpose of raising funds to make Temple Street Children’s University Hospital a better place. Every year Temple Street relies on the generosity of its donors to help raise funds to redevelop hospital wards, fund vital equipment & services and invest in research. Having access to state of the art facilities & equipment literally saves lives.

Speaking to The Kerryman, Angi McNulty, Special Events & Community Manager for the hospital, said she is “delighted that the Temple Street Foundation has been chosen. It was a natural step for the Ring of Kerry to involve a national charity. I got down on my hands and knees and begged to be involved, but there’s a huge criteria for entry but thankfully we are able to take part.

“I’ve been half living in Kerry with the amount I’ve been travelling up and down. We’ve all been working as a team to get the event organised and thankfully there is fantastic committee in Kerry who have been tremendous. We have thousands of families from Kerry who make the long journey to get treatment for their children.”

Temple’s Street Children’s Hospital treats over 145,000 patients every year, and they rely on the support of fundraisers and donations to continue giving hope to the young patients and their families.

“It’s a privilege for us to work with the other amazing charities involved with the Ring of Kerry. It’s amazing to see the support throughout the county and the whole event has had an umbrella like effect with all the volunteers coming forward. The community surrounding Temple Street has been coming forward in droves.”

The Ring of Kerry cycle is an important contributor to helping the Temple Street Foundation in achieving their aim of caring for sick children by making their stay in hospital less distressing for them and their families, by funding the purchase of medical equipment, developing new services, funding research and developing new treatment facilities.

Angi McNulty described how the hospital will put any money raised to good use; “I always compare the vital equipment we use to domestic equipment. They are hugely complex, but they do break down. The Neuro department in the hospital is always in need of equipment, with the Renal and Kidney unit needing to be kitted out.”

The Temple Street Foundation is a fantastic cause and this was recognised by enthusiastic cyclists from around the country, as the 1000 jerseys assigned to the Foundation were filled up in a matter of hours and Angi McNulty was full of praise for the event, as it showcases the beautiful Kingdom of Kerry; “It’s great to showcase the county as a whole. We’ve been down to Valentia and Moll’s Gap, all over the county really and it’s a fantastic way to showcase a beautiful part of the country.”