‘We’re very proud of our partnership with Focus Ireland and Shine A Light Night’
On Friday, October 16, the ninth annual Shine A Light Night will see business leaders, companies and members of the public all over the country sleep out for one night to raise funds to help Focus Ireland’s vital services. Bord Gáis Energy has been supporting Focus Ireland and helping in the fight against family and youth homelessness since 2015, and will be returning for a second year as partners of Shine a Light Night for 2020. Dave Kirwan, Managing Director of Bord Gáis Energy, explains why.
How important is the issue of homelessness to Bord Gáis Energy?
Having a safe, warm home is something we believe everyone should be able to enjoy, along with the safety and security this affords. At Bord Gáis Energy, we’re very proud of our partnership with Focus Ireland. The team and I in Bord Gáis Energy are delighted to be sleeping out on Shine A Light Night and we are asking everyone across Ireland — businesses, families and individuals — to join us in giving up just one night to show solidarity with Ireland’s homeless community.
How has Covid-19 impacted the work that
Focus Ireland does?
The rate of homelessness in Ireland is still substantial, with 8,702* people currently without a home. Over 2,620 of those are children, and so 2020 has brought new challenges for Focus Ireland’s clients and front-line staff. Covid-19 has meant people experiencing homelessness are more vulnerable, with families and children living together in crowded spaces for extended periods of time. As a result, we need this year’s event to be bigger than ever and raise vital funds to support this devastating social issue.
Is the format of this event different for 2020?
This year, business leaders, companies and members of the public are encouraged to join an accessible virtual sleep-out in their gardens, homes or safe private spaces, in line with government restrictions.
What impact is Bord Gáis Energy and Focus Ireland hoping to make this year?
Last year, together with Focus Ireland, over €1.2m was raised from the Shine A Light Night campaign, which allowed Focus Ireland to continue the important work of preventing families from becoming homeless. This year, we want to increase that to €1.3m, to support this group further and to alleviate the unforeseen pressures that this year has delivered.
The Shine A Light sponsorship by Bord Gáis Energy is in addition to our ongoing CSR partnership with the charity. Over the last five years, we have learnt the importance of giving back to those who need our help most, with our employees, stakeholders and customers joining us in volunteering efforts. The collective efforts of these groups has raised over €5.2m since 2012 and Bord Gáis Energy has committed more than €2.4m to help combat family homelessness.
How important has the business community been to the campaign?
In previous years, many local and national businesses have been encouraged to get involved and coordinate workplace sleep-outs as part of the campaign. Corporate support for Shine A Light Night is more important this year than ever, due to an increase in demand for Focus Ireland’s services. This demand is expected to continue growing as the economic impact of the virus hits the country, with repercussions for the 1,120 families currently in emergency accommodation.
To sign up or donate to the Shine A Light Night 2020 corporate sleep-out events, visit