James Donaghy, Owner of Donaghy Bros commented ‘When we heard about the Digg Deep for Kids campaign, we were keen to get involved. With our extensive range of electrical goods we were ideally placed to practically assist Womens Aid with their desired list of household items for the thirteen refuges across the Province.”
The £5000 donation has translated into hundreds of items of equipment from the shop’s extensive range and while some centres have availed of washing machines, fridges and microwaves, James was also humbled by the volume of smaller everyday essential items requested – such as irons, toasters and kettles. He added that he was proud of the fact that all these items would make a significant difference to the women and children living within the refuges.
Sharon Burnett, Chief Executive Officer of Causeway and Mid-Ulster Women’s Aid was heartfelt in her thanks to Donaghy Bros for their very generous donation: ‘We are genuinely so grateful for the support of Donaghy Bros and it will make such a difference to the lives of the women and children who need to avail of our services. 2020 was a challenging year for so many and this donation really has lifted our spirits.”
Sharon explained that there are 13 refuges and 8 Women’s Aid groups in Northern Ireland who provide temporary refuge to women and their children suffering domestic and sexual violence. The gift of £5000 from Donaghy Bros has ensured that each group received a share of the funds and, in turn, each refuge was able to spend their allocation on the specific items that were most needed in their refuge.
The founder of the ‘Digg Deep for Kids’ campaign Caroline O’Neill was astounded by the number of local businesses that volunteered to assist her fundraising efforts. In fact, in just over two weeks £102,000 was raised to help ensure that no child in Northern Ireland was left without a gift and that families had food to eat and homes that were warm at Christmas time and beyond.
Caroline added “I’d like to offer a massive thank you to Donaghy Bros for their support for women and children affected by abuse; their donations of essential homeware and electrical items will have an incredible impact on so many families and I will never forget their support.”
The first delivery of the donated items from Donaghy Bros took place on Friday 22nd January to the Armagh & Down Women’s Aid office and all subsequent delivers are planned to take place before the end of the month.
Dermot Donaghy of Donaghy Bros, Sharon Burnett, CEO of Women's Aid NI and James Donaghy of Donaghy Bros.
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