Popular Strabane bar raises £3K to support RNIB
Supporters of the annual Tommy Falconer Memorial golf tournament in Strabane have raised an incredible £3,000 for the Royal National Institute of Blind People Northern Ireland (RNIB NI).
Nephew of the late Tommy Falconer, Peter Donaghey and Kieran O’Neill, were inspired to nominate the sight loss charity RNIB NI to benefit from the annual golf fundraising initiative, as they have close family who have lived with degenerative sight loss since the age of 18 and have benefited greatly from RNIB services and support.
Because of their sight loss, they have been using some RNIB products specially designed for people who can’t see specifically, making great use of tactile and talking watches and clocks.
On 28 May, over 120 supporters set out on Strabane Golf Club for a fantastic day’s golf topped off with a sumptuous meal and highly anticipated raffle draw.
Every year since 2015, Dixies Bar in Strabane organise the Tommy Falconer memorial golf outing to fundraise for a local charity or cause, an event that has now become a regular hit with the people of Strabane.
Speaking after the event, Kieran O’Neill said: “I’d like to sincerely thank everyone who joined us for our golf outing in May and who gave so generously. We’d also like to thank everyone at Strabane Golf Club for donating the use of the club facilities for our event and allowing us to raise such a fantastic amount for charity. Your support means a lot to us, and I know that the money raised will go a long way to improve the lives of people who are blind or partially sighted.”
Conor McPhilemy, an Eye Care Liaison Officer with RNIB NI, who accepted the cheque on behalf of the charity, said: “It was a real pleasure to accept this incredible amount of money from an event held in my local town Strabane.
“On behalf of RNIB I’d like to thank Peter and Kieran for arranging the golf outing and to everyone who supported this event. RNIB work to breakdown the barriers that exist for people affected by sight loss. We do this by providing local services that directly support blind and partially sighted people in their local community and by lobbying and campaigning for positive change to improve the lives of everyone affected by sight loss.
“Community fundraising like this is essential to enable us to be there for the 57,500 people who live with sight loss in Northern Ireland and with generous donations like this, we can be there to provide vital support when it’s most needed.”
Find out more about RNIB sight loss support by calling the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email [email protected].
To get involved or fundraise for RNIB, visit www.rnib.org.uk/northernireland.
For further media information contact Joe Kenny at RNIB NI.
T: 07936 601266
Notes to editors
About RNIB
We are the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Every six minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. RNIB is taking a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives. A different world where society values blind and partially sighted people not for the disabilities they’ve overcome, but for the people they are.
RNIB. See differently.
Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
Find RNIB Northern Ireland on Facebook – www.facebook.com/RNIBNorthernIreland
Follow RNIB NI on Twitter – www.twitter.com/RNIBNI