Chest Heart and Stroke
This week we were delighted to be able to welcome representatives of two of our designated charities into school today to present them with money raised as part of our annual School Beach Walk. This year we raised almost £8000 to help Dominican College Myanmar, NI Children’s Hospice, NI Chest Heart and Stroke and Friends of Cancer Charity.
ON Tuesday this week we welcomed Regina Cox back to the school. Regina was a Dominican student in the late 1980’s and is now the Head of Community fundraising with NICHS
(Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke) and presented her with a cheque for £2000.
Regina told pupils of assembly at her great pride in being back in her old school and how appropriate it was that our walk had raised so much money to help those dealing with chest, heart and stroke issues. Regina told our pupils that NI Children are among the least active and how only 11% of secondary school pupils here meet their daily exercise habits, habits that will prove so important in later life in combatting heart disease.
Regina explained to Mr Lynch, Dominican Principal and students at a special assembly that “We all know someone who had been helped by the work of NICHS. More that 335,000 people, 17% of the population have been diagnosed with a heart condition and someone in NI suffers from a stroke every five minutes. NICHS is a locally based charity which offers practical and emotional support to both victims and their families. Your donation today is simply phenomenal and will help us as a charity to educate and empower young people to help prevent heart disease and strokes as well as supporting those already suffering from these conditions”
Friends of Cancer
Principal Mr Lynch introduced Sarah Wilson from the Friends of the Cancer Centre who spoke to our assembly today to thank DCP for our contribution of £2,200 towards the local charity and to explain how this money would be utilised. During his introduction as well as thanking all pupils for their charity contribution due to the beach walk in Sept 22, Mr Lynch gave a special mention to our year 12 pupils who, following a social activity organised for our year 12 pupils, found that they had a surplus of £200 and rather than thinking of themselves, they thought of others and contributed this £200 to the Friends of the Cancer Centre.
Mr Lynch was especially proud of this thoughtfulness in our young people and encouraged the pupils to continue, throughout their lives, to think of others. He asked the entire school to applaud the year 12s for this caring and thoughtful gesture.
Sarah Wilson is a Community Fund Raising Officer for the Friends of the Cancer Centre and on behalf of the charity she thanked Dominican College, Portstewart for their very kind donation of £2,200. Sarah explained that the FotCC is a local charity operating in many hospitals throughout NI for over 35 years to help and support people with a cancer diagnosis. The charity supports patients with all different types of cancers.
There are three main areas that charity supports: patients care, patient comfort and research.
Patient Care: The Friends of the Cancer Centre are committed to ensuring that patients can avail of the best treatment and care available by funding vital medical staff and equipment. For example. they help fund over 50 specialist nurses throughout NI and this now includes a specialist nurse for children or young people who have a cancer diagnosis together with counselling services to help patients cope with the stress of a diagnosis.
Patient Comfort: The Friends of the Cancer Centre believe little things make a big difference and they strive to make a really difficult time for patients and families a little easier. Simple things like providing a free cup of tea can and does make a difference. The DCP donation today could provide over 9 thousand cups of tea to patients and their families making the day in the life of a cancer patient just that little bit better. Sarah gave our pupils a true-life example of a patient acknowledging of how such small things do indeed make a difference.
Research: Research is vital in the fight against cancer and the FotCC are the leading local cancer charity funding research right here in Northern Ireland.
Sarah spoke with passion and emotion which came across to the staff and pupils of DCP and ensured that the message of helping charities and especially local charities like the Friends of the Cancer Centre really does make a huge difference in the lives of the people in their community.
As a school community we have also just launched our Trocaire Lenten campaign to allow us as a school to continue to support those in need.
