*Pictured: Michelle and Kevin McNamee, McNamee’s Londis Miltown Malbay.
MCNAMEE’S Londis Miltown Malbay, McNamee’s Londis Kilmaley, McNamee’s Kilkee and McNamee’s Londis Darragh, Ennis have raised over €20,000 and completed the Londis Irish Camino Challenge for Nurses for Night Care, a national charity fundraising initiative in support of Londis’ charity partner, Irish Hospice Foundation.
McNamee’s Londis Miltown Malbay, Kilmaley, Kilkee and Darragh, Ennis alongside 115 other Londis retailers, staff, family members and friends representing 42 Londis stores nationwide took on a challenging 22km hike through Laragh and Glendalough, Co Wicklow earlier this month.
The challenge formed the centrepiece of a nationwide fundraising effort to support the Nurses for Night Care service, which provides overnight nursing care to patients at end of life in their own homes across every county in Ireland 365 nights a year and relies on fundraising support and donations to operate.
The Londis Irish Camino Challenge was the culmination of weeks of fundraising activity carried out by five McNamee’s Londis stores in their local County Clare communities.
As part of its local fundraising efforts, each of the stores organised a Spinathon.
In addition to this, Londis Miltown Malbay organised a raffle, an ice bucket and a waxing challenge.
In McNamee’s Londis Kilmaley, local man Joe Burke offered to have his beard and hair shaved if they reached a fundraising target of €2,000 – which they did in record time.
Elsewhere in the county, McNamee’s Londis Darragh, teamed up with local companies and hosted a superb raffle including prizes such as, a voucher from Senan Coughlan Riding School in Lisseycasey, a Fanny O’Dea lunch voucher and two NC Paints vouchers.
Not to be outdone, McNamee’s Londis in Kilkee organised a giveaway where shoppers could win much sought-after Westlife tickets who are playing in Dublin this September.
Shoppers could donate through iDonate fundraising pages, in‑store donation buckets, POS kits featuring QR codes and a “Donate €1 at the till” mechanic. All the stores received strong support from the local community and helped drive huge engagement for the cause.
The 22km route began at Laragh GAA Club and concluded at Lynham’s of Laragh Hote.
The finish point provided an opportunity for retailers and participants to come together following the hike for a post‑challenge meal and refreshments, marking the collective achievement.
Londis has partnered with Irish Hospice Foundation since 2023, with the collaboration raising over €250,000 to date in support of services that provide vital care to families nationwide.
The Londis Irish Camino Challenge builds on this ongoing partnership, with funds raised supporting Irish Hospice Foundation’s Nurses for Night Care service, which enables patients to remain at home, supported by expert nursing care, during their final days.
Commenting on the initiative, Conor Hayes, Sales Director at Londis, said: “Supporting Irish Hospice Foundation is hugely important to our retailers, many of whom see first‑hand the impact of services like Nurses for Night Care in their own communities. Coming together for this challenge was a powerful way to raise awareness and funds for a service that supports families right across Ireland. Completing Londis Irish Camino Challenge was no small undertaking, and I’m incredibly proud of the 42 Londis retailers who took part in this challenge, along with their staff and local communities.”
Caroline O’Connell, Director of Fundraising at Irish Hospice Foundation, added: “The support shown by Londis retailers, their staff and local communities has been incredible and has a very real impact for families who rely on our Nurses for Night Care service. Funds raised through initiatives like the Londis Irish Camino Challenge help ensure people at end of life and their families can receive expert, compassionate care at home at a time when it matters most, so we are sincerely grateful for the commitment shown across the Londis network.”
Irish Hospice Foundation is a national charity that addresses dying, death and bereavement in Ireland.
Our vision is an Ireland where people facing end of life or bereavement, and those who care for them, are provided with the care and support that they need.
From advocacy and education to services such as Nurses for Night Care and our Bereavement Support Line, Irish Hospice Foundation believes in the importance of dying well and grieving well wherever the place. www.hospicefoundation.ie
