CHEQUES for €11,773.91 were presented to both Cahercalla and Milford Care Centre recently, the result of fundraising at Element Six.
Each year the company along with its staff members choose a charity to support for the coming 12 months.
As 2020 approached the company had received many nominations for two charities, Cahercalla Hospice and Mildford.
Throughout the course of that year it did hold some events, but given the pandemic it was extremely difficult to raise any substantial sum of money.
However there were still fundraising events such as a 6km walk, a coffee morning, an ice cream day and walk in the 12 O’Clock Hills.
As the pandemic prevailed, workers in Milford and Cahercalla battled Covid-19, trying their best to protect nursing home residents and patients.
The front line workers went far beyond the call of duty to keep them safe, while also providing love, reassurance, company and care.
They kept families in regular contact through window visits, video calls and sought to work out how best to support those people they were caring for.
Due to the circumstances Element 6 decided to back the same two charities again in 2021.
Throughout the year it held a number of walks with larger numbers attending than did in 2020, there was also a Split The Pot, as well as raffles for meal vouchers, sponsored by Durty Nellies and the Oakwood hotel. There were also multiple ice cream days, with donations going to the two charities.
Photograph by Eugene McCafferty
In Milford Care Centre the horticultural therapist Zoe knows the healing power of time spent in a natural plant filled environment and put together a plan to provide a safe sensory rich space that residents could spend time in.
Zoe, supported by the Milford Care Centre management team, shared her plans with Element Six and to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary, in Shannon, a replicated space for its employees was built with her help.
From April to November 2021 groups of E6 employees also went to Milford to assist in the building and planting of the sweeping borders with perennials and bulbs, the creation of a large bug hotel and casting and installation of a handmade Mill wheel water feature.
These employees with their incredible generosity put heart and soul in to the work, and it can be seen in the emerging beautiful garden.
A sum of €11,773.91 was raised, and with the company matching that, a total of €23,547.82 went to the two organisations.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.