An evening of classical music in aid of TEAM

Photo shows, Members of the St Finian’s String Ensemble in rehearsal, (back) Joe O’Brien, Lucia Henry and Róisín Maguire; (front) Bozena Pannackal (director), Tori Coyne, Isabelle Tunney and Rachael Connaghan.

An evening of classic music at St Paul’s Church in Mullingar next week is a fundraiser for the charity, TEAM – Temporary Emergency Accommodation Midlands.

The event is on Sunday January 19 at 7pm and the music is by local artists, including with Maeve Dolan Corroon, John Smith, Conor Leavy, Kerrie Penrose, Maedhbh Hughes, Colette Dunning, Paul Doolin, Katie McCarthy, Sweet Tunes, Clelia Rossie, Eamonn McCormack, Laura Irwin and the St Finian’s String Ensemble under the direction of violinist Bozena Pannackal and director of St Finian’s Schola Cantorum, Gerard Lillis.

Tickets

Tickets cost €20 and are available from the TEAM Charity Shop on Mount Street, The Greville Arms Hotel, The Cathedral Shop and St Paul’s or any member of TEAM, or call 087-2244834 or 087-6622251.

TEAM Background

TEAM CLG was set up to provide supports for homeless people in the midlands area, and its hostel for homeless women and their children, Teach Fáilte, opened in 2009.

The service aims to provide support for women and their children. Residents are provided with assistance to liaise with the relevant authorities and services.

TEAM helps them move from homelessness, through a period in emergency accommodation, on to housing that is appropriate to their needs. Teach Fáilte consists of 11 units for residential use which are designed to meet the needs of both individual women and mothers with children.

The hostel caters for Westmeath, Offaly, Longford and Laois.

Teach Fáilte offers comfort and security to women in an emergency homeless situation. Women who have no place to live feel anxious, upset, frightened, guilty, embarrassed and alone. TEAM endeavours to help them overcome these difficulties through an ethos of respect and dignity.

Currently TEAM, which is a registered charity and operating on a 24/7 basis, receives funding from HSE and Westmeath County Council.

However there is an annual shortfall in excess of €80,000 and TEAM relies on regular fundraising activities and voluntary donations to continue with its important work. Since opening in 2009, over 700 women and in excess of 700 children have stayed in Teach Fáilte.

In the current housing crisis the need for homeless services has increased and Teach Fáilte’s services are more relevant than ever before. This problem is set to continue for the foreseeable future and vulnerable women and children still need shelter and support.

Fundraising has become an intrinsic part of the responsibilities of providing important services at Teach Fáilte. We thank all those who have supported us over the years.

No Board Members or Fundraisers of TEAM receive any remuneration.