A host of Irish celebrities will join Niall Horan and Dermot O’Leary in the “London Irish Charity Night In” in aid of the London Irish Centre on June 11th at 8pm. Money raised from the online event will go towards supporting the work of the centre, whose fundraising efforts have been impacted by COVID-19.
The online event will be streamed via London Irish Centre’s Facebook and YouTube pages. It promises to be a night of fun and entertainment, with music, interviews, and conversation from an array of Irish stars. Celebrities confirmed to be taking part alongside Horan and O’Leary, include TV presenter Laura Whitmore, comedian Dara O’Brian, star of Derry Girls Siobhán McSweeney, singer songwriter Gavin James, Misfits actor Robert Sheehan and many more. There will also be a charity auction on the night, with the opportunity to win prizes from the likes of Ed Sheeran. The event hopes to raise £100,000 for the Irish London Centre and the older Irish community it supports.
Established in 1954 to help Irish emigrants arriving in London and described as the “Irish Heart of London”, the London Irish Centre provides essential community supports to many older Irish people living in London, it’s mission being to “empower and enrich people’s lives through Irish community and culture”. The Centre also works to promote Irish art and heritage, acting as a venue for concerts, theatre performances, lectures and educational courses in Irish language and history.
It is the largest Irish community centre outside of Ireland, with 75,000 people visiting the centre annually. The charity’s vision is to create a world class Cultural and Community Centre. Some of its regular services, which include running a day centre providing hot meals, classes and activities to London’s large older Irish population, have been cancelled due to the pandemic. The centre has therefore been forced to adapt its services and is currently offering food deliveries, health check-ins and over the phone support services to those in isolation. It is hoped that the online charity gig on June 11th will raise some much-needed funds for the Centre and its community.
If you’re interested in a night of Irish banter in support of a great cause, you can watch the gig online on Facebook www.facebook.com/londonirishcentre, YouTube http://youtube.com/londonirishcentre or on the Stay at Home Library on the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum website, at 8pm on Thursday June 11th. You can find out more about the London Irish Centre and how you can support the important work they do at wwww.londonirishcentre.org
Sadhbh O’Muiri – Reporter
