Warrenpoint Port Launches £5,000 Covid Community Christmas Fund

Warrenpoint Port and its customers have come together to try to bring some festive cheer to the local area this Christmas. 2020 has been a difficult year for many people and with further restrictions, it is set to get even more challenging.

David Holmes, CEO Warrenpoint Port said, “We are doing our own internal activity collecting toys for the Newry Christmas Charity Appeal, but we also want to support our wider community. We particularly feel for the organisations and the charities in our area who have been exceptionally hard hit during the pandemic.

“We have developed a Community Fund of at least £5,000 to distribute to the local community to help spread some festive cheer this Christmas. We would like to thank our customers and Port users Westland (Cronus), ReGen, Mannok Holdings (Quinn Cement), MSS – Declan Gormley, Armagh Logistics, Cunningham Haulage, AMA and Barry Haulage for contributing to this campaign with us and for helping us to support our local community. Further donations are still coming in.

“We are appealing to charities and other local organisations like schools, youth groups, community organisations to take part. The money will be distributed to projects in the greater Warrenpoint, Burren, Rostrevor areas to help bring a smile to people’s faces.  We have also invited our neighbours just across the Lough in Omeath to take part.

Open To Ideas

David added, “We are asking charities who cover our area to get involved or maybe you would like resources to pay for Christmas dinner for older people who may be alone at Christmas? Our schools may wish to get some sweet treats for their pupils, or a nursing home might request something like an iPad so residents can keep in touch with loved ones. We are open to ideas to spread Christmas cheer and deliver a more memorable ‘Covid Community Christmas’.

“All we are asking people to do is tell us in 50 words or less how they would use the money to spread festive cheer in our locality. We also need you to indicate what you think the budget for the project would be (bearing in mind we want to support as many projects as possible).”

Anyone with any suggestions can apply online on the Warrenpoint Harbour Website (Terms and conditions apply). Hard copy entries are also available via telephone request: 028 41773381.

Entries are open from Friday 27th November until Friday 12th December. Recipients will be presented with the funding/gifts on the week commencing 14th December.