The Niall Mellon Township Trust is urgently looking for rugby supporters touring South Africa with the British and Irish Lions to spend one day working in a Township to build “Lions Houses”…
There are millions of people in South Africa living in shacks, without access to sanitation, electricity and water and if there are any supporters who would like to make a difference to their lives, by spending one day building a home for a family, the charity would like to hear from them.
Long standing Volunteer for the Trust Paula Cullen, mother of the Leinster captain Leo, has come up with the novel idea of asking Lions supporters to give one day of their trip to work as a volunteer and help build a house for a South African family currently living in a shack.
The charity urgently needs help to get houses built and this is a fantastic opportunity for travelling Lions supporters to meet and work with the local people in a township and see how they live their daily lives. “It is truly a most wonderful and fulfilling experience that will remain with you forever. Imagine coming home from your trip to South Africa knowing that you were part of a group that helped move a family out of a shack and into a house, something that will change that family’s life forever” – according to Paula Cullen.
Volunteers are asked to make a contribution of €;200 and answer the charity’s call for help by building houses in townships in Cape Town, Pretoria or Johannesburg. The charity needs to know when the supporter will be travelling and what day they are available to build. “You never know you may bump into a former Lion or two on the day”, said Dominic Loughran, Director of Operations. The Trust will collect Volunteers at their hotel, provide them with pack lunches and refreshments during the day and then return them to their hotels in the evening. Every age is welcome, both male and female, and only a minimum level of fitness is required.
The Niall Mellon Township Trust is the largest charity provider of quality social housing in South Africa and to date has built 11,000 houses since its foundation in 2002. Over the last seven years, some 5,500 people have volunteered one week of their time to work in these townships. Last December, in excess of 2,000 Irish volunteers travelled to Cape Town and built 253 houses in one week in the township of Khayelitsha.
Please support this worthy cause and add a hugely fulfilling experience to your trip to South Africa during the Lions tour.
Please contact Jimmy Fearon during office hours on +353 1 4948200 or go to: http://www.irishtownship.com/htm/lions_tour.htm and fill in the enquiry form.
For further information contact Paula Cullen on 086-2566355.
