Heart Children Ireland Launch ‘Royal Canal Walk’ with help from Fair City Stars

Fair City’s Niamh (Clelia Murphy) & Paul (Tony Tormey) joined Patricia Kennedy from Co Cavan and Ciara Reavey from Co Meath and showed their support for Heart Children Ireland by offering to promote 4 th Royal Canal Walk. We are looking for participants to walk along the banks of the Royal Canal. This 3 day walk along the canal from Mullingar to Dublin (80k) will take place from Saturday 2 nd May to Monday 4 th May. This walking challenge offers the opportunity to enjoy walking along the banks of the Royal Canal.

Heart Children Ireland prepare for ‘Windmill Campaign’ with help from the Dunphy Family (Feb 2009)

Heart Children Ireland, the charity for children with congenital heart defects, today prepared for their annual fund-raising ‘Windmill Campaign’ which runs this weekend (13th–15th February 2009) to coincide with World Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day (14th February). Eamon, Colette and Braiden Dunphy joined Heart Children Ireland, to help raise awareness and much needed funds for the charity. This campaign asks the public to buy children’s red windmills (2euro) in various outlets nationwide, (and all Homebase & Argos Stores throughout Ireland), which will support families and fund vital services to improve the quality of life for children with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).

Colette Dunphy, said today, ‘I am delighted to help Heart Children Ireland and the up-coming Windmill Campaign. I know first-hand about the great work the charity do, the facilities they fund and the support they give. If my doing this can in any way help even one family going through what we have it will be worth it. Braiden is an amazingly brave boy who is a great joy in our lives and we thank Heart Children Ireland for the support they have given us through the hard times.’

Muster Rugby Team get behind Heart Children Ireland to launch annual windmill campaign (Feb 2009)

Heart Children Ireland, the charity for children with congenital heart defects, today launched their annual fund-raising ‘Windmill Campaign’ which runs from 13 th – 15 th February 2009 to coincide with World Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day (14 th February). As ambassador to Heart Children Ireland, Paul O’Connell along with some of the Munster players, took time out ahead of the big game against France this weekend, to help raise awareness and much needed funds for the charity. This campaign asks the public to buy children’s red windmills (2euro) in various outlets nationwide, and all Homebase & Argos Stores throughout Ireland , which will directly support families and fund vital services to improve the quality of life for children with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).

Munster rugby captain Paul O’Connell says, ‘I am delighted to help in whatever way I can the great work that Heart Children Ireland do. If my getting involved can help even one child with a congenital heart defect, sure, wouldn’t it be great. But more importantly I want to get others involved... buying a red windmill will put a smile on a child in your life, as well as helping a child in someone else’s.’

Golden Spider Award

Our HeartsPlay website won a Golden Spider Award in the category 'Best Community and Charity Website'. Chairperson Jim O'Brien and Stephen Kennelly from Monsoon Consulting collected the first prize at award ceremony held in November. The Award Ceremony was featured on RTE and provided publicity for our new website. The fact that the site has received so much attention from the IT industry is a true reflection of the quality of the site. HeartsPlay is a great asset for children and their families who are facing a visit to the cardiac unit in Our Lady's Children's Hospital or indeed a longer stay in hospital. It is a project fully funded by Heart Children Ireland, we are justifiably proud of it and wish to thank everyone who was involved in its creation.

Miriam O'Callaghan joins the 'Keeping Hearts Beating' team

We are delighted to report that Miriam O'Callaghan has agreed to be Charity Ambassador and help promote the HGR partnership and 'Keeping Hearts Beating' project. The partnership is a very new departure for Heart Children Ireland as it is the first time the group have been so publically linked with a corporate partner. With the funds raised Heart Children hope to fund a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist for Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Curmlin and a Cardiac Nurse Specialist for our young adults at the Mater Hospital. All the Argos and Homebase stores are very much behind the partnership and have organised many events so far. Initiatives range from selling Christmas toast stamps in all stores (for a suggested donation of €2) to staff events such as parachute jumps and raffles. We greatly appreciate the help provided by Miriam and the HRG team.

Keeping Hearts Beating'

Home Retail Group, the leading home and general merchandise retailer, owners of Argos & Homebase in UK and Ireland has chosen the Heart Children Ireland as its charity partner in a two year relationship from July 2008 to 2010. Employees at Home Retail Group, encompassing leading brands Argos and Homebase – voted by an overwhelming majority to choose Heart Children Ireland from a short list of charities. The partnership, called ‘Keeping Hearts Beating’, is hoping to raise €250,000 over 2 years for Heart Children Ireland. "Home Retail Group is really excited to be supporting the nation’s heart charity for children through this two-year charity partnership. We are committed to supporting the local and national communities in which we operate, and hope that our ‘Keeping Hearts Beating’ campaign will make a real impact on them" Lorna Liggett, Community Affairs Manager, Home Retail Group.

To help support the ‘Keeping Hearts Beating’ charity partnership please look out for fundraising activities taking place in Argos and Homebase stores throughout Ireland.

HeartsPlay Launch a great success

Bright blue sky provided the perfect contrast for the red heart shaped balloons and the windmills that fluttered in the warm gentle breeze. The garden in the Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Organisations was full as people gathered to celebrate the launch of HeartsPlay at a special tea party on the 12th of May. The Minister for Health Mary Harney officially launched HeartsPlay, the interactive web site designed for children to prepare them for hospitalisation at Our Lady's Children's Hospital. But it was the children who featured in HeartsPlay that took centre stage as they smiled and chatted to the photographers who snapped away. HeartsPlay was created from an idea put forward by our administrator Linda Hogan a developed for Heart Children by Monsoon Consulting Ltd with the help of Our Lady's Hospital. The project received significant media attention as our Chairperson Jim O'Brien was interviewed on Q102 and our CEO Margret Rogers and Olivia Fallon discussed the web site on a number of local radio stations. The children's television news on Network 2 'News2day' featured the launch and showed film footage of the day.

Heart Children Ireland finalists in the Crystal Clear Awards 2008

The Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards recognise and reward the pursuit of clarity in health literacy across education, training, health writing and patient communications. Heartsplay an interactive tool was developed from an suggestion by Linda Hogan at the Heart Children Office. Crystal Clear recognised the benefits of Heartsplay and Heart Children Ireland were finalists in the 2008 awards. For further information on the awards, you can go to www.crystalclearawards.ie

Heart Children Ireland and the premier of 'There will be blood'

Heart Children Ireland was the charity chosen to benefit from the Dublin International Film Festival Irish premier of 'There will be Blood' starring Daniel Day-Lewis on the 16th February 2008. Heart Children Ireland in conjunction with 'Friends of Heart Children Ireland' and Disney Miramax hosted a pre-premier reception, for two hundred and fifty guests, in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin. The guests were then treated to the short red carpet walk to the Savoy Cinema for the premier. Followed by a late night celebration in the Gresham Hotel, where the entertainment was provided by the internationally renowned, Finbar Furey.