Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity. Here is an outline summary on why I am walking the Peaks and the Association:

I've been aware of the Birmingham Irish Association for some years and their work within the community. Recently a friend directed me to a video on the news section of the associations website about a gentleman called Patrick Brogan and it made me shed a tear or two. I sat back one night and thought about how I grew up in our community, those who inspired me and above all, I knew quite a few Patrick Brogan's. So it's my intention to raise funds for the Birmingham Irish Association by me and my son Deaglan walking the Yorkshire 3 Peaks on Saturday 21st October. I may be joined others and I'll update this page to reflect them once they have confirmed. The walk is quite challenging and consists of walking 24 miles and scaling 3 peaks (each one 700m or higher) within 12 hours. It's quite a challenge but having recently done 10 miles of the walk with my sons Deaglan, Fionn and Tomas , we will conquer that time. Here is a summary of the fantastic work that the Birmingham Irish Association does and how your contribution will make a difference.

The Birmingham Irish Association has been providing support services to the community since 1957. They offer a range of person services including financial and housing support, alcohol misuse, health and wellbeing, befriending and bereavement support, Dementia Care and a comprehensive programme of meaningful activities for older people. There work helps tackle poverty and social isolation amongst the most vulnerable members of our community. In 2015 -2016 they supported over 3000 people who were in desperate need and had no means of seeking support and comfort from statutory services.

Birmingham Irish Association provides services to all citizens but has extensive experience of working with hard to reach people through provision of culturally competent support packages. They are regularly approached by other professionals in Health and Social Care to intervene in cases where they have been unable to engage with vulnerable people. This issue has become all the more significant as the Irish emigrant population is becoming more elderly as issues with dementia and end of life are increasing.

Irish people in Birmingham now form the largest minority ethnic group of older people of pensionable age. They are the only migrant group for whom life expectancy falls on coming to the UK which lasts through to the second and third generation. There are particular problems in relation to physical and mental health, misuse of alcohol and social isolation amongst the elderly. Rates of Alzheimer's, for instance, are 30% higher than in the general population. Many individuals who travelled to the UK as children to seek work are now in their later years and are suffering poor health and sub-standard living conditions. Suicide rates amongst the older Irish population are far above those of any other group. Many of these individuals contributed to the building of many of our Cities iconic landmarks and the infrastructure and transport networks owe a lot to these individuals. Your donation will help us to support these forgotten people and support them in their later years by providing them with comfort and support and helping them regain their pride and dignity.

The existing services caters for the needs of a large number of older isolated and vulnerable people by providing a programme of meaningful activities. They wish to expand these services particularly around the area of care for those suffering Dementia. They already have a successful Dementia support service but have extensive waiting lists and there are still hundreds of vulnerable people waiting for support. Your donation will help the Association to develop more Dementia support centres throughout the city and prove Dementia support champions to work with Families and carers of those affected by this terrible disease.

To find out more about the Birmingham Irish Association please click on this link Birmingham Irish Association

So with our accommodation booked it's now down to the final stages of the planning and fund raising.

Thank you for taking time to read this page.

Mick and Deaglan O'Brien