Energia Group continues its support for community focused organisations at Christmas

20th December 2023 - This Christmas, Energia Group is again supporting a number of community organisations in their efforts to provide for those in need and facing difficult circumstances.  Overall the Group will provide over €75,000 to a number of charitable initiatives operating this Christmas. 

Building on existing relationships, Energia Group is supporting Crosscare, a social care services provider based in Dublin and three food bank services in Northern Ireland, as well as the annual Black Santa sit-out appeals in Belfast and Dublin.

Crosscare provides a range of services such as homelessness, housing and welfare support, youth-led programmes, information and advocacy services and the Crosscare Community Café. The café is open to the public for breakfast and lunch, serving affordable, healthy meals in a friendly community setting.

Gary Ryan, Managing Director at Energia Group said, “As an energy supplier to homes and businesses across Ireland, we understand our role in supporting community focused organisations. Such partnerships are important to our colleagues right across Energia Group, and their reach reflects the diversity of our business. The work of Crosscare, the foodbanks and the Black Santa appeals is invaluable, and we are delighted to once again support them over the Christmas period.”

 Yvonne Fleming, senior manager for Community Service at Crosscare said, “At our Community Café, each day we help families and individuals who are unfortunately experiencing food poverty in Dublin. The café welcomes people from across the county who need access to essential support, and we also provide them with a place to chat while they also receive nutritious food. Energia Group is brilliant in the support they give to us in making sure our services help those who are in need this Christmas.”

Energia has also pledged a donation to three food banks in Antrim, Omagh and Belfast to support the purchase of supplies and provision of services to those in the local area who are in need this Christmas.

“On behalf of South Belfast Foodbank, I'd like to thank Energia Group for the extremely generous and kind financial donation that we just received. It has once again blown us away, and amounts like that for a charity our size is transformational. It means we can continue our mission to get people food when they most need it. Right now, more than ever before, people are facing nothing less than a crisis - on so many fronts. We know from what we are hearing that people are not coping, and with so many cuts to funding and things like bills going up - your money will really help us get food to those who are falling through the gaps in the net. We are so grateful and please pass on our thanks to all the team.”

• Bruce Gardiner Crehan, South Belfast Foodbank.

“This Christmas Antrim Foodbank is providing 165 food hampers to families across Antrim town. The hampers are provided through our referral partners who collect and distribute these to the families. Through the generous funding of Energia Group we are able to also provide £50 of vouchers in addition to the food. This will enable families to buy fresh food items before Christmas.

We have also been able to purchase additional food items with this money for the hampers. Antrim Foodbank would like to thank Energia Group for the third year running on donating money to us at Christmas time. It really makes a difference to families that are struggling financially at this time of year.”

• Fionnuala O'Donnell, Antrim Foodbank

The company is also supporting the annual Black Santa sit-out appeal which gets its name from the long, heavy black cloaks worn by the clergy who are taking part. This yearly event takes place in both Dublin and Belfast, with funds that are raised going to the local charities that are supported by Black Santa nationwide.