Tipperary choir ready to rock to support two Clonmel community groups

Two groups carrying out invaluable work in the community of Clonmel will benefit from a fundraising concert taking place on December 1.
The Uproar choir, with special guests, will perform at a concert at Old St Mary’s church in Clonmel on Friday, December 1 (7.30pm to 9pm).
All proceeds from the concert will support the work being done by the Clonmel Community Soup Kitchen and Free Food Bank and the Community Mothers programme in Clonmel.

SOUP KITCHEN
The Clonmel Community Soup Kitchen and Free Food Bank was established in 2013. It is a community and voluntary organisation and is run solely by people who volunteer their time on a weekly basis to provide support, provisions, and grocery bags to over 100 families in the areas of Clonmel, Carrick, Cashel and Cahir.
It is based in the railway station in Clonmel, and is gratefully supported by Iarnrod and Bus Eireann.
The group is supported solely through donations from the very generous people in the local community, families, vegetable growers, small local shops, bakeries, the local community in general and also sometimes the business sector and through Food Cloud with our local Tesco, Dunnes, Aldi and Lidl stores.
The group have at present over 10-15 volunteers who collect, organise and distribute groceries and supplies on a daily/weekly basis.

Everybody within the group is very aware just how easy it is to fall on challenging times, whether that be through a change in family circumstances, ill health, mental health, homelessness, loss of a job or change in financial circumstances.
All are welcome to the soup kitchen, no questions are asked, just how many people need to be supported, if there are children, making sure that the individuals and families know the group is t here to support on a weekly basis.
The grocery bags are basic, volunteers try to have meat, bread, vegetable , soup, cereal, dried goods in the bags , but all are healthy and nutritious.

CLONMEL COMMUNITY MOTHERS
Clonmel Community Mothers Programme was established in 1999 to provide support and information to families with children 0-5 years. Initially Community Mothers were voluntary.
In 2001, Clonmel Community Mothers were the first in the country to become employed, setting the seed for embedding the programme in the community.

The main body of work is Community Mother Home visiting to provide support, information and advocacy to all parents of children 0-5 years in the Clonmel, Cahir, Cashel, Fethard and Carrick- on-Suir areas.
The group believe that all parents need support at different stages, being a parent is the toughest job we will ever do and we have the greatest respect and admiration for the struggles and challenges parents face today.
Community Mothers work from and Infant Mental Health Model. The group provides both a universal and a high support service.

In addition to Community Mothers home visiting, the group facilitate three parent and toddler groups and two mother and baby groups.
Groups are community based and are a wonderful opportunity for parents, grandparents, carers to bring their little ones to socialise - a real stepping stone to play school and school.
The groups are facilitated by Community Mothers who are there to answer any queries a parent/carer may have.

The programme is funded by Tusla and recently the group secured a grant from the Katherine Howard Foundation to provide additional supports to mums attending ante natal services in South Tipperary University Hospital, who may wish to have a Community Mother support her on her pregnancy journey.
Through funding from the Community Foundation of Ireland the group have been able to provide play therapy for twelve children in 2022/2023.

Any additional donations raised through the Uproar concert will contribute to the provision of play therapy sessions in 2024.
Everybody involved in the group would like to thank the organisers of the Uproar concert for choosing the Clonmel Community Mother Programme as one of their donation recipients.

The Community Mother Programme is located at 12 Peter Street, Clonmel E91 F662. Mobile 0868359912.
“Everybody associated with the choir is delighted to be able to support these two very worthwhile cause who do tremendous work in the community,” said John O’Gorman, Chairman of the Uproar choir.
“These two community groups are deserving of support and need the funding that we will raise on the night. Tickets are going fast. All in the choir are looking forward to it,” he said.