The Dublin Community Blog

Ok, I’ve had a few emails from people, which is really encouraging, looking for more details on the quiz. I’m really hoping that the blogging community can get behind this a little and spread the word, as well as turning up on the night. The whole idea is to raise as much funds as possible for the Niall Mellon Township Challenge, so, the more there the better!

The quiz is taking place in 4 Dame Lane this coming Thursday (Nov 2nd) kicking off from about 19:00 onwards. It will be taking place in the upstairs function room of 4 Dame Lane. Suggested entry fee is EUR 10 per person. I say suggested, as the whole idea of the night is to raise as much as possible, so, if people want to add more to the pot to enter, it would be very much appreciated. The norm for table quizzes is to have 4 entrants per table, so, I’d like to stick it something close to this, however, won’t be strictly enforcing this either!

If anyone wants any further info, drop me a mail quiz@dublinblog.ie

And again, if you’re not able to make it on the night, you can always make a donation via PayPal by clicking below.

If you’re going along to the Ideal Homes Exhibition in the RDS this weekend, make sure to stop off at stand MG1 and check up on the Niall Mellon Township Challenge stand there, to get a little more information on what the initiative is about, and what I and the the rest of the volunteers will be getting up to during this years builders week.

Whilst on the topic, if anyone out there is willing and able to donate some gifts toward a raffle I will be having at next weeks fundraising Table Quiz please make contact with me.

Hey Folks,

Right, time to use and abuse this blog a little. As I’ve mentioned here on a few previous occasions, I shall be heading to Cape Town, South Africa on Nov 17th, along with 350 or so other Irish volunteers to take part in the Niall Mellon Township Challenge.

The challenge involves us going to Cape Town, in order to build houses in Townships (shanty towns) for poor and impoverished African families, who are currently living in squalid conditions in what I can only describe, having seen them for myself, as huts and shacks.

In order to try and raise some much needed funds for the trip, I am hosting a fundraising table quiz in the wonderfully cool 4 Dame Lane in Dublin on Thursday Nov 2nd. The event is open to anyone who wants to come, so long as they come prepared to spend some cash. Every single cent that is raised goes direct to a very good cause, all expenses involved in putting this trip together, and getting the people there are personally paid by Niall Mellon himself.

I’m hopping the blogging community can get behind this, I will be sending out emails over the coming days, encouraging people both to turn up, and also to spread the word about the quiz, and more importantly, the cause. Next November there will be places for 1000 people to go out to Cape Town, the largest ever Irish Charity Event outside of Ireland, and I can tell you now, from listening to the crew behind it, that it’s going to be absolutely massive.

If you are looking for more details on the quiz itself, or on the Irish Township Challenge, drop me a mail on quiz@dublinblog.ie

If you’re not going to be able to make it along on the night itself, but still want to help, you can always make contact with me, or you can of course donate through PayPal.

Okies, a little bit of an abuse of power posting this here, but anyways….

I’m arranging a bucket collection at this weeks Bellewstown Races in order to help raise funds for my trip to South Africa with the Niall Mellon Challenge. If you have any tips or ideas, have arranged a bucket collection before, or fancy coming along to help out, please let me know.

Also, I’m trying to source buckets in order to use for this, probably about 10 in total, anyone have any ideas?

Of course, as always, you can donate through PayPal to this cause also.

I need to locate a Marquee for a Fundraising Ball I am hosting to raise money for the Irish Township Challenge. If you have any clue, or any contacts, can you have a read over here please!

Ok, once again apologies for the cross-post, but, this is important to me!

Right, I said I’d guage things and decide whether or not to add the facility for people to make donations to me via this website. I’ve decided that I am going to, so, please, please give as generously as you can.

The target for me is to raise EUR 4,000 by the end of August, but, that’s the minimum target, I would like to raise a whole lot more. It costs EUR 5,000 to build a complete house, which is broken down as follows:

roof:
EUR 1500

doors & windows:
EUR 500

exterior painting:
EUR 250

bathroom:
EUR 500

walls:
EUR 1000

kitchen & misc:
EUR 500

foundation:
EUR 750

I will be running a few fundraisers over the next few months also…so keep your eyes peeled. But, please don’t let that put you off donating here and now anyways!

PS. If you’re a blogger / journalist / rock-star / politican / business leader / broadcaster or regular Joe, can you please, please spread the word, not only about my campaign and fundraising efforts, but of what the Irish Township Challenge is all about!

Ok, this is a very blatant cross-post with an article I have just published on my personal blog, but forgive me please as I think it is a very worthy cause…

I have been accepted to join with 300 other (mainly) Irish people going to Capetown, South Africa in November of this year on the Niall Mellon Irish Township Challenge. This is something that I have wanted to do for about two years now, and to say that I’m extremely excited by the prospect would be a total understatement!

The Niall Mellon Township Challenge was launched in 2002 with the aim of improving the living conditions of shack dwellers in a township in Cape Town.

The brainchild of Dubliner Niall Mellon, the project has seen more than 500 brick houses built since its inception. He was inspired to act after a visit to the township of Imizamo Yethu in one of the most scenic parts of South Africa. Conditions in the shanty town were shocking. Almost all of the 15,000 residents lived in small corrugated iron shacks measuring about 9ft x 9ft. Few had running water in their homes and most were forced to share outside sanitation facilities. However, Niall Mellon was touched by the spirit and friendliness of the residents of Imizamo Yethu and decided to act.

The property developer made a personal donation of 1 million euros to kick-start the building campaign. In November 2003 Niall arranged for the first Irish Builders Week to take place. 154 volunteers from Ireland and Britain raised 3,500 euros each and travelled to South Africa to build houses for some of the poorest people in that country. 25 new brick homes were built in Imizamo Yethu in one week. From there things have just grown and grown, with up to 500 people heading on the trip last year

Yes, I did say that there were 300 people going this November, which is smaller than the numbers that have been recently, but, this is being billed as a ‘mini-challenge’ to pave the way for more than 1000 people to go on a challenge next year.

So, now that I have been accepted to go along, here’s where the hard work starts! I’ve to get planning, hit the gym, and get as much fundraising done as possible between now and November, with the bulk of the fund-raising needing to be done by the end of August. The target is to raise EUR 4,000, of which just under half will go toward covering flights, accomodation, food and insurance, and the remainder will go directly toward helping the people we’re there to help. Naturally, I’ll be delighted to reach the goal of EUR 4,000, but, I would also like to be able to raise much, much more! Given it costs EUR 5,000 to build an entire house, being able to raise that much is a target for sure, after that the sky’s the limit!

So, what will I be doing to raise the funds? Well, I’ve quite a few ideas in mind, some of which are going to be very exciting and very daunting to try and put together over a relatively short period of time, but, I’m also just going to rely on peoples generosity and good nature to help me out. If people think it’s a good idea, I will set up a facility to allow donations via this website, naturally with credit being given where credit’s due if people would like to be named!

If you want to read more about the challenge, and what it involves, check out the website. I’d especially recommend that you check out the diary section. Also, please do keep an eye on my personal blog for what will hopefully become regular updates, and spread the word on what I’m doing, along with all the others, and on what the Township Challenge itself is about, it’s such a worthy cause!