IKEA IS DONATING an initial €5,000 worth of furniture to the housing services in the Simon Communities.

It’s to mark the announcement that the Simon Communities in Ireland and IKEA have begun a year-long fundraising campaign partnership.

The furniture giant says that co-workers are already planning a number of fundraising initiatives including fun-runs, checkout collections, coffee mornings and cake sales to raise money.

Customers will be also encouraged to get involved with in store events taking place over the next year to support the service that the Simon Communities provide.

Jose Ramon De Blas, Store Manager of IKEA Dublin, said; “We are delighted to be working with the Simon Communities as our charity partner for the coming year.

We look forward to providing products along with our design expertise to help furnish the accommodation facilities and hopefully help to bring some added comfort to the lives of the residents.

National Spokesperson for the Simon Communities in Ireland, Niamh Randall, said: “It’s a great initiative which we hope will raise much needed funds for the Simon Communities across Ireland.

The economic crisis is impacting on us all, but mostly it is affecting those living on the margins of our society; people who are homeless, those at risk of homelessness.

“The Simon Communities all around the country are seeing a growth in demand for their services. We are beyond the point of being able to do more with less and that is why this fundraising campaign is so important to us.”

There are over 90,000 people on the social housing waiting list and Simon works with over 5,000 people and families every year.

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