AIRCRAFT seating manufacturer, Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel has raised over £26k for its 2022 charity of the year, Southern Area Hospice Services (SAHS), breaking its own record for the largest donation to a single charity to date.
Over 800 employees at the company, one of the largest aircraft seating manufacturers in Northern Ireland, took part in a range of fundraising initiatives for Southern Area Hospice Services throughout 2022; raising a total of £26,522.60 for the charity.
The events were organised by the ‘Collins Kilkeel Connect’ (CKC) committee; a dedicated group made up of 20 employees from a range of departments, which was launched in 2021 to help the company make a positive impact on its employees, the local community, and the environment. Fundraising events throughout 2022 included a £ for lb weight loss challenge, charity skydive, Raid Pyrenees Charity cycle challenge, launch of a Collins Cookbook, and donation envelopes at a number of the company’s employee events.
SAHS provides invaluable specialist palliative and end of life care and support to patients with life limiting illnesses who live within the Southern Trust Area. Established in 1989, the charity’s high-quality care extends beyond the Hospice and into the community. It aims to enhance the quality of life for patients by responding to their needs, whilst supporting families and carers, thus enabling each person to live each day to the full.
Damien Hillen, Director of Development at the charity spoke about the fundraising efforts of the company saying, “On behalf of the staff and patients at Southern Area Hospice Services, we are delighted to accept the incredible amount of £26,522 raised by the brilliant team at Collins Aerospace. This donation will make a real difference to our patients and could fund nine days of 24 hour inpatient nursing care. It is a fantastic achievement, and we are very grateful to everyone at the company who helped in any way.”
Alan Henning, Managing Director at Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel, said, “I am so incredibly proud of our employees here in Kilkeel for their incredible effort throughout 2022 in raising much needed funds for Southern Area Hospice Services; a charity that provides invaluable care and support to patients in need, not only in Kilkeel but the wider Southern Trust Area. A large part of our ethos here in Kilkeel is maximising the contribution we make to the local community, and assisting where we can, and it certainly is a great achievement for us raising this amount of money, our largest charity donation to date.”
