Barbeque!
John Quilter, Paula Cullen, Owen Cullen. At a fundraising barbeque last Saturday 28th June.
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Siomha Cunniffe, Brendan O'Loughlin and his daughter Saoirse and Emily Wardo.
The photo is of the cheque presentation at St Davog's Primary School’s Charity Day in Belleek Co. Fermanagh.
The school, which has 68 pupils, worked all year round fundraising and generously donated €1640 to the Niall Mellon Township Trust (£1,300). This is Brendan’s first year going on the building Blitz and he had altogether successfully raised over €7,400.
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NMTT Delegation Travels to Washington DC to lobby for funds
With Niall Mellon leading the charge, flanked by our great supporter Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a delegation of NMTT volunteers and staffers travelled to Washington DC to ask the US to back our cause to house the homeless in South Africa.
Read the full article here
NMTT Delegation Travels to Washington DC to lobby for funds
With Niall Mellon leading the charge, flanked by our great supporter Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a delegation of NMTT volunteers and staffers travelled to Washington DC to ask the US to back our cause to house the homeless in South Africa.
Read the full article here
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Late last year Niall Mellon announced that 2008 would be the last year that the annual Building Blitz would take place under the Niall Mellon Township Trust banner.
Niall wants to rename the charity to reflect the fact that there are so many big-hearted people involved in its success.
More than 2,500 people have travelled to South Africa to help in our mission to replace shacks with decent homes, and hundreds of thousands of people have contributed funds or attended fund-raisers.
Now, we want you to help us rename the charity.
Please send your suggestions to newname@irishtownship.com or click here to send us your suggestion. Help us find a new name for our great charity.
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“The Irish Township” - RTE 1, 9:30pm, Monday 18th February
The much anticipated documentary filmed by Sideline Productions will be making its way to a small screen near you on Monday 18th of February at 9:30pm.
The hour long film was shot during the 2007 Building Blitz in Freedom Park and concentrates on the experiences of some of our volunteers and beneficiary families.
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Irish Times Editorial – Work of
Niall Mellon Township Trust recognized
"Mr Ahern mightily pleased the Niall Mellon Township Trust in Cape Town by announcing a €5 million grant from Irish Aid for their work, which has so far involved 3,000 Irish building workers and craftspeople in completing some 7,000 houses in one of the city’s poorest townships.
This is a well-deserved tribute to one of the most imaginative voluntary aid projects initiated from Ireland. Its philosophy of direct provision has a real appeal because it involves people to people contact. This should be a central part of aid programmes where it is feasible, especially those run by non-governmental organisations."
Read the full article here
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14th January 2008
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's visits Niall Mellon Township project in Cape Town, South Africa.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's official trip to South Africa started this morning in Cape Town with a visit to the Niall Mellon Township Trust.
Bertie Ahern - Irish Aid Visit Clip / Speech:
Niall Mellon - Irish Aid Visit Clip / Speech:
The Niall Mellon Township Trust received a huge financial boost during the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern’s, recent trip to Cape Town. Taoiseach Ahern visited the township of Freedom Park, where 1380 volunteers built 203 houses, a community centre and a Garden of Hope in one week last November.
See all the pictures here
The calenders are being stocked in Superquinn, Gardenworks, O'Briens and Easons O'Connell Street, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Dundrum and Tallaght.
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Ciara Riordan from Moncrieff on Newstalk 106-108 fm took part in the biggest ever Township Challenge in Freedom Park, Cape Town, South Africa in November 2007. The volunteers came from all over Ireland and managed to build 203 houses. These 203 houses will house 1,100 children and 450 adults. She documented this event in a half hour report which will air on Christmas Day on "Moncrieff" on Newstalk 106-108fm at 3pm.
"Moncrieff" with Sean Moncrieff on Newstalk 106-108 fm, every weekday 2.00pm - 4.30pm.
Find out more at:
http://www.newstalk.ie/newstalk/programmes/5/moncrieff.html
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IBEC staff have organised and are selling this 2008 calendar in aid of the Niall Mellon Township Trust.
In early November almost 1,400 Irish volunteers build 203 houses, a community centre and community garden in South African shanty towns. Two professional photographers among the volunteers donated the photographs for the calendar - Maura Hickey and Sean O'Riordan. The calendar, which has 4 sponsors - Allspace, the Healy Group, IBEC and Mercers - is available here and costs €10. It makes an ideal Christmas present and contributes to a worthy cause. All proceeds go directly to the Trust.
The calenders are being stocked in Superquinn, Gardenworks, O'Briens and
Easons O'Connell Street, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Dundrum and Tallaght.
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Instant UpRight, is the world’s leading provider of aluminium access tower systems have generously supplied a 20ft container full with Instant Snappy and Tower products for the Building Blitz in Cape Town 2007.
Read the full article here
Sligo - Thursday 6th September- Sligo City Hotel @ 6.30 pm
Mullingar - Friday 7th September- Annebrook House Hotel @ 6.30pm
Dublin - Saturday 8th September- Royal Marine Hotel Dun Laoghaire- @ 12pm
Newry - 9th September- Canal Court Hotel @ 1.30pm
Cork, Kerry, Waterford meeting will now take place on the Saturday, 22nd September 2007 in Jurys Cork Hotel at 1pm.
Tipperary, Kilkenny, Limerick and Clare meeting will take place on the Saturday 15th September 2007 in The Glen Hotel at 2pm.
Volunteers Ursula O’Reilly and Richard Fitzsimons braved the Irish elements on the August bank holiday weekend, living in a shack along the N3 in Cavan.
Read the full article here
July 2007, Ireland’s Commissioner to the EU, Charlie McCreevy, paid an official visit to the NMTT projects in Cape Town in early July.
Read the full article here
On Sunday 24th June, Archbishop Desmond Tutu visited Ireland to present the inaugural Archbishop Desmond Tutu Medals of Recognition 2006 to 20 volunteers...
Read the full article here
On the 4th June the Niall Mellon Township Trust team, along with over 30 volunteers took part in the Flora women’s mini marathon in an effort to raise money for this years building blitz in Cape Town.
Read the full article here and see the pics
Dominic Loughran is a Belfast born garden designer and gardening columnist. He approached the Niall Mellon Townships Initiative with the idea to build a Communal garden in conjunction with their house building project for 2007.
Read the full article here
