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THE IRISH CANCER Society (ICS) is staring at a €3.8 million hole in its finances this year due to the impact of Covid-19 on fundraising.
A spokeswoman for the charity said that Covid-19 “has had a significant effect on the finances of the Society”.
She stated: “We are currently forecasting that we will be around €3.8 million down on what we had planned to raise this year.”
The charity’s annual flagship fundraising day, Daffodil Day for March was cancelled due to Covid.
The spokeswoman stated that “despite the incredible efforts of our supporters online, we were still down €2m on what we would hope to raise in a normal year”.
The ICS was aiming to raise €4.2 million from Daffodil Day this year and raised around €2m from the event.
The ICS’s annual report for 2019 shows that Daffodil Day last year raised €3.6 million.
The spokeswoman stated that the ICS’s annual breast cancer campaign Cups Against Breast Cancer has this year experienced a 68% reduction in sign-ups while marathon income is 66% down.
She added: “Our 21 charity shops nationwide have also suffered during the pandemic due to closures and are 43% down on budget.”
The spokeswoman was commenting on the publication of the charity’s annual report for 2019 where the charity recorded a surplus of €2.9 million for last year.
The spokeswoman stated: “The society is projecting a deficit for 2020, but our big concern is for 2021. We are expecting that the next six to 18 months will be an extremely challenging fundraising environment as the novelty factor of digital fundraising events wears off.”
On the impact the shortfall in fundraising may have on services, the spokeswoman stated: “We are in a fortunate position this year in that we have had enough reserves to ensure we can meet the increased demand of our services, such as Night Nursing, virtual counselling and the extension of our Support Line.
“However, we’re already seeing concerning dips in income in the second half of the year and are concerned about the effect of a potential recession on our ability to raise much-needed funds for those affected by cancer.”
The charity’s total income last year increased by 9% from €22.32 million to €24.29 million.
The charity’s finances were boosted by €3.2 million received in legacies and bequests last year which included a woman in the south-east bequeathing €850,000 worth of shares.
The ICS confirmed that another woman in the Midwest left over €370,000 as part of her estate while the society also gifted a house in Co Dublin valued at €195k,000.
To date this year, the ICS has received €2.8 million in legacy gifts.
The spokeswoman stated: “Anyone who chooses to leave a gift to the Irish Cancer Society in their will is truly leaving a legacy. Their generosity helps fund advances in cancer research which will have an impact for generations to come as well as ensuring that critical cancer support services.”
Staff costs at the ICS last year totalled €8m that included pay of €125,000 to ceo, Ms Averil Power. Total pay to six key management personnel totalled €737,300.
In her report, Ms Power states: “For as long as Ireland is affected by coronavirus, we will continue to do everything we can to reduce its impact on people affected by cancer. We will remain flexible and respond to new needs as they emerge.”
She stated: “When we first started Daffodil
Day in 1986, just three out of ten Irish people survived their cancer diagnosis. Today, six in ten do.”
At the end of December last, the ICS had total funds of €27.22m whole its cash totalled €14.4m.
To find out more or support the work of the Society go to cancer.ie
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Apple Green. Keep the extortionate prices down and make some decent filled rolls unlike Topaz and you won’t go far wrong with the public.
Too late.
Topaz deli and coffee is awful.
Most Apple greens are nice and as I driver I appreciate their clean customer toilets the most!
You can spent €100 on diesel in Topaz to be told “sorry there’s no loo. Have some of our watery coffee”
Support local. Buy local.
I refuse to buy any petrol that wasn’t pulled from the ground on these very isles! I’ve been stranded on quite a few occasions and my car hasn’t moved since it ran out of fuel the day I bought it but I’m not changing my ways!
Hope the sub contractors get paid this time unlike what happened at the Lusk service station when it was built.
Not Applegreens fault, they paid the principal contractor who in turn shirt changed the sub contractors.
I should stand to be corrected on that bit that’s what I can recall from memory.
Applegreen is a great spot. Take kids to one in Castlrbellingham. Inside play area is great. Long haul lorry driver appreciate it, a safe place to pull in for the night grab a shower etc.
All good.
The thing you have to remember before you spout the “Buy Irish / Support Irish Jobs” nonsense, is that there are far more people living outside Ireland who consider themselves Irish than there are living on this island.
Therefore when you buy “foreign”, there’s a good chance that you’re supporting somebody who had to emigrate, or the company that game them a job when they had to emigrate, or their descendants. .
Neal,
Correct also what would happen to the economy if trading partners decided to stop buying Irish and to “buy local” think we’d be in a bit of a mess. It’s a 2edged sword
well done Neal, this has to be the stupidest thing I have ever read on the journal. regarding those who “had” to emigrate surely creating jobs in Ireland would enable them to come home.
What about all the family run garages that they will close down, like tesco, lidl and aldi, Irish money making British and German filthy rich companies richer and Irish stores to suffer and close.
People have voted with their feet and / or their level of disposable income.
I’m prob worse than anyone when it comes to aldi or apple green ye gotta love a deal, but that’s because they can buy in such big bulk. The smaller business can’t compete with that, I don’t own a store or know anyone who does, I just think it’s wrong because they open so many stores it doesn’t mean the demand for petrol will be greater it means some small business will eventually close and another Irish family will lose jobs.
Ben applegreen dont really use their economy of scale to keep fuel prices down. I generally find they are the same as any other garage around them price wise.
They sell bad fuel . Low mileage
Anything on where the 6 are?
Just to point out Applegreen is a 100 percent owned and run Irish company that now also branched to the UK and the US. A company that is very modest about their success.
Where are all the shinners complaining about these jobs? Actually where have the shinner bots gone since the elections. It is like the tap has been turned off. And criticism from Gerry and all of the Government has quietened a lot too. Seems they are preparing for Government by pretending they always supported austerity.
Because Applegreen don’t sell dodgy Shinner diesel.
Apple green come in open up company owned sites which eliminate small family businesses.
They use their economies of scale to create price wars and eventually the family owned stores die out. E.g Ennis
These news stories shouldn’t get praise for opening new stores as they will force close others.
You can’t create extra demand for Fuel
There is no service station off the motorway from Dublin to Waterford. (among other long stretches) What they are offering is a product to service motor way traffic not set up in the middle of your town. They are badly needed unless you want children to go to the toilet on the side of the road .
More profit in Lucoazade than petrol
have your say