Chairperson's Welcome

Providing Leadership & expertise to RMHC

Marian Carroll
Chairperson
RMHC Ireland

The Ronald McDonald House Charities in Ireland supports families whose children are seriously ill in hospital. We accomplish this through our Ronald McDonald House. Our House provides a caring and supportive environment for 20 families every night while their seriously ill children are undergoing treatment at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin, Dublin 12.

I would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Dr. Bruce Mitchell who stepped down as Chairperson this year. Bruce has been an incredible advocate for the work of The Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ireland for many years. His contribution in terms of time and expertise was exceptional and deeply appreciated. We thank him for all he has done and wish him all the best for the future.  

The demand for the services provided by RMHC Ireland is ever increasing. Most years we care for approximately 300 families from all over Ireland. Our annual running costs are in excess of €500,000. This money is raised each year through our many fundraising events and the generosity of our many families and supporters. It is important to take this opportunity to thank all of our very generous supporters. Your generosity makes what we do possible and results in an enormous difference for so many families.

Since we opened in November 2004 we have provided a very valuable and necessary service for over 4,400 families from all over Ireland. It is not numbers that make our House a Home, it’s the people – the staff, the volunteers, the families, and the community. It is the warmth, the sharing of joy and sorrow, the listening ear and the supportive hug, the courage and the love that makes our House a Home.

The Covid Pandemic made the provision of our services in 2020/2021 very difficult. Families needed our care and support more than ever before. New safety guidelines introduced by the Government made caring for families a challenge. We had to limit the number of families we could care for. We had to cancel all our volunteering opportunities. Cancelling our Cooking4Families programme was particularly difficult as it has been central to the day to day support we offer our families. We are looking forward to re-introducing this programme very soon.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to express our gratitude to all of the staff and volunteers who make such a worthwhile contribution to so many families at a time of great vulnerability and need. During the pandemic our wonderful staff cared for our families and many companies and individuals continued to donate services and product throughout the year so our families would not miss out in any way. Thank you all.

RMHC Ireland is committed to the highest standards of governance. We have signed up to the CRA Governance Code and we are fully committed to achieving the standards contained within the. CRA Guidelines for Fundraising from the Public. We operate to the Charities Institute Ireland triple lock standards of transparent reporting, good fundraising and governance and were delight to receive the 2021 Triple Lock approval.

Over the next four years, our objective is to develop and build a New 52 bedroom Ronald McDonald House, adjacent to the New Children’s hospital when it opens in 2024. Our fundraising objective over these four years is to raise the funds required to provide this much-needed facility for families in Ireland while at the same time funding the essential service we currently provide at our Ronald McDonald House at CHI, Crumlin.

Your continued support will be necessary as the Charity cannot achieve its goals without you. Thank you for helping us to keep our families together and close to the essential medical treatment their children need.

Marian Carroll

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