A west Belfast charity has said Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody is their “hero” after he donated £10,000 to support vulnerable people across the city.
Foodstock which operates from the Andersonstown Road and provides meals to vulnerable people and other lifeline services received the donation just before Christmas.
The Snow Patrol frontman announced the donation through his philanthropy group known as the Lightbody Foundation which also made donations to four other charities.
The charity’s lead organiser, Paul Doherty, hailed Gary Lightbody for his generous efforts which came at a time when the charity was “in the eye of the hurricane”.
It comes after the charity said it was experiencing unprecedent demand in the lead up to Christmas.
Paul said: “A member of the Lightbody Foundation called us up and we were in the eye of the hurricane at the time — there was so much happening.
“Gary Lightbody is someone who very much has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on in communities. He’s a hero, it’s as simple as that, it will make a real difference to many peoples lives as a result.”
Read more
“For how many records he’s sold and tours around the world, the very fact that he knows what’s going on in terms of poverty — I think it’s absolutely commendable.”
As part of their Christmas initiative, Foodstack volunteers provided dinners to over 600 vulnerable people who were suffering from poverty in the festive season.
More than 50 volunteers made their way to various homes on Christmas Eve to deliver the meals in what Paul says can be an isolating time for some.
“On Christmas Eve we reached 600 people who would have spent Christmas alone and brought a dinner out to them for Christmas Day,” said Paul.
“We had volunteers knocking on their door wishing them a merry Christmas, making everything was okay and if they needed anything else.”
Paul hailed the Lightbody Foundation grant as a significant sign that the volunteers, who sacrificed spending time with family on Christmas Eve, “were recognised” for their efforts.
“People are going through a lot and that had big impact on volunteers, so it is hard at times,” Paul explained.
“But news like that gave everyone a lift and a real drive — the fact that they were recognised for what they did by someone like Gary Lightbody.”
The charity received referrals from health centres and GPs far and wide across Belfast. This year marks the charity’s fifth season brightening up Christmas for those who need it.
The campaigner explained: “We had one objective: that those spending Christmas alone a could be reached. That knock on the door and wishing someone a merry Christmas is taken for granted as so many people are in isolation over Christmas.”
Paul remarked on the importance of “pulling together as a community” to help out people that are in difficult circumstances through no fault of their own and warned there was still much work to be done to help those in need over the winter months.