Saturday 28th April 2018 from 10 am to 12 noon
A Vicars' Hill Coffee Morning for Two Charities

On Saturday 28 April 2018, a coffee morning will be held in the Music Hall at 9 Vicars’ Hill, Armagh, from 10.00am to 12.00pm. This will be a joint fund-raising effort to support two charities – the Northern Ireland Kidney Patients’ Association and the Southern Area Hospice.

Almost one year ago, Stephen Timpany, the Director of Music at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, went for a full day of tests at the Renal Unit of the Belfast City Hospital, with a view to giving his sister, who was in kidney failure, one of his kidneys. The tests were successful and Stephen and his sister underwent their operations in early May. The operation was a daunting prospect for Stephen, who had never been in hospital before. One of Stephen's kidneys was removed during a morning and, later that same day, his kidney was transplanted by another surgeon into his sister. Fortunately all went well and both are now in good health.

Speaking of the care received by both his sister and him, Stephen said, “I am full of praise for the work of the surgeons and nurses at the Belfast City Hospital, and also for the Northern Ireland Kidney Patients' Association (NIKPA), who do so much good work for patients with kidney disease.”

In order to raise much needed funds for the Southern Area Hospice in Newry, Eithna Donaldson and Anne Law will take part in the Camino de Santiago, the French Way, from 26 May to 2 June. They will start their walk in Sarria and finish in Santiago de Compostella – a short walk of 112 kilometres!

As a nurse, Anne has seen many patients benefit from the work of the Hospice. She has been a fund raiser and volunteer for several years. Eithna had a close friend pass away in the Hospice two years ago and saw, at first hand, the care provided for patients and their families. Anne and Eithna feel that, because the Southern Area Hospice depends on fund raising to maintain these vital services, giving up a week of their time to undertake this walk is a small sacrifice to help support the Hospice’s motto, ‘Diginity in Caring’.

The Music Hall is near to St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral and people may park their cars in the Cathedral grounds to attend this double fund-raising event.

For further information, please contact: Stephen Timpany – E-mail: organist@stpatrickscathedral.org