The City of Armagh Northern Ireland Supporters Club have pulled out all the stops this year to raise a fantastic £10,000 for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.
And club members were delighted to welcome Colin Bell to the Hole in the Wall Bar in Armagh on Thursday night to collect the very welcome cheque.
The club meets at the popular Armagh bar and had selected the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust as the cause for which to fundraise.
It’s a special year for the City of Armagh NISC, as they celebrate their 30th anniversary.
It was, in fact, the club’s special anniversary dinner – held last month in the Armagh City Hotel – that saw much of the money coming in for this incredible effort.
It was, a club spokesperson said, a “tremendous source of pride” to be able to hand over the money. Club Chairman Michael Calvert made the presentation to Colin Bell ahead of their annual general meeting this week.
Said the spokesperson: “This was the result of our fundraising efforts over the last few years that culminated in our brilliant 30th Anniversary Dinner in early February at Armagh City Hotel.
“A huge thank-you to all of our members, friends and supporters whose contributions made this possible.
“This is the biggest donation in our 30-year history as a club, and it’s hard to imagine any better cause that has helped Northern Ireland National Team fans in the toughest of times.”
The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust aims to alleviate the financial hardship of bereaved families, repatriating loved ones who have died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances back to Ireland.
The volunteer-led charity was founded out of a family tragedy when, in June 2013, Kevin Bell died suddenly in New York.
Following an outpouring of support from Kevin’s friends, family and colleagues, a significant amount of funds were raised to repatriate his remains back to Ireland, the charity’s website explains.
As a permanent legacy to Kevin, the Bell family decided to use the funds to establish a charity to help other families who find themselves in a similar situation.
Help comes in the form of financial support as well as advice and guidance on getting the remains of loved ones home as soon as possible.
The charity is absolutely delighted with the efforts of the Armagh-based supporters.
Posting on social media, Colin Bell wrote: “So grateful to the City of Armagh Northern Ireland Supporters Club who not only had us as guests of honour at their Dinner Dance but who also had a quiz for KBRT. Tonight they presented me with a cheque for a marvellous £10,000! GAWA!”
The club has been warmly praised as a result of that social media post, with hundreds taking time to react and comment and congratulate them on a job well done!
For more information on the work of the charity and how to donate or offer support, visit www.kbrtrust.com
