Thermo Fisher Scientific make donations to 54 Cork organisations #CSR

28 November 2021
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie

The 54 awardees include Irish Dogs for the Disabled and Holy Well School in Carrigaline

Global life sciences company Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced the recipients of its €50,0000 Community Partnership Grant, with 54 charities and community groups in Cork’s Lower Harbour and beyond sharing the fund. Among the deserving local groups are Irish Dogs for the Disabled and Holy Well National School.

This is the second consecutive year that Thermo Fisher Scientific at Currabinny, Carrigaline has offered a €50,000 fund to local groups who make their communities healthier, cleaner, and safer. Part of the company’s Making a Difference initiative, it follows a recent donation of €56,000 of IT equipment to four local groups.

Liam Flavin, Capital Projects Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific celebrates the 54 winners of the €50,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific Community Partnership Grant with Hannah O’ Driscoll (6) and Lily O’ Leary (5), pupils of Holy Well National School, one of the beneficiaries in Cork’s Lower Harbour and beyond sharing the fund this year. The Carrigaline school’s allocated grant will support the development of a Sensory Garden. Part of the Currabinny-based global life sciences company’s Making a Difference initiative, the €50,000 grant was offered to local groups who make their communities healthier, cleaner, and safer.
PIC Darragh Kane

Carol-Anne Sheehy, Site Operational Excellence Lead (far left) and Liam Flavin, Capital Projects Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific (far right) pictured at Haulbowline Amenity Park celebrating the 54 winners of the €50,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific Community Partnership Grant with Raya Murphy (7); her sister Amy (10); her mother Paula; assistance dog, Mowana; and Teresa Hill from Dogs for the Disabled, one of the charities and community groups in Cork’s Lower Harbour and beyond sharing the fund this year. Part of the Currabinny-based global life sciences company’s Making a Difference initiative, the €50,000 grant was offered to local groups who make their communities healthier, cleaner, and safer.
PIC Darragh Kane

Speaking on the announcement, Liam Flavin, Capital Projects Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Cork, and a member of the site’s Volunteer Committee said: “We are grateful to live and work in an area where so much passion is given to building a strong community. The Lower Harbour is full of people and groups committed to each other, and we are honoured to play our part in helping them.

“The 54 recipients for our €50,000 Community Partnership Grant share Thermo Fisher Scientific’s mission to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Each of them is making a difference, from sports teams creating opportunities for healthy socialising; to Tidy Towns groups keeping their villages green. Employees also nominated charities outside of the Lower Harbour close to their hearts and aligned to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s purpose. We are proud to support each of these important causes and excited to see the €50,000 Grant put to good use.”

Deirdre Hurley, Building Co-ordinator in the Senior Academy and Ann Herlihy, Special Class Teacher of Holy Well Senior Academy explained that their allocated grant will support the development of a Sensory Garden. “Full of textures, smells and sounds, this will be hugely beneficial for all children in our Senior Academy of Holy Well NS and for the children with autism spectrum disorder in our Special Class,” they said. “The garden will be a safe place where they can learn, explore and develop sensory experiences. It will have a hugely positive impact on their sense of well-being and ability to regulate their emotions. We are very grateful to Thermo Fisher for the generous grant we have received, and we look forward to seeing its positive impact on the children in Holy Well in the coming years.”

Paula Murphy, whose seven-year-old daughter, Raya has an assistance dog Mowana from Irish Dogs for the Disabled added: “Mowana has made an incredible impact on our family, allowing Raya to live life to her fullest by breaking down barriers for her to the outside world and helping to improve her confidence. We were delighted that a good friend of ours, who is an employee at Thermo Fisher Scientific, put forward Irish Dogs for the Disabled as a deserving cause for the Community Partnership Grant. Contributions like this make such a difference and will help other families with special needs children.”

The Community Partnership Grant will support a diverse group of other local charities like Covers of Comfort, Cúnamh Cancer Support Group, and RNLI Crosshaven. Funding will also go to Féileacáin (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland), and St Vincent de Paul Monkstown. Community groups like Positive Passage People, Shanbally Village Clean Up Group and Carrigaline Men’s Shed will also be supported and educational strands with UCC WiSTEM Society, UCC Engineering Society, Scoil Barra Naofa in Monkstown, Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour National School and Scoil Bhríde in Crosshaven. Twenty different local sports groups will receive funding, including the LGBT-inclusive Cork Hellhounds rugby club, Surf the Curve and Carrigaline Taekwon-Do Club.

Full list of all recipients