Ambition is to raise €200k to mark 200 years of the Licensed Vintners Association
The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), which represents Dublin publicans, has said it is delighted with the public response to its community initiative with ALONE. The LVA has confirmed that in just a couple of months €50,000 has been raised for ALONE, the charity which supports older people by enabling them to age in their own homes.
To support the partnership, Guinness has brewed a limited edition beer, ‘Dublin Amber Pale Ale’. A joint donation of fifty cent for each pint of ‘Dublin Amber’ sold in participating pubs will be made to ALONE by Guinness and the publican to support the expansion of the charity’s services.
One of the aims of the partnership is to enhance the lives of older people by introducing them to volunteer ‘Befrienders’ who will provide them with much needed companionship. It’s hoped to raise €200,000 for the charity through the partnership which was put in place to mark the LVA’s bicentenary.
The CEO of the LVA, Donall O’Keeffe said members were reporting a very positive response from the public in support of the initiative and to Dublin Amber. “Our members wanted to give something back to the community to mark the bicentenary and that really seems to have struck a chord with the public. Community is at the heart of the Dublin pub and that is why we chose to partner with ALONE on this initiative.”
“To date we have collectively raised €50,000 for ALONE and we would like to wholeheartedly thank the public for supporting this initiative. Given that Dublin Amber has only been available for a couple of months, we are delighted with the funds raised so far and will be relying on the public to help us reach our ambitious target of €200,000 by the autumn.”
Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, said the charity was thrilled with the progress. “It’s really great to see that this initiative has gained such traction with Dublin’s publicans and their customers. We would like to thank them for their ongoing support. ALONE depends on public support with 100% of all donations going directly to providing services to older people in need. The funds raised will help us to reach out to the 1 in 10 older people who experience chronic loneliness.”
As it happens ALONE, is also marking a significant birthday this year – its 40th. Founded in 1977, ALONE is a national organisation which supports older people living in their homes by providing community engagement programmes and other services to address social isolation among the elderly.
‘Dublin Amber’ is available on draught in hundreds of pubs across Dublin for a limited time only.