Spike Island will be the Cork location for Focus Ireland’s Shine A Light Night on October 18, with local business executives being urged to support the fundraiser.

Business leaders will sleep out on Spike Island to raise money for the homelessness charity, with many more people joining in at locations all over the country.

Focus Ireland currently counts 1,730 homeless families in Ireland. In Cork, there are 407 adults without a home. 

Last year, the organisation helped more than 15,500 people in dealing with homelessness or difficulties which could lead to it.

Other locations for the sleep-out include Dublin, Wexford, Waterford and Limerick. People can sign up to support the initiative by pledging to fundraise and sleep out at their workplace. 

In Association with

Focus Ireland regional manager Ger Spillane said: “We rely on the support of organisations like Bord Gáis Energy to make a success of fundraising events like Shine A Light Night and we’d like to thank them for their generous support.”

BGE regional manager Nico Rourke  commented: “It is heart-breaking that 3,820 children in Ireland today have no home.  Shine A Light Night is an incredible initiative that has gathered more and more support year on year. We need this year’s event to be bigger than ever in raising vital funds to support this devastating social issue. We urge every business in Cork to join us, sign up and give one night to make this the most successful Shine A Light Night yet."

• Volunteers can sign up at the Focus Ireland website, or contact their Cork fundraising executive Dick White at dick.white@focusireland.ie or 086 822 3690.

Photo: Fiona Corcoran (left), Philip Gillivan of Cork Business Association, and Aisling O'Connor of Focus Ireland. (Pic: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM Photo)