Sleeping Flags Campaign ‘The Bags We Didn’T Want to Make’
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Issue 56 SUMMER 2019 ONEConnect THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ÓGLAIGH NÁISIÚNTA NA hÉIREANN SLEEPING FLAGS CAMPAIGN ‘The bags we didn’t want to make’ On Monday, February 11th ONE commenced other internet portals, was edited by Raygun decided that the deliverers and users of a campaign to raise public awareness and a post production company. Garret Harte ONE homeless services would front the aid for the homeless Irish Defence Forces’ from Harte Media was brought in to handle campaign. The Sleeping Flags Campaign was veterans it supports by situating veterans the Public Relations Campaign. quickly picked up by print, broadcast and in specially-created Tricolour sleeping bags Ollie O’Connor, CEO of ONE, “Our first social media and raised public awareness of around the streets of Dublin. homeless hostel opened in direct response the work carried out by ONE on behalf of Dubbed ‘Sleeping Flags’, the symbolic act to a number of veterans dying on the streets homeless and in need veterans. The House which challenges protocols around the of Dublin. Since then, we’ve helped over 900 Managers and former and current residents treatment and representation of the Irish flag, homeless veterans from all over Ireland who of all three homes were interviewed on TV, is to represent both the homeless veterans could have faced the same situation. These radio and for the print media. who died on Dublin’s streets, which was the Sleeping Flags are bags we never wanted to While fundraising remains vital, the most catalyst for ONE setting up its first homeless make, but if we can’t get enough funding, our important product of the campaign was that hostel, and the reality facing current and veterans will end up back on the streets”. seventeen (17) homeless veterans contacted future veterans if the charity is unable to keep Set against Ireland’s current homelessness ONE. Nine (9) of those who made contact its doors open. crisis, the preventive services ONE offer are are now in ONE hostels, a further six (6) are To date, ONE has helped hundreds of more vital than ever, providing over 16,000 still in contact with ONE and four (4) long homeless male and female Defence Forces’ bed nights every year, between Dublin, term residents have moved to permanent veterans who have served abroad in conflict Letterkenny and Athlone, and with 95% of the accommodation since the Sleeping Flags zones including The Congo, Lebanon, Syria veterans they help moving on to permanent Campaign began. ONE is also endeavouring and the Mediterranean, or at home during housing. to support a further six (6) veterans who subsequently enquired about ONE services. the “Troubles”. Many come to ONE with As Richard Dillon, House Manager, Brú na depression, disabilities, PTSD, or having bhFiann, stated, “The men and women suffered family breakdowns, with little we’re helping have a special affinity with support to call on. the Tricolour. These are fathers, mothers, The campaign was the brainchild of ROTHCO brothers, sisters and our next door neighbours an advertising arm of Accenture and they who joined the Irish Defence Forces to serve quickly brought Ross Whitaker and his team their country. When they joined up, they were from Antidote to direct and produce a short young fit men and women. They didn’t put up documentary video telling the story of their hands to become homeless veterans.” homeless veterans. The video which, can be Based on advice from Harte media, it was viewed at www.sleepingflags.ie and various 2 Editorial Around the Branches Ollie O’Connor COBH We learned from the Sleeping Flags The annual mass for deceased members of the defence forces organised by the Cobh Branch of campaign the value of working the Organisation of National Ex - Service Personnel took place on the 19th May at St Colman’s with outside agencies and how we Cathedral. First organised by Mick Gould several years ago, this poignant ceremony has now can access the corporate social become an annual remembrance of all those served and continue to serve their country. responsibility (CSR) components of large companies. CSR must have a two way dividend, for ONE on this occasion we had a massive public awareness success whereas those involved on a corporate level were giving something back to the community. We were also delighted to see that ROTHCO, part of Accenture Interactive, picked up three prestigious D&AD Pencil Awards for its thought-provoking ‘Sleeping Flags’ campaign for O.N.E. The campaign was awarded one Yellow Pencil in the PR category for Low Budget and two Wood Pencils in the Experiential and Media Categories. Training of Mental Health First Aiders MAYO (MHFA) and In April Mayo Branch members took Welfare a break from their constant Fuchsia Officers is Appeal collection and had a great day in Galway. They expressed their continuing. gratitude to Officer Commanding An Cead Cath for the welcome and The Fuchsia Appeal, which launches “ their hosts for the day ONE Gaillimh on the 27th June, will help to fund and Sgt Maloney who gave us a very our planned services for veterans, informative tour of the Bk museum. including the 17 additional veterans who came forward as a result of the Sleeping Flags Awareness Campaign and the others who have yet to come forward. We have also been busy in other areas; training of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) and Welfare Officers is continuing. Three MHFA courses have been completed with another two being planned. Funding for these courses has been achieved ST. MICHAELS BRANCH ATHY through the beneficence of the On the 2nd May President Michael D. Higgins unveiled a plaque in honour of Leonard Cohen. Leopardstown Park Hospital Trust The plaque is part of the “Made of Athy” project, which honours people with links to the Co. to the tune of €11,000. The Trust Kildare town. The project, which celebrates a sense of place and community in the town, is has also promised a further €25,000 supported by the Kildare County Council Arts Office. towards the development of the The late Canadian’s songwriter’s link to Athy is that he collaborated on the script of the play Veterans Support Centre in Cobh. It ‘Between Your Love and Mine’ with John MacKenna. is expected that the property will be The local St. Michaels Branch were invited to the event and were supported by other ONE handed over shortly by OPW on a Branches. lease basis. The National Golf Classic in aid of the Fuchsia takes place on the 5th July in Ardee Golf Club. The classic is being hosted by the Michael McNeela Branch Dún Dealgan. All branches are requested to support this event. Enclosed with this magazine are nomination papers for Directors to be elected at the upcoming AGM. Each nominee requires nomination by two paid up members and must also sign the paper to assent to their nomination. 3 ST. CONLETHS BRANCH Held on the 28th April in the Curragh Camp St. Conleths Branch Annual Mass was very well supported not only by ONE Branches but also a number of other organisations and associations including IUNVA Post 9, 3 Bn Association, MPAI and the Glengarry Club. The Defence Forces were represented and GOC DFTC, Brig Gen Dave Dignam laid a wreath. Tom James, National President laid a wreath on behalf of ONE. ONE OPen NIGHT SLIGO On Thursday 11th April ONE held an Open Night for Defence Forces Veterans in the Glasshouse Hotel in Sligo town. The night was hosted by the local Erne Branch, who were ably supported by members of the Mayo Branch and the Connacht/Ulster Area Council. The purpose of the night was to demonstrate exactly how ONE provides supports for veterans in need, how it offers veterans an opportunity to meet up with comrades, by what means the organisation advocates on behalf of veterans in general and how ONE remembers those veterans that have passed. The event was introduced by Pat Cullen, Chairman of the Erne Branch. Colm Campbell, Chairman ONE Board of Directors and CEO, Ollie O’Connor then gave a more detailed brief on the background of ONE, how the organisation has evolved over the last 30 years from a comrades organisation to a charity that provides accommodation and other supports to veterans in need, the future development of the organisation where it is proposed to increase the network of hostels and Veteran Support Centres countrywide and to expand and grow the membership to ensure the strategic plan is viable. A number of veterans from the greater Sligo area were in attendance and the night was also supported by members of the 5 Fd Sigs and the 19th Bn Associations. ~~~~~ UPCOMING EVENTS ~~~~~ Event Date Remarks IMVG Military Show 22/23 June Naas Racecourse, Co. Kildare; in conjunction with IUNVA Veterans Day on 24th June Fuchsia Appeal Launch 27 June Defence Forces National Monument, Merrion Square Tri-Colour Celebrations 28 June Waterford Mental Health First Aid Course 29/30 June Cobh Fuchsia Appeal 01/31 July Countrywide ONE Annual Golf Competition 05 July Ardee Golf Club, Co. Louth (hosted by Michael McNeela Branch Dún Dealgan) National Day of Commemoration 14 July National Museum of Ireland, Collins Bks, Dublin National Services Day Parade 07 September Dublin Ministerial Review 60 Inf Gp, UNDOF TBC September Athlone (TBC) Waterford Branch Lá na bhFiann 22 September Waterford ONE Annual Convention 27/29 September Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk ONE Annual General Meeting 28 September Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk Ministerial Review 115 Inf Bn, UNIFIL TBC October Kilkenny (TBC) Deceased Members Commemoration 01 November McKee Bks – DFHQ / McKee Bks Niemba Ceremony 09 November Cathal Brugha Bks DF Carol Service 11 December Arbour Hill, Dublin 4 St.