Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind

Balbriggan\North County Dublin Branch 
Newsletter October 2009
Tel: (01) 8412076, e-mail info@balbrigganbranchofguidedogs.org

Cards & Calendars

Our 2010 Calendar and 2009 Christmas cards are now available. The calendar is a perfect gift for anybody but especially a dog lover.  The calendar costs €8.  Christmas cards at €6 per pack of 8, including envelopes are now also available.   
They can be purchased in: 
Balbriggan: Gift Shop, in the Vets on Dublin Street, Pet Shop over Tesco’s, Pat Baxter Butcher, Clonard Street, Super Saver Opticians, Quay Street and Imelda’s Hair Saloon, Bridge Street. 
Skerries:  McMeel’s & Brady’s Chemists, Skerries Pharmacy, Skerries Hardware (McKenna’s) 24 Thomas Hand St, and The Vets on the Rush Road.
Rush: ÓR Designs& Stitches & Alterations on Main St, Rush.
Naul:  C&L Supplies, Snip & Set Hairdressers.

Poker Classics

Friday 13th November our branch is booked for Oldtown House for our annual poker classic run by Billy McGrath, Ann Beggs and friends.  Thanks to Eugene & Miriam Tormey of Oldtown House for their support each year. 

Bellewstown Poker Classic

Maureen Andrews and Paula Townley of Bellewstown organise a poker classic and raffle each January in the Bellewstown Inn.  Each year it raises more money than the previous year and 2009 was the best yet. 

Merchandise Sales & Craft Fairs

 Sunday 29th November Craft fair in St Maur’s GAA Club, Rush and Julianstown Community Center.  
Thursday 10th and Friday 11th of December at Supervalu, Balbriggan we have two days in which we need to man a stand selling our merchandise, calendars and Christmas cards. Can you give us two hours of your time on any of the days; it would be very much appreciated.

Counter Boxes

Our counter box co-ordinator Tommie Nugent ably assisted by son Simon and wife Bernadette look after the boxes and support our team.  The team is Tommie, Noel Lally, Peta Taaffe, Billy McGrath, Ethel Birchall & Helen Dardis, Mary Monks & Susan Bollard, Colette & David Brangan and Eamonn & Marie Deegan.  We would love more help with this part of our fundraising work. 
Turn the page over now 

Large Collection Dogs

We have 6 of these out.  Supervalu and The Bracken Court Hotel Balbriggan, Supervalu & McMeel’s Chemist, Skerries, Tara P.O. and Supervalu Lusk.  If you know of a hotel foyer or other such premises anywhere that a large number of people pass through that we might be able to put another one in do let us know.

Used Stamps, old coin & Bus Tickets

We make money from old stamps if you collect them up and then tear them off the envelope with about half an inch of the envelope left all round. Put them into a bag and when you have a good amount, say after Christmas, or maybe A.G.M time drop them into us.  They are sold off to foreign stamp collectors.  
Bus tickets that you find with uncollected money on them are also useful as we can bring them into Dublin Bus Office and get the uncollected money back from them. 
Our branch still takes all old Irish money and foreign coin.  We change old Irish in the Central Bank and have a contact that exchanges sterling coin and all other foreign coins.

Irish Dancing Feis

This now annual Feis took place in Naul GAA Club this year again in February and plans are well on for 2010.  Thanks Damien & Ann O’Shaughnessy for putting in such hard work into this each year. 
Church gate Collections.
Thanks to everybody for the wonderful help and support on the first weekend of August in Co Meath and the second weekend in September in all North County Dublin, when we held our two church gate collections.  Our Meath collection was up but sadly our North County one was down by €1,700 a sure sign of the times

Shades Campaign

We held this now annual event this year over a week from the May Bank Holiday Monday onwards.  Once again it was most successful with new outlets and old reliable ones coming up trumps yet again.  

Marathons

The Ladies mini-marathon took place as usual on the Bank Holiday Monday in June.  Once again we had some participants which are always great. 
Christmas –New Year Get together.
We hope to have a seasonal get together of all of our supporters and friends in the early New Year.  Should you have interest just let us know and when something is planned we will make contact.  Who amongst you will organize this?