Coldvember announce Galway Rape Crisis Centre as 2022 charity partner

It’s almost that time of year again!

Coldvember 2022 have announced their charity partner as the Galway Rape Crisis Centre, for the second year running.

After last year’s phenomenal charity event raised over €21,000, it was an obvious choice for the crew to go for the same charity this year, said John Flannery, member of the Coldvember2021 and 2022 team.

“We decided to go with the Galway Rape Crisis Centre this year, because we really enjoyed working with them last year, and we realised the great work that they do,” he explained.

This year, the Coldvember team are aiming for a massive €30,000.

In relation to the ambitious fundraising target, John said: “There isn’t much harm in going for a high goal, because all the money is going to charity, the main goal is spreading awareness, and any funds that come along with that is just a benefit.

“If you spread enough awareness, the funds will come.”

The Charity

The money raised last year went towards various counselling supports for victims of sexual abuse and sexual assault.

Speaking to Galway Pulse, John highlighted the importance of raising awareness around sexual assault: “Usually Coldvember is a fundraising initiative that raises awareness for mental health charities, and we thought it was important to make the connection between sexual assault and violence and mental health.”

The Beanies

As part of this year’s campaign, Coldvember beanies will be available to purchase. All of the profits raised from the sales will go to the Galway Rape Crisis Centre. If you want to get your hands on one before they sell out, be sure to check out the @coldvember_ug Instagram.

The Community

Coldvember takes place during a time of year that many people find takes a toll on their mental health. The fresh early mornings are a perfect start to get through a difficult month.

“You can come down any morning of November, we’ll be there having a buzz with the music, and everyone’s in a good mood, even if it’s lashing rain and cloudy skies, everyone is on a good buzz,” said John.

This year, the team are making a great effort to foster community spirit at the Coldvember events. Without revealing too much, John told Galway Pulse: “We’re leaning a bit more into the music side of things this year and trying to get different groups of people down who might not necessarily enjoy the early mornings as much.”

“My highest recommendation would be to come down on the first day, on November 1. We’ll be swimming around 7:30, for sunrise, so if it’s not your thing at least you know, and if it is your thing, you have 29 more days to enjoy it.”