Galway Simon Society at the University of Galway announces Sleep Out For Simon inaugural fundraiser

Students at the University of Galway have established the Galway Simon Society and launched their first fundraiser on campus last week.

The society’s inaugural fundraiser has been announced as a Sleep Out on campus in the Quad on 6 October. Members of the new society, along with the Galway Simon Community, hope to raise funds as well as awareness to aid vulnerable people in society and ask fellow students to join them in their efforts.

“It’s wonderful to see Town and Gown come together again as the students establish the Galway Simon Society at University of Galway,” said Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh.

Community Impact

The Simon Community was originally set up in 1979 by members of Galway’s community who decided to do something about the crisis of homelessness in Galway. Among them included students from University College Galway. The volunteers started with soup runs, making the meals at home and doing the run together, and the community has only grown since then.

Karen Golden, CEO of Galway Simon says: “We are delighted that the students in the University of Galway have established the Galway Simon Society on campus as it was a group of students, along with others, who started what would go on to be the Community we are today.”

In 2022, Galway Simon Community supported 810 households, including 225 families, by providing homelessness prevention, housing, as well as health and wellbeing services. This year the community set themselves a €100,000 fundraising goal with 100% of the proceeds going directly towards Galway Simon’s Homelessness Prevention Services in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

To register for the Sleep Out or to donate visit sleepoutforsimon.ie.