€200,000 raised for Irish children's charities on National Pyjama Day

Two hundred thousand euro has been raised for Irish children's charities as a result of National Pyjama Day. 

The one-day fundraising event - organised by the Early Years sector in Ireland in November last year - saw thousands of children across Ireland being sponsored to wear pyjamas to school settings. 

Three children's charities are set to benefit from donations of €73,000 each, including AsIAm, Children in Hospital Ireland and the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation. 

They were chosen by Early Childhood Ireland’s 3,800 members and underwent an appraisal process conducted by the Community Foundation of Ireland. 

Commenting on the announcement, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland, Teresa Heeney, said, "We are delighted that our dedicated members have worked so hard to raise such an impressive sum of money. Staff and children at more than 1,000 services took part in this initiative, and I would like to thank each and every one of them for their efforts, particularly at such a challenging time for the sector.

"This event is all about children helping children and I am so proud that Early Childhood Ireland and its members can support these three wonderful charities, which carry out hugely impactful work each day." 

Ireland's national autism charity AsIAm will use the funding to support autistic children and their families. 

This includes the provision of free masterclasses and facilitated Community of Practice sessions to 250 Early Years Practitioners, and developing tailored supports for families who contact the AsIAm information line. 

It will also contribute to the hiring of a Family Support Manager who will provide post-diagnosis support to at least 100 families over the course of a year. 

Children in Hospital Ireland, which works to make hospital a happier place through play and advocacy, will develop an online information hub to support families, run a programme of training events to address knowledge gaps for families, and expand its resources for young people moving from paediatric to adult hospital care. 

The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation, which supports children with life-limiting or life-threatening medical conditions, will use the funding to provide over 3,300 hours of specialist home nursing care, including end-of-life care for children with highly complex medical conditions. 

This will reportedly benefit over 400 families across Ireland. 

Image: Johnny Bambury at Fennell Photography