25.11.2020
Black Santa celebrates 20th anniversary – Donations can be made on–street and online
The Black Santa Sit Out celebrates its 20th anniversary in Dublin this year. The appeal, which has raised well over €700,000 for local good causes so far, takes place outside St Ann’s Church on Dawson Street, every December.
In normal times, the Vicar, Canon David Gillespie, and caretaker, Fred Deane, are a familiar sight outside the city centre church joined by a host of volunteers bearing buckets and accompanied by numerous choirs who bring festive cheer.
This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sit out will look very different. However, the charities which the appeal supports – The Salvation Army, The Simon Community and the Peter McVerry Trust, all of which work with the homeless and also Protestant Aid, Barnardos, St Vincent De Paul, the Laura Lynn Foundation and the Solas Project – are still in desperate need of public support at this very difficult time.
“This is the 20th year of the Black Santa Appeal in Dublin and it will be a year quite like no other,” Canon Gillespie comments. “We do hope to be able to collect on the street as usual, and the permit has been submitted, but we will have to wait and see what the restrictions are at the time.
“Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the many choirs, who join us and bring so much festive cheer to Dawson Street, will be able to be with us this year. We may be able to have small groups of socially distanced singers but again we will have to wait and see.”
Every year many people make a special visit to Black Santa to make their annual donation but, for some, this will not be possible this Christmas. For those who can’t make it to the city centre, donations can be made by cheque payable to St Ann’s Church Black Santa Appeal c/o St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 or using a new online donate button facility in the outreach section of the church website www.stann.dublin.anglican.org
“Like all of us, the charities which we support, have had to adapt to new ways of doing things but their fundraising and donation income has taken a massive hit. There are more in need of funds this year than perhaps ever before so please do what you can to help,” Canon Gillespie comments.
Black Santa in Dublin is modelled on a similar appeal, which has been run by successive Deans of St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast for many years. It has become known as the Black Santa appeal because of the long heavy black cloaks worn by the clergy to keep out the cold. All the charities supported by Black Santa do invaluable work and every cent donated to the appeal is divided among them.
