About Us:
TOUCH
“Our World - Our Responsibility”
TOUCH focus is on vulnerable children in “Our World”. We use the term “Our World” as opposed to “Third World” or “Developing World”. We feel this terminology allows people to believe that the problem is not ours and therefore not our responsibility. But we feel that if everyone does something regardless of what level they are at then we can significantly help these children. We don't think we are going to change the world but even if we help only one child then it has to be worth our effort.
The ethos of TOUCH is simple in that all children have a right to food, shelter, medication and education. This is the principle we work with and we feel a huge responsibility to do the best we can. All funds raised from the general public go directly to source and this is very important to our groups and ourselves as we understand this is what the public would like to see. A voluntary member of TOUCH travels to our projects at least once a year at their own expense to ensure that all funds are being put to good use.
TOUCH was launched in July 2003. We are trying to be different in that all the money we raise goes directly to our projects. How many times have you asked yourself when you give a donation to a charity how much of it goes to the actual project and how much goes to administration or other costs. This means that we pay no salaries and try to support our running costs and our office through a dedicated fundraising event. This allows for financial donations made by the general public and other groups to go directly to our projects where they want the full benefit of their donations to go.
We have set up groups of people voluntarily fund raising for TOUCH projects.
Each Touch Group is a stand-alone project with it's own Bank Account. A small Central Group (TOUCH Executive Body) coordinates and oversees the administration, financing and progress of all Group projects. However at times of world disasters such as famine or natural disasters, our groups may decide to come together to form a cohesive response.
Our groups are of everyday people coming together and linking into a dedicated project, this allows a connection to evolve between them and the people benefiting from that project.
We now have groups in Dublin, (Harold's Cross), Kildare (Naas), Offaly (Tullamore), Meath (Navan) and a Central Group, which operates, as our controlling body.
Touch groups decide and select from these identified projects. This will then be submitted to the Central Group for sanction.
The aim of Touch through its projects is primarily to keep people alive and instil hope for the future. It is always our intention that communities do not become reliant on us. They are encouraged and supported to provide for their own community when they are in a position to do so. Local people in their own country manage all projects. At all times their ideals, culture and customs are respected.
How “TOUCH” came about:
In 1998 while at an International Cheshire conference in London, Seamus Gleeson , Pauline McHugh and colleagues met Ms. Rita Tumbila, Manager of a Cheshire Aids centre for orphaned children in Kaoma, Zambia. Rita, a Zambian lady had come to London for help and initially she was looking for medical supplies, food, clothing, and anything else we could send. In particular baby milk and baby food was requested as these were in very short supply and the centre was in financial difficulty.
In 1999 we sent a 40ft. Container to Kaoma to support this project. We travelled to Zambia to visit the centre and see what more we could do to help; this was the beginning of what is now TOUCH.
That was over six years ago and since then TOUCH has been involved in starting projects or supporting existing ones, all related to vulnerable children. We now support projects in Zambia, Cameroon, India, Nepal, Sri lanka and Cameroon.
We also send Aid Containers to the projects to support the endeavours of the local people running these projects.
Are you interested in forming a TOUCH group in your community?
For further information please contact us.
Phone: 00-353-45-874889 (W) or 00-353-86-3260948 (M).
Email: seamus@touchireland.org