Leitrim urged to brew up support for children around the world by hosting a tea party

Children across Leitrim are being encouraged to make a global impact this June by hosting a Team Hope Tea Party in their final weeks of school.

The initiative, launched by Irish charity Team Hope, aims to support vulnerable children in African and Eastern European countries through local fundraising events. 

Leitrim has a strong tradition of supporting Team Hope, with many schools in the county regularly taking part in the charity’s well-known Christmas Shoebox Appeal. 

Now in its 15th year, the organisation is calling on not just schools, but also local sports clubs, businesses and individuals across Leitrim to get involved in this new summertime campaign.

People in Ireland have donated €2 million in aid through Team Hope since 2010.

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The Tea Party campaign has a fundraising target of €240,000 to support vital projects such as clean water, education, and income-generation in countries including Kenya, Burundi, Malawi, and Rwanda, where many live on less than two dollars a day.

The event will run from June 14 to June 22, and is open to anyone – not just schools.

"Over the past 15 years, we’ve not only delivered millions of Christmas Shoebox gifts but have also helped provide access to clean water, healthcare and support for communities that need it most,” said Deborah Lowry, Team Hope CEO.

“In June, we’d love if people could think beyond the box and host a tea party to help raise vital funds to support that work.

“In the five years to the end of this year, we will have improved the lives of 10,000 children in our sustainable development projects. 

“The locally-based water projects in Kenya not only provide clean water to communities but also mean that girls, who previously spent hours collecting water every day, can go to school. There are multiple layers to the improvements our work makes to people’s lives,” she added.

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Other Team Hope projects include the creation of pineapple farms in Rwanda – an income generator that helps parents support their families and send their children to school – as well as the development of village savings and loans groups, enabling people to start small businesses like soap-making or to buy livestock.

“We know that we are impacting hundreds of people in their own communities and thousands of children as a result of this work,” said Ms Lowry.

“While the shoebox appeal opens the door so we can help the poorest communities create their own future, we want to tell a different story; that these children are well loved, that they are full of hope. We are only the little seeds that help them build a better future.”

Participants will receive a digital pack of downloads, including recipes and party ideas, as well as a donation page for their individual event. 

For more information on how to host a Tea Party or simply get involved, click here.