Focus Ireland and the Law Society of Ireland are pleased to announce that Focus Ireland’s annual Shine A Light Night Dublin will be held at the Law Society’s premises at Blackhall Place on Friday, 12 October, 2018.

Sleeping rough to fight homelessness

This is the seventh annual Shine A Light Business Leaders event which calls on CEOs, MDs, and members of leadership teams to join their peers and sleep-out for one night in support of Focus Ireland’s work challenging homelessness and changing lives. The leading housing and homelessness charity is also calling on staff in companies nationwide to get teams together, fundraise collectively, and have a sleep-out or sleep-in at their workplace on the same night.

Focus Ireland helped over 14,500 people who were either homeless or at risk last year and the charity relies on key fundraising events such as Shine A Light Night to keep all of its services in operation.

The work of Focus Ireland is needed now more than ever as the latest figures show there are a record total of 9,891 children, women and men homeless across Ireland. It is shocking to see that nearly 4,000 of this total are children who are homeless within families.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said, “Focus Ireland works tirelessly with people experiencing homelessness to help them secure their home or to ensure they exit homelessness permanently. We also work extensively across the area of prevention to make sure many other families and individuals never become homeless in the first place. We rely on the support of organisations like the Law Society of Ireland, which are of great benefit to us when it comes to fundraising events like Shine A Light Night. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their generous support.”

The President of the Law Society Michael Quinlan added, "The Law Society is honoured to support Focus Ireland by hosting the seventh annual Shine A Light Night at Blackhall Place on Friday 12 October, 2018. The solicitors’ profession has supported the fight against homelessness in Ireland and in Calcutta for more than twenty years through the Calcutta Run. So, it was an easy decision to also lend the Law Society’s support to Focus and this unique event. Homelessness in Ireland is more prevalent than ever and we all must play our part to help alleviate the problem. Shine A Light Night is an opportunity for Managing Partners, CEOs and other senior business leaders to experience one night sleeping rough as they raise funds for homeless people. I commend Focus Ireland for their dedication to helping homeless people as well as the business leaders around the country taking part in Shine A Light.” 

Press photography

Click on the pictures below to access high-resolution versions.

Return to previous press releases