Jack and Jill chief in line for top award

THE
founder of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation has been short listed for
a Global Fundraising Award.

Jonathan
Irwin, the CEO of the Irish children’s charity that designs, funds and delivers
home nursing care to families of children with brain damage, is one of three
top charity names in the running for the award taking place in the Netherlands
on October 19.

He
was preparing to travel to the award ceremony as his latest fundraising drive,
the County Text, got underway.

The
foundation is asking people to donate

?¬5 to support Jack & Jill families in
their local area by texting their chosen recipient county to 57034.

Since
1997 Jonathan has raised e32 million privately for the Jack & Jill
Foundation, supporting 1,400 children including 260 in Dublin city and county,
while receiving only e4.5 million in State aid.

He
created a whole new currency out of waste when Jack & Jill became the first
Irish charity to turn unwanted mobile phones into cash.

His
fundraising drive has helped raise the

?¬2.7 million the charity requires every
year to run the nationwide service.

Jonathan’s
son, Jack, was born healthy on February 29 1996 but ended up brain damaged.

Jonathan
and his wife Senator Mary Ann O’Brien were shattered but decided to try to care
for Jack at home with the help of two local nurses and family and friends.

This
became the blueprint for the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation. Jack Irwin
died at home aged 22 months. The other
big tragedy in Jonathan’s life was the loss of his 18-year-old son, Sam, who
died in 2000 while on holidays in Portugal with his friends.