Millionaire rewards deserving Northsiders

A YOUNG Northside family was reduced to tears when they were presented with a cheque for

?¬10,000 from

‘Secret Millionaire’ Jim Breen during a TV show aired last week.

The Norris family from Finglas was visited by Breen after he spotted the story about teenage siblings Sam and Amanda receiving a Young Carers of the Year award in Northside People.

Hi-tech entrepreneur Breen, who made his money from a multi-million euro IT firm he set up on an old computer in his son’s bedroom, was working undercover for

‘The Secret Millionaire’ TV series looking for deserving individuals and projects for his cash.

After reading the Northside People article, Breen visited the family and met with single mum-of-five, Antoinette, and teenage brother and sister, Amanda and Sam. The siblings received the carers’ award for their work providing ongoing care for their two siblings, Adam, who has Autism, and sister Demi, who has Cohen’s Syndrome.

The millionaire, who kept his identity secret, was so impressed by the cash-strapped family that he immediately befriended them and treated them to a day out in the zoo.

“That mother in that set of circumstances has created a family unit that I was just blown away by,

? he said.

“There’s love in that family, there’s caring, there’s generosity, there’s patience. They’re rock solid.

“They’re coping absolutely great. They’re dealing with it marvellously because they’re operating as a team – a beautifully functioning team.

?

There were tears all round when Breen later revealed who he was and presented the family with a cheque for

?¬10,000.

“I’m going to be smiling for weeks, you don’t know what this means,

? said Antoinette.

“The impact you’ve made on me this week is just amazing,

? Breen replied.

Breen was dispatched to Finglas where he lived and volunteered with locals for a week for the show that was aired on RTE 1 last week. During his visit he met with workers from the Finglas Detached Youth Service and saw first hand the outreach work they do with young disadvantaged locals.

Breen admitted that despite his success in the business world, he wouldn’t be able to cope with the work carried out by the service.

“I wouldn’t have that in me,

? he said.

“I’m pretty dogged and pretty determined, but I’ll always pick fights that I can win. I wouldn’t pick to do what they’re doing.

?

When he later told the youth workers who he really was, Breen promised to help them transform a piece of waste ground near their base at the Den in Finglas South into allotments and gave them a cheque for

?¬5,000 to help with their outreach work.

During the show Breen also comes across Headway in Finglas and drops into the charity’s local centre at Colaiste Ide. There he met with and talked to volunteers and clients who had all suffered head injuries and were learning to live with their disability.

The millionaire was moved by the determination of the clients, including Nicky Cleere, a former captain of the Dublin minor football team, who was involved in a horrific hit-and-run accident in 2009 while on a stag holiday in Lisbon. He had been due to get married himself that year but the ceremony was postponed due to his injury.

When he revealed his identity at the end of the show, Breen gave Headway a cheque for

?¬5,000 to be used to treat the clients he met. He then paid a visit to Nicky and his fiancé and gave them

?¬2,000 as a wedding present and the couple invited him to the celebration as a gesture of thanks.

Breen also became aware of the suicide problem across the Northside during the show and paid a visit to Suicide Awareness in Dublin 15, a self-funded voluntary group set up by parents who had suffered the loss of a loved one.

The wealthy entrepreneur admitted during the show that he had suffered with depression himself and gifted the group

?¬20,000.

Suicide Awareness Dublin 15 spokesperson Felix Gallagher said they were delighted to have been identified as a worthwhile beneficiary.

“The work we do to prevent suicide and support those who have lost a loved one to suicide is vital,

? he said.

“Unfortunately suicide is becoming more and more common and the Government puts little resources into tackling it. Jim was particularly taken on the model we have developed and how it can be run relatively cheaply and mainly on the goodwill of volunteers.

“Almost every household in the country has been affected in some way by suicide, yet the stigma attached to it still remains. There is no shame in suicide or suffering from mental health issues. Suicide is referred to as

‘a permanent solution to a temporary problem’ and I would encourage anyone who is feeling suicidal to seek help, to talk to either someone they know or to a group like ours.

?

Suicide Awareness Dublin 15 can be contacted on 085-8182090.