People throughout Mayo invited to host tea party in aid of charity

People throughout Mayo are being invited to host Team Hope Tea Parties in June as the charity launches a nationwide drive to support children and communities affected by poverty across Africa. Best known for its Christmas Shoebox Appeal, the all-island charity is encouraging communities to come together around kitchen tables, in school halls, gardens and workplaces, to help create lasting change for children in countries including Burundi, Rwanda and Malawi.

The campaign aims to raise €50,000 nationally to support initiatives that help families build brighter futures, including community savings groups, education projects and supports for vulnerable children.

The charity is encouraging primary schools, sports clubs, businesses, community groups and families across Ireland to host their own events by registering here.

Team Hope CEO, Deborah Lowry, said the campaign builds on the extraordinary generosity already shown by communities across Ireland through the Christmas Shoebox Appeal. “For years, children and families in Mayo have shown incredible kindness through the Christmas Shoebox Appeal, sending gifts and messages of hope to children who may otherwise receive nothing,” she said.

“The Team Hope Tea Party is about deepening that connection and helping communities create lasting opportunities for children and families. When we visit the communities we work with, we see firsthand the incredible difference these projects make. You can’t aim for hope if you can’t see it.”

During a recent visit to Burundi, Ms. Lowry met Suavis Nishimwe, her husband Bosco and their nine children in Gitega Province. Through a Team Hope-supported community savings group, the family were able to save money and start a small restaurant business that completely transformed their circumstances.

Beginning with just 2kg of rice, 1kg of beans and basic cooking supplies, the family restaurant now serves more than 70 meals a day and earns enough income to support their children and plan for the future.

“The reality is that these children are full of hope, potential and dignity,” Ms. Lowry said. “Sometimes all families need is a small opportunity and someone to believe in them. The support we receive from people across Ireland helps communities build brighter futures for their families.

“Every Tea Party hosted this June will help bring hope, opportunity and lasting change to children and families who need it most.”

Participants who register a Tea Party at teamhope.ie will receive a digital fundraising pack, recipes, ideas and resources to help organise their event.