Limerick company ‘cements’ partnership with well-loved local charity

STAFF of Irish Cement have teamed up with volunteers from Limerick Suicide Watch, a charity which provides a night-time patrol of Limerick’s riverside.

The link-up saw workers from the Mungret company take part in a walk around the three bridges, which Limerick Suicide Watch volunteers walk several times a week.

The partnership comes as part of a community initiative geared to raising awareness around mental health and highlighting the work that the charity’s volunteers do.

READ MORE: Gardaí warn Limerick schools over illegal e-scooter use by 'children and young people'

As part of the initiative, volunteers from Limerick Suicide Watch visited the cement factory to deliver an workshop on mental health and suicide awareness.

It detailed how the volunteers work closely with services like HSE, An Garda Síochána and the Irish Coast Guard.

A spokesperson for Limerick Suicide Watch said: “Partnerships like this make a real difference to our work and to the awareness of the support that is available in Limerick. Our volunteers work with other Limerick volunteer groups to ensure that the city is patrolled every night of the week, and rely entirely on the generosity and backing of the community to keep going.

The support shown by the team at Irish Cement, from attending the awareness workshop to joining us on the Three Bridges Walk and their much welcome donation, helps highlight the importance of looking out for one another and encouraging conversations around mental health.”

Employees of Irish Cement wore their company’s bright orange PPE gear along the route.

As part of the partnership, Irish Cement also gave a €2,000 donation to support the organisation’s ongoing work in Limerick.

Plant manager Shane McCarthy said: “We are proud to support the incredible work carried out by Limerick Suicide Watch. Their volunteers help provide an essential service for the city every night and it was a privilege for our team to take part in the walk and help raise awareness of mental health in our community.”