‘It’s innate in us to be kind’: Pay It Forward kindness festival launched in Limerick

LIMERICK’S annual Festival of Kindness, organised by the volunteer group Pay It Forward, is back for a fifth outing this March.

Locals can expect plenty of free events organised by Pay It Forward Limerick (PIFL) which are designed to encourage people to undergo acts of kindness, no matter how big.  

With support from business such as Starbucks, EBS William Street and Bus Eireann, the festival hopes to be “bigger and better than ever,” PIFL board representative Michael O’Mahony said at the launch at King John’s Castle.

Michael, speaking passionately about the work PIFL does, explained: “There’s no wrong time to be nice, you don’t know when someone is having a bad day.  it’s good to know somebody is looking out for you.”

He is hoping a “ripple becomes a wave” in terms of people doing kind acts for each other.

When asked what people can do to get involved, he said: “You can get involved by simply paying it forward, when someone does something for you, be sure to thank them and also importantly, pass it on to someone else.”

He added that it is “innate in us to be kind, sometimes we just need to be reminded of that”.

Kicking off this year’s festival is the Family Fun Day which takes place on Bedford Row on Saturday, March 9 from 11am.  The Fun Day will involve groups such as the Indian community and St Paul’s Scouts, among others, who will be seeking to spread awareness of how important it is to be kind, with events such as face painting, while they will also be handing out flowers, balloons and other fun activities.

Michael and the rest of the PIFL board are already looking to the future.  Long term goals include making Limerick “Ireland’s kindest city” which he believes is achievable if everyone simply “gets on board”.

Pay it Forward are already doing great work with schools, organisations and business’, with the introduction of the Kindness flag.  Recipients of the award include Castletroy College and King John’s Castle, with Bus Eireann and Starbucks also about to receive the flag, Mr O’Mahony added.

See www.pifl.ie for more.