Volunteers raise £1,400 for Resurgam Trust by giving up booze for a month

Resurgam Trust staff and volunteers raised more than £1,400 for the community organisation by giving up alcohol during January.
Some of the participants from the Dry January Initiative presenting Resurgam Trust Director Adrian Bird with the funds raised. Pictured (l-r) are Denis Paisley, Asia Jarzynska, Mabel Scullion, Adrian Bird, Francie Ferris, Sharon Gibson and Gillian Lewis.Some of the participants from the Dry January Initiative presenting Resurgam Trust Director Adrian Bird with the funds raised. Pictured (l-r) are Denis Paisley, Asia Jarzynska, Mabel Scullion, Adrian Bird, Francie Ferris, Sharon Gibson and Gillian Lewis.
Some of the participants from the Dry January Initiative presenting Resurgam Trust Director Adrian Bird with the funds raised. Pictured (l-r) are Denis Paisley, Asia Jarzynska, Mabel Scullion, Adrian Bird, Francie Ferris, Sharon Gibson and Gillian Lewis.

The total amount raised by the group’s efforts was finalised this week, with the fantastic sum of £1,428 being collected.

Reflecting on the success of the Dry January initiative, Gillian Lewis, Healthy Living Manager with The Resurgam Trust, said: “The local South Eastern Drug and Alcohol Connections team had been challenging people to think about giving up or reducing alcohol for January. At the Resurgam Trust our staff, volunteers and community members are always up for a challenge so they volunteered to take part.

“We know that many people in Northern Ireland are drinking at levels which can be harmful to their health, most people don’t know that they should drink no more than 14 units per week and even if they know their units they may not know how many units are in the alcohol they are drinking. Initiatives like this give people a chance to reflect on their relationship with alcohol, take an alcohol MOT and to think about other ways to relax and socialise that do not involve alcohol.”

Francie Ferris, one of the participants in Dry January, shared what he got from the experience, saying: “Participating in Dry January was one of the best things I have done in years. Whilst it was tough at the start it gave me the drive and support to do something I have wanted to do for a long time and that was challenge my drinking habits. If Resurgam had not organised this I would not have had the willpower to do it alone. It was great to do it with friends and raise funds for the Trust.”

The money raised will go towards helping Resurgam deliver much needed services to people across the greater Lisburn area such as exercises classes and programmes for people of all ages on topics such as promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Anyone who would like to fundraise for the Resurgam Trust should contact Vince Curry on 028 9267 0755 or email [email protected]