Poker classic in aid of mellon educate building blitz

A Poker Classic will take place in The Last Chance Bar, Rathcabbin, on Friday the 27th March at 9pm, in aid of Mellon Educate’s Building Blitz in South Africa.

‘Mellon Educate’ is a new initiative by the Niall Mellon Township Trust. The trust was established by Irish developer Niall Mellon, after he visited South Africa in 2002 and was appalled by the living conditions of the people in the Imizamo Yethu township in Cape Town.

Niall realised he could utilise his expertise in construction to make a difference to the lives of these communities by providing people with the dignity and security of owning a proper home. That year The Niall Mellon Township Trust was established with the aim of providing quality social housing for the impoverished communities in the townships of South Africa.

Since the first ‘building blitz’ in 2003, over 22,000 volunteers have travelled to South Africa to participate in a week of intensive building efforts, which have provided decent homes for in excess of 100,000 people.

In 2013, the trust launched its new initiative, ‘Mellon Educate’, which uses the same principal to build schools for these underprivileged communities, seeing education as the next step to securing a brighter future. This ambitious programme will help educate 100,000 impoverished children in townships and slums across Africa in 10 years. But as well as voluntary labour, much financial support is needed to achieve this goal. Hence, each volunteer also fundraises, to fund the trip and the necessary building supplies and other cost.

The poker classic in Kelly's is organised by Rathcabbin local Sarah Brady, who is volunteering in the 2015 building blitz, to take place in November. Tickets are €20, available from Sarah, by calling 0860646889, or on the night. There will be generous cash prizes for the poker, and there will also be a raffle on the night. It is sure to be a great evening, and hopefully will go a long way towards funding this marvelLous project.