Former Mayor presents cheque of over £14k to charities

Councillor William McCaughey, Mid and East Antrim’s Mayor during 2021-22, recently presented his Mayoral charities with a cheque totalling over £14,000.

The money raised was split equally between the former Mayor’s chosen charities from his year in office – the Northern Ireland Hospice and the Royal Irish Benevolent Fund.

Councillor McCaughey presented the cheques to Heather Weir, Chief Executive of the NI Hospice and Neil McKee, Regimental Welfare Officer from the Royal Irish Regiment, at a ceremony in the Atrium on Thursday 28 July 2022.

Fundraising initiatives during Councillor McCaughey’s time as Mayor included a garden party, Mayor’s ball, concert and 100 mile charity cycle from Larne - which travelled along the iconic Antrim Coast Road, through Drain’s Bay, Ballygally, Glenarm and into Carnlough.

Councillor McCaughey said: “I am absolutely thrilled by the generosity of all those who have given to my chosen charities. I would personally like to thank everyone who supported the fundraising activities throughout my Mayoral year. It has been a privilege to have been associated with these two worthy charities - who give so much and expect so little in return. I know each one is very grateful and appreciative of everyone’s generosity as am I. To everyone who gave of their time over the year to help - thank you so much.”

Heather Weir, Chief Executive of the NI Hospice, added: “This is such a generous donation and we are very grateful for the support shown to us by Councillor McCaughey and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council - as well as the generosity and kindness shown by everyone who contributed. Our Community Team provide specialist palliative care to families every day in the local area, making sure that they can remain at home surrounded by their loved ones. Every donation we receive ensures that we are able to continue to be there for our patients and their families when they need our help the most. Thank you so much.”

Neil McKee, Regimental Welfare Officer, Royal Irish Regiment, said: “We would like to thank Councillor William McCaughey for his kind donation to our Regimental Benevolent Fund. We would also like to thank the people within the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area for their kind generosity. This donation is greatly appreciated and will make a huge difference within our Regimental family.”