07 Oct Say Cheese and Mark Your Day for worthy charities!
Local Shankill photographer, Deryck Tormey, realised at the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic that for many, many people all over Ireland the lockdown would mean cancelling or postponing their special occasions. Occasions like weddings, communion and confirmation days, big birthdays and anniversaries, have been cancelled, all of which mark special milestones in people’s lives. It also impacted on his bookings of course, overnight his busy 2020 diary was empty.
Rather than wallow in the disappointment of the cancelled appointments, Deryck realised that some good could come out of this and decided to establish ‘Mark your Day’. The project benefits local charity, Saint Joseph’s Shankill, dedicated to dementia care and two more national level charities, Pieta House and Bumbleance. Deryck suggests that people mark the day that should have been by donating what you can to the www.idonate.ie/markyourday and booking in with him to schedule a professional photographer to take a picture of you and your loved ones.
Deryck says, ‘people have really enjoyed being a part of this project, while they receive a beautiful portrait they also know they have supported very worthy charities’. So far Deryck has ‘recruited’ over 30 volunteer photographers from all over Ireland to take the pictures and over 100 days have been marked, raising nearly €5000.
Siobhan Grant, from Saint Joseph’s Shankill says, ‘Deryck’s idea is simple but has been so effective in both raising money and giving people a lovely personal memento. Deryck even came to ‘Mark our Day’ at Saint Joseph’s when we opened up to visitors again, capturing the emotional reunions. We are so grateful to Deryck and all his volunteer photographers and to those people who have donated. All the money we receive from this project will go directly to the care of people living with dementia.’
Just some local people that Marked their Days were
Saoirse Mee from Bray; celebrated her missed Communion with pictures taken with her brother, Fionn and sister Keelan and also a family portrait including her parents Patricia and Declan.
Jill Breen also from Bray marked her birthday with her family, huband Damien and children Conor and Kate.
Greystones couple Rebecca Mowatt and Lee Osbourne sadly postponed their wedding day but wanted to mark their day by capturing a beautiful family portrait with their children, Enzo, Indie and Luna day.
Deryck also ‘Marked the Day’ at Saint Joseph’s when he photographed some of the reunions with families after the lock down.
So if you were planning a special event in you and your family’s life, why not Mark Your Day and sign up with Deryck at www.dtphotography.ie/markyourday. He will organise for a local photographer to take the picture and all you have to do is smile and donate!
Saint Joseph’s Shankill, the only care home in Ireland solely dedicated to dementia care. Our vision is to lead the way in dementia care in Ireland through innovation, education and community engagement. We want to ensure families and communities are supported, engaged and empowered to enable people living with dementia to enjoy the quality of life they deserve.
With 11 people diagnosed with dementia every day in Ireland there is a great need in society for specialised dementia care. Everyone knows someone living with this devastating illness which is indiscriminate in its onset and the effects on people and their families can often be overwhelming.
We rely on the support of our community, not only through engagement and volunteering but through donations and fundraising to ensure we can continue to care in this way. www.saintjosephsshankill.ie
