About

1,039 Miles is a challenge taken on by a team of cyclists to fundraise for The Ireland Fund of Great Britain’s Forgotten Irish Campaign.

The Ireland Fund of Great Britain was set up by Sir Tony O’Reilly and Dan Rooney in 1988 to help raise funds for peace and reconciliation projects in Northern Ireland and to promote education and heritage projects. This year the fund is celebrating 25 years of supporting the Irish in need, especially the elderly, vulnerable and isolated in our community.

The Forgotten Irish Campaign was launched in 2007 by Peter Sutherland, Patron of The Ireland Fund of Great Britain, and President Mary McAleese to raise substantial funds for the vulnerable and elderly Irish community in the UK.

Most of the Forgotten Irish came to Britain in the second half of the twentieth century, during one of the darkest and most impoverished periods of Ireland’s history. They paved the way for more recent generations of Irish immigrants to Britain. The majority came to find work and sent billions of pounds home to their families. Thousands of others came to escape the hardship, marginalisation and all too often, the abuse of institutional life. Many are still here, often living in isolation, poverty and deprivation – without the support of friends or family.

For more information on The Ireland Fund of Great Britain, The Forgotten Irish Campaign or the fundraising cycle please contact us on 02079409850 or visit the website at www.irelandfund.org.