Retiring UCC Staff member presents €5520 to BUMBLEance

On a bittersweet day, Derry McSweeney of the UCC General Services/Security Team, who retired last week after 45 years, was presented a cheque for €5520 the BUMBLEance charity. This money was gathered following a Christmas fundraiser organised by UCC Security.This money was presented alongside a total of €520 raised by St Catherine’s National School on Model Farm Road following their Christmas dress up day, for a grand total of over €6000.The cheques were accepted by UCC Law Lecturer Louise Crowley, who is a board member of BUMBLEance, a charity which operates an interactive ambulance service designed specifically for children. The ambulance is supposed to act as a safe space for critically ill children who need transportation during treatment to reduce stress for them and their families.This was not the first fundraising effort within UCC that has benefitted BUMBLEance and their services, with donations such as this crucial to the charity’s on-going success as the group currently receive no state funding. In March 2014 a phone collection drive in aid of the charity was carried out. In December of the same year a fundraising candlelight walk was held in UCC.During his time in UCC, McSweeney has been at the forefront of several fundraisers organised by UCC security staff. McSweeney joined the Works Department in 1970 as a Departmental Operative before switching to General Services/Security in 1979 where he remained up until his retirement.