Make Midleton’s Christmas merry

A small business owner in Midleton is raising money in an effort to lift the town’s spirits in the lead up to Christmas following last week’s devastating flooding.

Midleton resident Samantha Lancashire wants to provide 100 local children with gifts and 50 elderly people with care packages as the community rallies together to restore hope to the East Cork town.

To achieve this festive goal, Ms Lancashire has set up a fundraiser on idonate.ie with a target of €3,000.

“I know the world is a little crazy right now and I thought long and hard about asking for donations,” she said.

“Having seen the town I've called home for 17 years brought to its knees once again, I have to do something that will complement the already amazing clean-up efforts taking place.”

Ms Lancashire, who says she is a little unsteady on her feet since breaking her leg in recent years, described a feeling of helplessness as she watched the decimation of businesses on Main Street.

“When a situation like this hits, we go into fight mode,” she said.

“Adrenalin keeps us going and we are often super strong in body and mind. Once over the initial ‘fightback’, we are often left with a feeling of overwhelm and consider what’s next as we are surrounded by the reality of the aftermath.”

As well as raising funds, Ms Lancashire will be offering her mindset and mental wellness coaching services free of charge in the coming weeks via The Midleton Hub.

Recalling the day of the flooding, Ms Lancashire said she was left “in awe” of the community spirit that exists in Midleton.

“It was simply amazing. Everything from food, cleaning supplies, coffees and teas, and hours of labour were being donated.

“My husband and I then took some clothes to the drop off point at a local school and it was there it hit me how many children would be impacted by this tragedy,” she explained.