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Brook Moran (4) and Rosie Connolly launching the upcoming Great Irish Bake for Temple Street. Picture:Andres Poveda

RACHEL D’ARCY

TEMPLE Street children’s Hospital Ambassador Rosie Connolly was joined by some talented but tiny bakers to celebrate the launch of this year’s Great Irish Bake for Temple Street.

This year, the Great Irish Bake will take place on Friday, April 3, to raise much needed funds for one of Ireland’s hardest working children’s hospitals.

Each year Temple Street Foun dation holds the campaign, encouraging people to host their own bake sale to raise some much needed dough for Temple Street. These funds will help to provide essential equipment for all those who find themselves at Temple Street.

Rosie Connolly said: “I was thrilled to be chosen as the ambassador for this year’s Great Irish Bake.

“I had my own experience with Temple Street when my son broke his leg, and I have seen first-hand how incredible the staff are. “Hosting your own Great Irish Bake is a great opportunity to have some fun with friends, fam ily, and colleagues, whilst also doing something special for sick children in Temple Street.”

Denise Fitzgerald, chief execu tive of Temple Street Foundation said: “We are delighted to welcome Rosie as the Great Irish Bake Ambassador this year.

“Rosie has been a great friend to sick children in Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street, and we are looking forward to working with her on this exciting cam paign.

“Each year, Temple Street cares for more than 147,000 sick chil dren in the hospital.

“Every donation we receive, no matter how big or small, goes towards providing essential equipment and supports for our little heroes and their families at Temple Street.”

Join Temple Street’s Great Irish Bake on Friday, April 3, by registering online at www.tem plestreet.ie/greatirishbake.

St Luke’s awards top Celebrating the award for Best Visual Poster 2019 ... Jacqui Purcell, Trevor O’Callaghan, Michelle Kenny and Fiona Horlacher

PADRAIG CONLON

LOCAL hospital staff who care for cancer patients from all across Ireland were recently honoured for their outstanding work at a cere mony in St Luke’s Hospital in Rathgar.

Opened in 1952, St Luke’s was founded by the Cancer Association of Ire land to treat patients from across the country.

In 2011, St Luke’s Radia tion Oncology Network (SLRON) was established, with centres in St James’s and Beaumont Hospitals also incorporated into the network. The network’s main role is the treatment of patients with radiotherapy, and it is also the national centre for specialist techniques such as stereotactic treatment for lung and brain cancers, paediatric care, and total body irradiation.

In order to recognise out standing work from staff, and quality improvement achievements throughout the network, the hospital’s Quality, Patient Safety and Risk department organises the annual SLRON Quality Excellence awards.

These awards celebrate the individuals and teams who go the extra mile and make a real difference to patients, visitors and staff and implement qual ity improvements that improve the service delivered to patients.

This year, 34 different projects were submitted from various departments within the three hospitals’ network centres.

From the submissions, six project winners and runners up were selected, with projects that ranged from support for patients and staff, and improving efficiency in current ser vices, to a new information leaflet for patients.

To acknowledge staff who have displayed ‘excel lence every day’, more than 180 staff received a nomination as ‘Staff Champion’ from either their fellow colleagues or patients, with four such Staff Champion titles awarded to staff.

The awards ceremony was held at St Luke’s, and was broadcast across the network using video-con ferencing facilities.

It was well attended by all staff from across the network.

Colette Brett, director of Quality, Patient Safety and Risk, St Luke’s SLRON, said: “We are delighted to hold [these] Quality Excel lence awards.

“In keeping with our values of excellence and patient-centred care, we want to celebrate the improvements, initiatives and research implemented in our service and the staff who care for our patients. “This yearly event enables us to share our learning and expertise within the network among the different disciplines involved in patient care. “The aim is to empow er staff to continually improve the services we offer our patients and to share our learning nation ally.” Doing their part at a previous Darkness Into Light walk ... Sandra, Andrew and Evannah Mahon

RACHEL D’ARCY

REGISTRATION is now open for the annual Darkness Into Light pre-dawn walk, which will take place on Saturday, May 9 at venues across the city.

The 2020 walk not only raises vital funds for Pieta House and awareness of promoting better mental health, but aims to bring people together in a spirit of solidarity and hope.

The unique event will begin in darkness at 4.15am, and will see thousands of people walk a 5-kilometre route into the light of dawn.

Funds raised from the walk aid in helping to keep Pieta’s counselling services free and accessible for those in suicidal crisis, people who engage in self-harm, and those bereaved by suicide.

In 2019, €5.4m million was raised, with more than 200,000 people taking part around the world. In Dublin, more than 30,000 people took part in the 5km walk last year.

Speaking about Darkness Into Light, Rachel Murphy, director of fundraising at Pieta House, said: “We rely on the support of the public to keep our doors open.

“Without this support, the life-saving work of Pieta around the country would not be possible.

“It gives us tremendous hope to see the incredible solidarity of people across Ireland who walk together towards the dawn.

“Darkness Into Light is a community event so, if possible, walk with friends and family on May 9 to show your support.” To sign up and to find your nearest venue, see www.darknessintolight.ie.