Our Charities

What’s different about Samaritans?

  • We’re there for people whenthey need us, which could be any time of day or night.

 

  • People talk to us for as long as they like, as many times as they like.
  • We don’t rush, interrupt or push anyone out of the door. We let people lead the conversation at their own pace.
  • There’s no waiting lists, and no assessments.
  • We want you to feel safe while talking to us, so you can tell us how you’re really feeling. 
  • For some, we’re the only place they can turn to without fear of judgement.
  • For others that might worry about burdening friends or family, we offer a safe place to turn.
  • We don’t skirt around issues, and we’re not afraid to go into deep and difficult areas.
  • Sometimes just having the acceptance from someone that what they say won’t be judged is enough to help people open up, and is such a relief to them.
  • We don’t just wait for people to get in touch with us – we make sure as many people as possible know who we are and how we can help them.
  • We reach 228,370 people a year in schools, hospitals and the homeless.
  • It’s because of your support that we are able to visit your local communities.

The Irish Pilgrimage Trust is a registered charity in Ireland, and for over 40 years the Trust has been travelling on pilgrimage/holiday to Lourdes with young people with special needs, from all over Ireland. 

The Trust has over 1200 people travelling at Easter time and it is divided into small groups of approx 10 young people and 12 volunteer carers who stay in one of the many Hotels in Lourdes. 

During the summer we bring groups to Hosanna House in Bartres near Lourdes for what is a unique experience both Carer and Guest. 

We have two super facilities in Kilcuan, Co. Galway and  Cois Cuain, Co. Wexford each offering different opportunities. Both facilities provide Friendship weeks during the Summer.

Amber, is a long established organisation working to empower women and children of all cultures and backgrounds to live abuse-free lives. As a specialist domestic abuse service our professional team works alongside others to safeguard women and children against domestic abuse, including coercive control. We provide safe, supportive, client centred services, from early intervention to recovery, both in the community and at the refuge.
 

Thomastown Men’s Sheds provides support, information and resources to members of Thomastown and surrounding areas.

We aim to make it as easy as possible for any like-minded group of men in Ireland to set up, run and maintain a men’s shed. To this end, we provide information, resources and support to our member sheds throughout Ireland; listening and responding to our members’ concerns is a cornerstone of our ethos.

Activities:

Bench repairs, Bicycle repairs, Garden furniture, Kindling, Woodwork

The Watergarden is a non-residential centre for adults with special needs. It includes a coffeeshop, garden centre, gardens and art gallery which are also open to the public These different areas provide a diversity of challenges and opportunities. 

The beautiful garden offers a therapeutic backdrop to the workplace of The Watergarden and gives everyone an experience of the changing seasons.The principal impulses of The Watergarden are to provide meaningful work for adults with special needs and to bring the Camphill ethos into the wider community

We also provide differing levels of home-based support to some of those working in The Watergarden and living independently in the town. This allows some people to move out of their parental home to live independently or semi-independently for the first time. A recently awarded grant means that we can develop a site to provide private apartments for this purpose.