A CASH bequest totalling more than €350,000 from one donor was part of the €1 million that Dublin Simon Community received from wills last year, bringing the agency out of the red.
Yesterday the homeless agency confirmed it received two large cash bequests last year, with the highest being over €350,000. These contributed to the total of €1.056 million received from wills, more than tripling the figure for last year.
The windfall led to Dublin Simon recording a surplus of €775,287 compared with a deficit of €51,772 in 2010. The donations come as Dublin Simon create extra services to deal with homelessness in Dublin and adjoining counties. According to Dublin Simon spokesman Patrick Gleeson, the number of bednights it provided last year was 184 per night – an increase of 9 per cent on 2010. Last year more than 2,500 people accessed Dublin Simon’s services across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.
Mr Gleeson said the last count, in April, found 73 people sleeping rough on Dublin’s streets. “This number is the absolute minimum amount of people who are sleeping on the streets on any given night. This does not include people staying in squats, in hospital, in internet cafes, temporary BBs or sleeping on friends’ couches. These people are considered the ‘hidden homeless’.”
Simon’s accounts for 2011 show it increased its spend from €9.2 million to €9.5 million after its income increased to €10.5 million. Mr Gleeson said the agency was more dependent on public goodwill due to the demand for its services and the HSE cutting funds.
“Everybody is under severe financial pressure. People realise homelessness is something that could happen to anybody,” said chief executive Sam McGuinness.
