Over the last few weeks, our teams at Birmingham Irish Association have been reflecting on all that we have achieved together since the arrival of the Coronavirus in March 2020.

There is still a long way to go in helping those experiencing the devastating effects of the pandemic, but in the June and following editions of our monthly newsletter, we want to express our incalculable gratitude to those incredible individuals, friends and supporters who have been there for us so far by dedicating a Community Champion article to each of them.

Without these wonderful, kind and wholesome people, it would have been impossible to be there for every single person who knocked on our door over the last 16 months. This month, we want to start our Community Champion articles with our inspirational friend, Mick O' Brien from Sean McDermott’s GAA Club.

Over many years, we have formed a very close bond with Mick and the Warwickshire GAA, but we truly feel that our community work throughout the pandemic has brought us even closer together. When Mick heard about our small food bank initiative at the beginning of March 2020, he was so very kind enough to get Warwickshire GAA on board.

Since then, the 'Clubs Together' campaign has continued to support all of the vulnerable across our city through school donation collections and countless revolving food drop offs by Sean McDermott’s, Erin Go Bragh, St Brendan's and John Mitchel's GAA clubs.

As the crisis began to spread, and the needs of our community shifted, Mick and the GAA clubs were so incredibly generous through regular, monetary donations for our hot dinner deliveries/collections and clothes for our centre. The GAA's help allowed us to stretch our capacity to astounding levels, reaching every vulnerable and affected person in all corners of Birmingham.

As December arrived, so did preparations for Christmas, and instead of our usual grotto for the community, we decided to organise a Toy Appeal, to collect new and unwrapped gifts for those families in the communities with a much lower budget for the festive season. Once again, Mick and the GAA were there to support us with an overwhelming amount of donations that filled our Parish Centre Hall.

In early November, Mick also completed a five day sponsored challenge that saw him walk over 60 miles along all of the major canals in Birmingham, Warwickshire and the Black Country, all to support our Christmas Toy Appeal.

After crossing the finish line, an anonymous donator offered Mick a second challenge; for every mile walked on an extra day, £10 would be donated to the appeal. This was truly phenomenal generosity on both parts, as on the day, Mick and his son Deaglan were up at the crack of dawn and walked an extra 25 miles in aid of our appeal.

With unwavering help from Mick and the GAA, we were able to deliver new and unwrapped gifts to over 500 families in the first week of December, ready to wrap and put under the tree ready for the big day.

Mick and GAA members, staff and parents, we cannot begin to put our emotions and thanks into words for the unfaltering help you have given since March 2020 and always, know that we will never forget this. You have provided an awe-inspiring lifeline for our community in their darkest and most frightening hours of need, whilst helping us achieve milestones as a charity we never thought possible.

For this we are eternally grateful.