Chloe and Nicole are sharing their story for Organ Donor Awareness Week. Their mother, Martina saved five lives when she passed away, including an eight-year-old girl's. 

Hello, and welcome to the April issue of the We Act Good News Gazette.

In case you're new around here, We Act is a national campaign to celebrate Ireland's charities and community groups. We spread the word about the brilliant work being done by staff and volunteers around the country. The do-ers who make our communities safer, happier, cleaner, more equal places to live.

And each month, we deliver a small snapshot of their tremendous impact, directly to your inbox. All good news, guaranteed! 

Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing lots of stories about the impact of volunteers for Volunteer Ireland's National Volunteering Week so make sure you keep an eye on our social media for those. But until then, get your dose of joy in this month's We Act Good News Gazette... 

Aoife's Clown Doctors bring healing and relief in the form of fun and games to children's wards in Dublin and Galway. The charity was set up in memory of Aoife Hendrick who loved to see the clowns when she was being treated for leukaemia in Crumlin Children's Hospital. Joanne Quinn aka Dr Fluffy Toes (photographed below with the big cheque!) is one of the Clown Doctors, this is her story... 

“When I first heard about Aoife’s Clown Doctors. I just thought, ‘This is magic, I need to be part of this’. And now I’ve been doing it about 10 years.  

All of us are trained actors or performers and it’s just a lovely way of using our talents and our love of performing for the greater good. We want to be able to spread smiles and cheer to as many people who need it as possible.  

Aoife’s Clown Doctors works in Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Temple Street, and most recently in Galway. We go around to the beds or waiting rooms and we’re something new and different. We’re a distraction. We’re not the regular anaesthetist or nurse, we’re not bringing injections or medicine. We get to say, ‘Let’s have fun for five minutes, let’s change this whole atmosphere up and play.’   

It’s a very special job but it isn’t suitable for everybody. You need to be able to be able to park your own problems from that day and give everything for every child and every family you meet. Improv is hugely important because you’re thinking on the spot, you’ve got a new audience every 10 minutes at each different bed or ward. 

We get as much fun out of each other as the kids do. We have such good banter and fun with the patients, the parents, families and with the other clown doctors. At times even the staff join in with the fun and the energy in the ward lifts. Maybe it’s only for two minutes but we know that those two minutes go a long way when you’re dealing with the issues that arise in a children’s hospital.

No day is easy for families in there but we try our best to lift the spirits and we know from feedback and the smiles on their faces that they love to see us coming around.  

We may arrive in white coats but our ones are coloured with space ships, rockets, spirals, rainbows and lots of fun things for the kids to look at and our job is not to take blood or ask them to be brave. We’re there to bring cheer and fun to their day.

It’s an amazing charity to be involved with and we’re so grateful for all of the funding we’ve received so far. From the hair growing to the hair waxing - we love it all!” 

We Act is a national, collaborative campaign to celebrate the value and impact of the charities and community groups in Ireland. It is supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland RTÉ Does Comic Relief Fund and the Department of Rural and Community Development. 

Got a story? Email info@WeAct.ie

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