Kildare charity HOPE(D) is fundraising online to help it survive for the rest of 2022

The HOPE(D) charity has begun an online campaign to raise €40,000 to help it survive for the rest of 2022.

The non-profit Newbridge-based organisation announced earlier this month that it will be forced to close at the end of August due to spiralling running costs and lack of funds.

However, the group, which supports people struggling with mental health and those bereaved by suicide, has now taken to the Gofundme website in a special "Save Our Service" appeal in order to raise the money.

HOPE(D) chairman Chris Pender has even shared information on the costs facing the services such as €22,000 to pay counsellors, nearly €12,500 for rent and over €2,000 for gas and electricity.

But Cllr Pender hopes more and more people will donate as public awareness grows of the campaign.

Cllr Pender previously told the Leader that HOPE(D) was facing the funding crisis due to a ‘perfect storm’ of adverse factors such as the collapse of nearly all fundraising events during two years of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the rising cost of bills such as electricity since the beginning of the year.

Cllr Pender said he and others had been trying to source funding for the past 12 months to help the organisation to survive.

He said: “I’ve spent the past year looking for funding from everywhere but none was forthcoming.

“I’ve done the sums and HOPE(D) needs about €40,000 to keep going for the rest of 2022 and this will give us time to source official funding for 2023.”