Three Porters at Cork University Hospital Raise Thousands for Charity via Recycling

Three porters at Cork University Hospital have raised €2,000 for the hospital's fundraising arm, CUH Charity, through an innovative recycling initiative. John Collins, John Lenihan, and John Keenan, collectively known as 'The 3 Johnnies,' have been collecting and redeeming used bottles and cans through the deposit return scheme.

The idea began as a way for the porters to treat themselves to a takeaway on their last night shift of the month. However, they soon realized the potential to raise significant funds for the hospital's charity. In just two weeks, they collected enough containers to redeem for €820.

Why this matters: This initiative highlights the potential for small actions to make a significant impact on the environment and charitable causes. If replicated nationwide, it could lead to a substantial increase in recycling and fundraising for hospitals across the country.

Drop-off points have been set up throughout the hospital complex, and the initiative has received support from medical staff, patients, and visitors. The porters use reverse vending machines at local supermarkets to convert the collected bottles and cans into cash donations for CUH Charity.

John Lenihan, one of the porters, highlighted the impact of their efforts, stating, 'If I collect 200-300 bottles a night, that’s over 1,000 in a working week, and when you multiply that by 52, you’re talking nice money for the charity.'

The porters have also appealed to Cork businesses to contribute their used containers to help raise more money. Claire Concannon of CUH Charity praised the initiative, saying, 'If every school, shop, and company across Munster undertook a similar activity, we could raise a huge amount of money to continue the charity’s mission of saving and changing lives.'

The deposit return scheme, introduced in February, has provided a structured way for the porters to collect and recycle used containers. The initiative has ensured the re-use of approximately 12,000 bottles and cans, raising awareness about the importance of recycling and reducing waste in the hospital.

John Collins, reflecting on their efforts, said, 'We hated seeing these containers go to waste once the scheme came in, so we started going round the wards we’d usually cover and collecting them after our shifts.'

The initiative has not only raised funds but has also fostered a sense of community within the hospital. Staff from various departments, including housekeeping, have actively participated by saving containers for the porters.

The 3 Johnnies' efforts have demonstrated the potential for similar initiatives to be replicated nationwide. As John Keegan noted, 'If this was run nationwide, all hospitals would benefit from it.'

The porters plan to continue their fundraising efforts and hope to inspire others to undertake similar activities. Their initiative has shown that small actions can lead to significant positive impacts, both for the environment and for charitable causes.

Key Takeaways

• 3 porters at Cork University Hospital raised €2,000 for CUH Charity through a recycling initiative.
• They collected used bottles and cans through the deposit return scheme and redeemed them for cash.
• The initiative has recycled approximately 12,000 containers, raising awareness about recycling and reducing waste.
• The porters aim to inspire others to replicate the initiative, potentially raising funds for hospitals nationwide.
• Their efforts have fostered a sense of community within the hospital, with staff from various departments participating.