From a 16-year-old’s idea to an Inishowen-wide charity
Inishowen’s Children’s Charity CLG will officially launch on Friday, November 6, celebrating ten years of supporting local children and families and unveiling an ambitious five-year strategy for its future.
A charity which began with an idea from a 16-year-old Buncrana teenager will celebrate a remarkable milestone as it marks ten years of supporting children and families.
After a decade as Buncrana’s Children’s Charity, the organisation will officially become Inishowen’s Children’s Charity CLG, reflecting how its work has grown from grassroots beginnings in Buncrana to supporting families throughout the peninsula. The launch at the charity’s headquarters, 28 Lower Main Street, Buncrana, will run from 12 noon until 3.30pm. Micky Doherty will help kick off proceedings, with the official ribbon cutting at 1pm, followed by David James broadcasting live on Highland Radio from 1.30pm. The charity will also unveil its new five-year strategic plan, setting out its vision for strengthening services, sustainability and its presence throughout Inishowen. Founder and Chairperson Adrian McMyler, now 26, admits looking back at the teenager who started the charity is emotional. “I was 16 and certainly didn’t have a ten-year plan. I just knew I wanted to help people and organise fundraisers,” Adrian said. “I was incredibly fortunate to have my mammy behind me from the beginning. She encouraged me and helped me get the right people around me who could guide a 16-year-old with plenty of enthusiasm but very little experience. “The charity became somewhere I could put my energy into doing something positive. When I look back now, I don’t think that young lad could ever have imagined that ten years later we would be launching Inishowen’s Children’s Charity CLG.” Adrian stressed, however, that the anniversary belongs to everyone who has helped build the organisation. “This has never been a one-person charity. People have given up evenings, weekends and family time, organised events, packed hospital bags, collected toys, worked in the shop and quietly supported families when they needed us. “We also remember with great fondness those committee members, volunteers and supporters we have sadly lost along the way. The simple truth is that this charity would not be here ten years later without every person who gave their time, energy and support to it over the years. “People have come and gone, committees have changed and the charity has grown, but every volunteer has left their mark on it. I will always be incredibly grateful to every person who helped turn an idea I had at 16 into the charity we have today.”
The current committee comprises Adrian McMyler, Chairperson; Majella McLaughlin, Company Secretary and Vice Chairperson; Sharon McLaughlin, Board Director and Fundraising & Development Officer; Tanya Connolly Lyons, Management Committee Secretary; Tina Duncan, Treasurer; Patricia Ferguson, Vice Treasurer and Shop Manager; Amanda Nelson, PRO; Catherine O’Donnell, Vice PRO; Tanya McLaughlin, Nominations Coordinator; and Caitlin Crossan, Youth Committee Coordinator.
Patricia Ferguson has been part of the charity’s journey throughout its ten years and today serves as Vice Treasurer and Shop Manager. Through her work in a local medical centre, Patricia also sees sick children and families on a daily basis, giving her a very personal understanding of why the charity’s support matters.
“Working in the medical centre, I see children coming through the doors every day and I see the worry that families can face when a child is unwell,” Patricia said.
“Being involved with the charity for the past ten years has made that even more meaningful to me. People see the fundraisers and events, but they don’t always see what happens afterwards.
“They don’t see the relief when support reaches a family at exactly the right time, or what a special experience can mean to a child going through a difficult period. That’s the part that matters.
“To have been involved throughout the ten years and to see how far the charity has come makes me incredibly proud. At the end of the day, everything we do is about being there for children and families when they need that little bit of extra support.”
Founding member Caitlin Crossan was also just 16 when she became involved and now serves as Youth Committee Coordinator.
“When Adrian and I started, we were only 16 and I don’t think either of us imagined what it could become,” Caitlin said.
“I think our story proves you don’t have to wait until you’re an adult to make a difference. Now I can look at the young people on our Youth Committee and say, ‘I was your age when I started doing this. Look at what can happen.’
“Ten years ago I was given an opportunity to make a difference. Now I want to give that opportunity to the next generation.”
In the first six months of 2026 alone, 114 children received support from the charity, with €27,400 in assistance provided.
That included €17,500 in direct financial assistance, 105 Smile and Hospital Bags and 15 special experiences for children.
Adrian said his own recent experience of illness also gave him a new appreciation of the financial pressures facing families.
“When you’re sick, the costs add up unbelievably quickly – fuel, parking, food, travel and accommodation while all your normal bills are still there,” he said.
“It made me think about parents regularly travelling for treatment with a sick child and the enormous pressure they face.
“We can’t take away what a family is going through, but if we can take even a little of that financial burden off their shoulders, that means something.”
Bernard and Geraldine Doherty received support from the charity after their son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes nine years ago.
“It was a frightening and overwhelming time for our family, and the support we received from Buncrana Children’s Charity meant more to us than words can say,” they said.
While the name is changing, Adrian stressed that Buncrana will always remain the charity’s home.
The five-year strategy will focus on strengthening services, governance, sustainability and the charity’s reach throughout Inishowen.
“We’ve spent ten years building this from the grassroots. Now our responsibility is to make sure it is sustainable and here for children and families long into the future, regardless of who is sitting around the committee table.”