North Kildare sight loss charity volunteers honoured for more than 7 years of service

Two volunteers who have been stalwarts in helping out a national charity that helps those with sight loss were honoured with a lunch at the charity's headquarters in Dublin this week.

Maynooth woman Kitty Kiernan and Bernie Gough from Celbridge both work in the Celbridge branch of the NCBI, and they have been volunteering with the charity for more than seven years.

The charity, which has eight establishments in Kildare, helps those who are suffering from sight loss. According to NCBI, there are currently more than 2,100 blind people in the county.

Speaking at the special lunch this week, Finbarr Roche, Head of Property and Retail with the NCBI, said;

"Without their help the “NCBI simply couldn’t open its doors. You are the lifeblood of the NCBI, you keep the wheels moving. Not only do you give your time, energy and skills for free, you bring a whole new level of enthusiasm and dedication to our organisation. We are totally indebted to you all, and NCBI is able to do what it does as a result of your generosity.”

For their part, Kitty and Bernie both said that working for the NCBI is “A pleasure and a joy and we get back so much more than we give”.

Kitty said; “I worked in retail for years so it was a natural fit for me to volunteer with the NCBI shop, I love it, we are a great team and we have great fun. We are always busy and I think people know and appreciate the hard work that the NCBI does. It truly offers a great service.”