Life

Marie Louise McConville: Helping others is a great life lesson for us all

Paul Doherty from Foodstock gifted James and Abbie sweet boxes as a thanks for their food and toy donation
Paul Doherty from Foodstock gifted James and Abbie sweet boxes as a thanks for their food and toy donation Paul Doherty from Foodstock gifted James and Abbie sweet boxes as a thanks for their food and toy donation

Being a parent these days can be a tough business.

Aside from the risks associated with the online world, there's just so many things and people we wish to shield our little ones from in the real world.

So far in the McConville household we have managed to avoid games consoles, iPads and such like and thus all the associated risks.

But the same can't be said for the real world.

A few weeks ago, our six-year-old, James appeared very quiet at home.

Usually full of the joys of life, playing with He-Man and his many other superhero figures, he appeared downcast.

Eventually, he confided in me that he was worried about people who have no homes and the children who didn't have enough food to eat.

Turns out, he had seen someone sleeping rough and was very concerned about their well-being.

He told me he wanted to help the man but didn't know how.

As the tears flowed down his little face, my heart felt like it was breaking.

We had a lengthy cuddle and I had no choice but to be honest with him - there are people in the world who are struggling, who have nowhere to live and who don't know where their next meal is coming from.

However, I also told him about the wonderful people in our communities who work to help those in need.

I explained, that whilst we couldn't fix the whole problem ourselves, we could play our part and talked about how.

Suddenly, he sat up and said he wanted to collect food for a food bank.

So, we found a box and for the last number of weeks, he and Abbie have been adding items to it.

As the contents grew, I phoned the wonderful Paul Doherty, who founded Foodstock, a life-saving food bank service on the Andersonstown Road in west Belfast.

I explained what the kids were doing and organised for us all to meet up so Abbie and James could hand over the box and a donation for the toy drive.

At the handover in Kennedy Centre, where Foodstock were running a donation drive, Darren and I felt so proud. It was just so great to see them both pledge to help others and see it through.

Paul was fantastic as he explained to them both about how their donation would help and even gifted them two boxes of sweets for their hard work.

They were absolutely delighted.

I know times are tough but if you find yourself in a position in the run-up to this Christmas to be able to donate a tin of beans or a packet of spaghetti, bear in mind the outstanding work Paul and the volunteers at Foodstock and so many other food banks are doing.

It may only seem like a little thing to you but to someone else out there, it could mean the world.

:: Foodstock's address is 150F Andersonstown Road, Belfast

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Former Take That star Robbie Williams has revealed he is planning to launch his own talent show.

Speaking during an interview, the 48-year-old said: "I've written a TV show which is a dark comedy.

"And I've come up with this idea for a talent show that's sort of never been seen before, in a different way," he said.

It will not the the first time the performer has been involved in talent shows as he and his wife, Ayda Fields, were judges on The X Factor with Simon Cowell in 2018.

2023 sounds like it could be very entertaining indeed.

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Competition

January can be dull and dreary so how do you fancy winning a pair of tickets for the `World's Greatest ABBA show?'

Arrival, who hail from Sweden, will join forces with the Ulster Orchestra for a show at the SSE Arena in Belfast on January 7.

Billed as the most successful ABBA tribute show touring the world today, to date, Arrival have performed in more than 70 countries - with 80 sold out tours in the USA since 2005.

Ticket holders can look forward to hits including Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Does Your Mother Know, The Winner Takes It All, Gimme Gimme Gimme and many more.

I have one pair of tickets to see Arrival at the SSE Arena in Belfast on January 7 to give away.

If you would like the chance to win the tickets, simply email your name, address and telephone number – along with the answer to the question below – to competitions@irishnews.com.

Closing date for entries is noon on Tuesday December 13.

(Q) Which orchestra will team up with Arrival for the band's gig at the SSE Arena in Belfast on January 7, 2023?

Normal Irish News rules apply.

COMPETITION WINNERS

The winners of The Woman Made of Snow competition are Christine McGrath, from Coalisland, Helen Rooney, from Newcastle, Bernie McGinn, from Trillick, Marie McStay, from Lurgan, and Christine McQuillan, from Cushendun