Concern Worldwide

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Concern WorldwideConcern worldwide logo.gif
Founded 1968
Founder Kay O'Loughlin Kennedy
John O'Loughlin Kennedy
Registration no. 39647
Focus Poverty relief
Location

52-55 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2

Origins Dublin, Ireland

Area served
Worldwide
Product Long-term development and disaster relief
Key people
Dominic MacSorley (CEO)
Website

www.concern.net
www.concernusa.org

Formerly called
Africa Concern

Concern Worldwide (often referred to as Concern) is Ireland's largest aid and

humanitarian agency.[1] Since its foundation 50 years ago it has worked in 50
countries. According to its latest annual report, Concern helped 28.6 million of
the world's poorest and most vulnerable people in 2019, while responding to 82
emergencies in 24 countries.[2] Concern aims to help those living in the world's
poorest countries.[3] Concern is engaged in long-term development work, in addition
to emergency relief in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Concern's core work focuses
on health, hunger and humanitarian response in emergencies.[4] The charity works in
partnership with small community groups as well as governments and large global
organisations. Concern is one of fourteen fully certified members of Humanitarian
Accountability Partnership.[5] It has no religious or political affiliations.

Concern Worldwide US is an affiliate of Concern Worldwide. It has offices in New

York City and Chicago. Concern Worldwide is a partner of One Campaign.

Concern Worldwide UK is a UK charity that supports the overseas work of Concern

Worldwide. It is a registered charity in the UK (number 1092236 England and Wales
and SC038107 Scotland). Danny Harvey became Executive Director of Concern Worldwide
UK in late 2019.[6]
Contents

1 History
2 Work
3 Governance
4 Funding
5 Campaigns and initiatives
6 Notable ambassadors
7 In popular culture
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
History

Concern Worldwide was set up by a small group of people including John and Kay
O'Loughlin Kennedy in their home in Dublin in 1968, following an appeal for aid by
missionaries for the starving population of war-torn Biafra. In June 1968, Africa
Concern, as it was originally called, launched their famine appeal "Send One Ship".
The ship, the Colmcille landed off the coast of Biafra in September 1968 with
supplies of powdered food and medicine. In 1970, the public were asked to respond
to a cyclone in East Pakistan and Africa Concern became Concern.[7]
Work

Concern has worked in 50 countries and as of 2019 was employing over 3,500 staff in
26 countries around the world delivering programmes that benefitted 28.6 million
people.[8] Concern's work is centered on 5 main programmes, Education, Emergencies,
Health and Nutrition, Gender Equality and Livelihoods. Concern launched an appeal
to tackle the drought in East Africa[9] in June 2011. They also responded to the
earthquake in Haiti and the floods in Pakistan.[10][11] The Chief Executive Officer
is Dominic MacSorley. Concern is a member of the Humanitarian Accountability
Partnership.[citation needed]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Concern's focus is on maintaining current lifesaving

programmes, where possible, as well as playing their part in raising awareness of
the tools that can be used to fight the spread of the infection.[12]
Governance

Concern is controlled and regulated by its members who have responsibility for the
Articles of Association, election of the Council, appointment of the auditors and
approval of accounts. The Council of Concern is elected from membership at each
AGM. The maximum number on the Council is 24 and one third must step down every
year. They meet at least four times per year.[citation needed] The Council is
accountable to the relevant government Minister to ensure that the Companies Act is
adhered to. They are also accountable to the general public to ensure that
donations are put to an appropriate use.[13] Concern is the first Irish charity to
receive certification from the Geneva-based organisation Humanitarian
Accountability Partnership (HAP), which works to make humanitarian work more
accountable and transparent through self-regulation, compliance verification, and
quality assurance certification.[14] Concern is a member of the Irish Charities and
Tax Research Reform Group.[15] Concern Worldwide's annual report and accounts won
the charity and not-for-profit category in the annual Chartered Accountants
Leinster Society awards for published accounts for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.[16]
Funding

Concern raises money from individuals, communities, sponsored events and companies
as well as receiving financial support from the Irish government, the European
Union, the United Nations, the British government and other government agencies,
private donors, and major trusts.[17] In 2007, the Irish Government announced a 5-
year strategic funding programme with Concern which would see funding double from
€60 million (for the period 2003 to 2006) to €148 million over the 5-year period
from 2007 to 2011.[18] Subsequent to the announcement, Irish Aid announced a series
of cutbacks to Ireland's official development aid, including the programme under
which Concern was funded.[19]
Campaigns and initiatives

Campaigns and initiatives run by the organisation include the Concern Fast, which
is a sponsored 24-hour fast and programme of events to raise money to fight child
malnutrition.[20] Other initiatives focusing on nutrition have included a "1,000
days" project.[21]
Since 2008 Concern has also run a creative writing competition in a number of age
categories.[22][23]

Concern also runs a number of different physical challenges for additional

fundraising opportunities.[24]

In 2020, Concern has launched new campaigns and events such as Go Green For
Concern,[25] The Concern Long Jump Challenge[26] and the Step in Their Shoes
campaign.[27]
Notable ambassadors

Hollywood actress Toni Collette is an ambassador for the charity, having visited
their programmes in Haiti.[28]

Chef and TV personality Donal Skehan visited Concern's programmes in Malawi.[29] He

also encouraged people to donate to Concern while to charity responded to Cyclone
Idai.

Dublin footballer Michael Darragh Macauley is an ambassador for Concern and has
visited their programmes in Kenya and Iraq. In December 2019, he appeared on The
Late Late Show to talk about his experience meeting Syrian refugees in camps in
Iraq.[30]

Fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski has been a long-time supporter and ambassador
for Concern Worldwide.[31] He has visited programmes in Kenya and has hosted
Concern's annual Winter Ball in New York.

Leinster and Ireland rugby player Rob Kearney has supported many of Concern's
fundraising drives in Ireland. He visited Ethiopia to visit Concern's emergency
nutrition programme in Ebinat, a 12-hour drive from Addis Ababa.[32]
In popular culture

Concern is referenced in the 1990 The Saw Doctors song "I Useta Love Her".[33]

Concern's only charity song – which was written by Paul Cleary from The Blades and
produced by award-winning composer Bill Whelan – was the brainchild of the late
Gerry Ryan and Paul Cleary's then-manager Mark Venner. The Concerned, made up of
over 40 Irish stars, had a number one hit in March and April 1985 with the song and
music video "Show Some Concern".[34] A short segment from the song's video also
features in RTE's hit series Reeling in the Years, when it highlights the top
events of 1985.