Press Releases
'Black Santa' Sitout at St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast
The Sitout for Charities at St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast begins on Wednesday 17 December at 10.00 am.
The team of 'Black Santas', led by the Dean of Belfast, the Very Rev Dr Houston McKelvey will, as usual, be standing with their collecting barrel in front of the Cathedral, each weekday from Wednesday until Christmas Eve. This is the 31st annual Sitout, the eighth led by Dean McKelvey. Recently the Sitout has been raising in the region of a a quarter of a million pounds each year. Three years ago, in the aftermath of the tsunami, a special Sitout was held and raised £1.6 million pounds.
In the region of 150 local charities receive donations from the Sitout. These cheques are presented at an annual Good Samaritans Service held in February. The inspiration from this service comes from the window behind the altar in the Cathedral.
Dean McKelvey remarks, 'Many families come along as a group - often of three generations together. As well as the Crib this year, we also have the Cathedral Mice on display. This is a tableau which has been knitted by one of our senior members and we are certain it will be of interest to the children and those who are young at heart.'
He continues, 'So far this year the advance donations we have received are keeping pace with other years. We know that some of the building firms and companies in that sector who have given us excellent support in former years, are not as busy as they were. Sadly unemployment is no new thing in our community which over the years has met unemployment in many different ways. I grew up in a linen mill village were there was cyclical unemployment before the factory eventually shut. I was also rector in Seymour Hill when several companies closed including Grundig and De Lorean. But always the charitable spirit of this community came through and often from the people who could least afford it. On a world scale we are very rich indeed and I think that inspires many folk to be charitable for good causes at home and abroad.'
The 'Black Santa' title was coined by the local press. It refers to the clerical cloak which clergy may wear. The tradition at Belfast Cathedral was started by Dean Sammy Crooks in 1976. With a small barrel in which donations could be placed, and dressed in the familiar black, Anglican clerical cloak, Dean Crooks 'sat out' each day of the week before Christmas. Dean Crooks was succeeded by Dean Jack Shearer who involved members of the Cathedral Chapter in the Sitout. Under his leadership the event continued to develop so that by his last Sitout in 2000, a total of £2.2 million pounds had been raised for charities over the previous 24 years.
All the money gathered is donated to local charities with a proportion given to Christian Aid. The range of charities includes medical research; those caring for children, youth and the elderly; the improvement of employment opportunities for young people and a host of small charities which cannot afford paid fund-raisers.
Most of the money donated is given by people who come to the Cathedral during the Sit out. Contributions are made by individuals, families, schools, offices and workplaces. Some schools send the collection from their Christmas Carol Services or the proceeds of their Christmas Shows. Some school choirs and bands come and perform on the cathedral steps during the Sit out. To the fore amongst the schools are the students of Fleming Fulton School who all cope daily with physical disability. Dean McKelvey says, 'These students exemplify the spirit of the Sit out. despite the problems with which they and their families cope with daily, they have an annual "Pennies from Heaven" appeal for the Sitout for which they collect coins in Coke bottles. They have raised thousands of pounds for the Sit out in this way.'
Donations may be made at any time of the year, by sending a cheque made payable to 'Cathedral Sit out' to the Dean, at Belfast Cathedral, Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2HB
For further information, contact:
Very Revd Dr Houston McKelvey
Dean of Belfast
Belfast Cathedral
Donegall Street
Belfast BT1 2HB
Tel - 028 9032 8332