7 YEARS GIFTING MORE THAN 8,000 CHRISTMAS ANNUALS TO 23 CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL UNITS THIS CHRISTMAS
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Folens, one of Ireland’s leading educational publishers, is celebrating 60 years in business, during which it has entertained and educated children with their much-loved Annuals. Even today, interest and excitement has not diminished thanks to their engaging and current content.


Christmas 2018 marks the seventh year of the Folens Christmas Annual Charity Campaign. The campaign, which has proved incredibly successful over the years, involves thousands of Christmas Annuals being donated to children’s wards across the country.


Entitled ‘Súgradh, Sonas, Siamsa and Spraoi’, the Folens Christmas Annual evokes memories of childhood. Christmas stockings hanging over the fireplace packed with treats, family fun and always a Christmas Annual from Folens to provide a day full of entertainment.


Elizabeth Ivory, Marketing Manager at Folens, said; “Now in its seventh year, the Folens Christmas Annual Charity Campaign reminds us of the challenges faced by children receiving care as well as their families. Every year our Christmas Annuals help to lift spirits and add a little festive cheer. 

“Over the last six years, we have donated thousands of Christmas Annuals to the many children’s wards throughout the country. This year we will donate a further 8,000 annuals and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the Children in Hospital Ireland play volunteers and all of the children’s care units for their continued help and support.”


Anna Gunning, CEO of Children in Hospital Ireland, said: “We are always delighted to partner with Folens on this initiative and we know how much this means to the children who may have to spend time in hospital over the Christmas period.  The CHI volunteers in the hospitals love distributing these annuals and taking the opportunity to read these with the young patients in hospital.”    


The Folens Christmas Annual Charity Campaign would not be possible without the support of the dedicated volunteers of Children’s Hospital Ireland (CHI), who help to distribute the annuals throughout children’s wards nationwide. CHI is a voluntary organisation working directly with children in hospitals to help them cope with illness and hospitalisation through the provision of daily play sessions and provides ongoing support to families.


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For further information on Folens Christmas Annuals, please log on to www.folens.ie/Christmas18

This October Bank Holiday weekend saw an outstanding 27,300 pass through the doors of the RDS Simmonscourt to visit the 250 exhibitors at the Autumn permanent tsb Ideal Home Show. An overall satisfaction rate of 99% was recognised amongst both visitors and exhibitors alike.


The 250 exhibitors showcased a wide range of products and services across the Bank Holiday weekend, including bespoke furniture, innovative products and interiors.


The scale of the sales success spanned across all sectors, from high tech home automation systems to beautiful bespoke creations and interiors. Windows, doors, soft furnishings and home décor were in high demand, as were insulations, energy systems and home security.


Sean D. Lemass, CEO of SDL Exhibitions Ltd commented: “This weekend’s Autumn 2018 permanent tsb Ideal Home Show confirmed beyond doubt that The Celtic Tiger is back. Not only was this the largest edition of the event since 2007 completely filling all of the 10,500 Sq. Metres of exhibition space in the RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion, but it attracted over 27,000 home owners who were investing in the properties, comfort and lifestyle at a rate that has not been seen at any event in Ireland for over a decade.
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From high end art to luxury hand made kitchens and bespoke furniture  and from complete home renovations and rebuilds to giant static swim jacuzzis there was no shortage of business for the 250 high calibre exhibitors participating.”


SuperValu celebrity ambassadors cooked up a storm for the visitors across the 4 day event at the Chefs LIVE Theatre, with recipes such as Bressie’s pomegranate chicken wings and Kevin Dundon’s winter warmers proving to be firm crowd favourites. 


Kirstie McDermott of House & Home Magazine hosted a number of talks on the House & Home Interiors and Design Theatre across the weekend, including a chat with television’s Quantity Surveyor Patricia Power and Niamh Donnelly of permanent tsb who provided their top tips on how first time buyers can approach the first steps of the property ladder.


Roisin Murphy, designer of the Cúl Art House also spoke to Kirstie about how to eliminate clutter in the home and make your bedroom the perfect place for a better nights’ sleep.


The Colourtrend Interior Design Forum was extremely popular amongst visitors, the 7 room sets created by some of Ireland’s best interior designers were decorated with bespoke pieces provided visitors with ideas and inspiration for their own home décor projects. Rebecca Roe of HedgeRoe Designs was announced as the winner of the project, by designing a living room inspired by a hint of exotic. Throughout her room set she used a tarnished gold paint by Colourtrend called ‘Tobacco Plant’ which complimented HedgeRoe’s hand-block printed wall panels. Second place was awarded to Rachel Hobbs Design, who created al fresco inspired outdoor retreat.


The show’s title sponsor permanent tsb had their team on hand to help with financial needs including mortgages, home insurance, current accounts, personal loans and much more.

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The permanent tsb Ideal Home Show returns to the RDS in Spring 2019. Log on to www.idealhome.ie for further information.