Mayo’s Castle Davitt furniture backs Sunflower Children’s Hospice with year-long fundraiser

Castlebar-based retailer Castle Davitt Furniture has confirmed a one-year collaboration with Sunflower Children’s Hospice, an initiative of the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation.

As part of the partnership, Castle Davitt Furniture will roll out a significant in-store fundraising campaign across its three showrooms in Castlebar, Galway and Sligo. 

Each location will feature a prominent “Big Clock” donation display at the counter, pre-loaded with €1,000. Customers will be invited to add a donation at the point of purchase, with the clock updated daily to reflect the growing total.

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Funds raised will go towards the development of the eight-bed Sunflower Children’s Hospice, the first children’s hospice serving the Western Seaboard. The facility will provide specialist care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses across eight counties, as well as vital support services for their families.

Planned features of the hospice include family accommodation, hydrotherapy baths, play therapy and sensory rooms, private garden access from each bedroom, and an on-site multidisciplinary medical team. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026.

Castle Davitt Furniture has been in operation since 1982 and is an Irish-owned, family-run business with deep roots in the West. Managing Director Phyllis Loftus said the partnership holds particular personal significance.

“As a family, we have spent over 40 years proudly serving communities across the West of Ireland. It has always meant a great deal to us to give something back by supporting causes that truly matter in our region,” she said.

“As I near retirement, the development of the Sunflower Children’s Hospice is a cause that is very close to my heart. We are honoured to partner on this important initiative and hope our customers will join us in helping to make a lasting difference for families who need this support most.”

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Martina Jennings, CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, welcomed the partnership, describing it as a meaningful boost for the project.

“By launching this campaign across their locations in Mayo, Galway and Sligo, Castle Davitt is helping to raise vital awareness and build support for the hospice right across the communities we serve,” she said. “Their generous partnership will make a real and lasting difference as we move closer to bringing the Sunflower Children’s Hospice to life for families across the Western Seaboard.”

For more than 30 years, Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation has provided palliative care services to people with life-limiting illnesses and their families in Mayo and Roscommon. To date, more than 25,000 patients and families have been supported.

Donations can be made on the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation official website.