Jobstown Walk and Talk needs sponsorship to keep on

A popular community group is in high need of sponsorship and funding to avoid closing down.

Jobstown’s Walk and Talk founded by Stephen Brennan in 2022 grew bigger and bigger over two years as it offered people in the area an opportunity to get out of the house and chat their problems away.

However, weekly local walks, and occasional group trips like last September’s hike to Snowdon Peak in Wales all have costs that Stephen can’t keep covering alone.

“I’m doing everything myself, and I really want to put it out there that I need help and sponsorships, or it will have to stop.”

Stephen pays for transport for people to get to the walks’ and hikes’ starting points, sandwiches, and water to wait for them at the end of their walks.

“At the moment I’m only charging people €10, but I can’t charge them more than that. I believe mental health should be free.”

Stephen Brennan

Since he spread the rumour around, Stephen already received a few messages from local people, some committing to throw “a hundred euro here and there,” some to help with setting up donations and raffles.

“Organising raffles takes time and effort, and I have a full-time job and two kids,” Stephen told The Echo, but he believes that with someone else on his side, he can get everything “up and running” soon and get sponsorship on top of it.

Stephen, who won the Learning and Innovation Award at Tallaght Person of the Year 2024, improved people’s physical and mental health in his area through his own initiative and is now asking for external support to keep doing it.