"Girl's just want to have Fun"

14 October 2009

Girls throughout Ireland are being asked to raise vital funds and awareness for one of Ireland's leading overseas development agencies, Plan Ireland, by organising a dinner party with their friends or a "Girls Night In", between now and the 18th of December.  Celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna launched the campaign today (14 October 2009) with some of her own girl friends.

Clodagh is backing the campaign with a range of exclusive recipes, hints and tips to show Irish girls how to be supreme hostesses in their own homes and how to organise a hassle free "dinner party" in aid of this very worthy cause. Clodagh's wisdom will be available to all who register for Girls Night In.

Plan Ireland works in over 49 developing nations worldwide and is focused on helping all children and in particular girls to reach their full potential. Plan Ireland very much see education as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. All funds raised will go towards developing Plan's "Girl Friendly Schools" projects in Togo, West Africa. Togo is one of the world's poorest countries and where food and resources are scarce; girls are the first to suffer.           

From now until December the 18th Plan Ireland hopes that girls all over Ireland will help girls in other countries either by sponsoring one of 500 girls urgently in need of support or by organising a Girls Night In to raise funds and awareness for the campaign. Plan Ireland's Marketing and Fundraising Manager Caroline O' Connell says:

"We are asking girls of all ages to invite their friends around to have a "Girls Night In" and raise funds and awareness for the poorest of girls. So far the response has been really strong,from girls organising a get together in their own home, to school girls organising a fundraiser in their school.

"In these recessionary times, more and more people are choosing to socialise in a more creative way by staying in and enjoying a home cooked meal and maybe a movie or a karaoke session.  By getting involved in this campaign your night in can leave you with a real "feel good factor" because you'll be making a life-changing difference to girls who haven't had the opportunities and rights that we in Ireland have -  an education, a secure environment, food, clean water and equal rights", she added.

The Girls Night In fundraising campaign is sponsored by party planning company Girls Night In and supported by IMAGE Magazine, Beaut.ie, Rollercoaster, Magic Mums, Lush Cosmetics, Brook Catering and models from the Morgan Agency.   Girls Night In, the company, is offering €55 voucher to everyone who registers and an ultimate Girls Night In party for the best fundraising hostess!

Clodagh McKenna has also given exclusive "party recipes" to Plan Ireland to make it easy to plan your party.

 "I am delighted to be involved with Plan Ireland. As a woman who grew up in Ireland I appreciate all of the opportunities that I have been given in life. This campaign will help girls who don't have those opportunities to have a better standard of living and a fairer chance in life", says Clodagh.

If you would like to organise a Girls Night In or indeed sponsor a girl in a developing country, please contact Caroline O'Connell at 01 -6599 601 or visit www.plan.ie.