Simon's singing a song for the Simon Community

Ballycumber’s Simon Casey has released a Christmas single to raise funds for the Simon Community.

“When the Simon Community first approached me about the possibility of becoming involved in this project. I knew in a heartbeat that I wanted to do whatever I could to help,” he said.

As the Christmas season begins to swing into full-on festive flow, one of the sadder realities of modern day Ireland remains the fact that for many, thoughts of tinsel-covered trees, party nights, presents, and reasons to be full of good cheer, are the furthest things from their minds. Instead, thousands around the country will know only increasing worry, anxiety, and even fear from dawn to dusk, heightened to almost unimaginable levels throughout the long, cold, and lonely hours of darkness when even the simple relief offered by sleep is an impossible dream.

This Christmas season the Simon Community and Simon Casey are teaming up to bring some much needed hope to those currently living through the trauma of homelessness. But they’re appealing for the help of everyone out there to make it happen.

The Offaly man won’t be the only voice on this record, though, as he’s enlisted the help of some very talented young friends.

“With the wonderful St.Manchan’s Choir from my home village of Ballycumber, we’ve recorded a beautiful version of a song by the great American country singer Alan Jackson, and it’s called, ‘Let It Be Christmas’.”

Simon continued: “’Let It Be Christmas’ is going to be released nationwide in aid of the Simon Community and I’m asking everyone out there to please, please find a way to buy the single or download it, and to request it at radio too, because even the smallest thing you can do could help to make a huge difference in somebody else’s life.

“The Simon Community do tremendous work all throughout the year, in very difficult circumstances. And as we all know, the last few years in particular have been even tougher than normal for most charities.

And of course, this time of year in particular can be even tougher than normal for those who might be in difficulty. So hopefully, what we can try ansd do, in some small way at least, is just to let it be Christmas for some of those who are going through troubled times right now.”

Let It Be Christmas by Simon Casey in aid of the Simon Community is available to download from iTunes and other online stores and buy from local outlets including Trax Tullamore and Loco Records Tullamore.