A new global kindness campaign is calling on people around the world to spend just ten minutes helping someone else during the month of June.
30 Days of Good Deeds is the first campaign from the newly established Mo Chuisle Foundation.
The initiative was launched at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco by Donegal-born entrepreneur Troy Armour and Miss Ireland Caoimhe Kenny.
Donegal-born entrepreneur Troy Armour and Miss Ireland Caoimhe Kenny as they launched the global 30 Days of Good Deeds at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Pic: Brian McEvoy
It encourages participants to carry out one small act of kindness at any point during the thirty days of June before nominating three others to do the same within 24 hours.
The aim is to create a chain reaction of kindness that begins on June 1 and ripples out across the world for the entire month.
Whether it is walking a neighbour’s dog, calling on an elderly person who lives alone or making a cup of tea for a parent, every act counts.
Miss Ireland Caoimhe Kenny at the launch of the global 30 Days of Good Deeds at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Pic: Brian McEvoy
Upon completing a good deed, participants are asked to share their story on social media, donate to the Mo Chuisle Foundation and nominate three friends to complete their own good deed within 24 hours.
The name of the foundation comes from the Irish-language term Mo Chuisle which means ‘my pulse’.
The poetic term of endearment has given the campaign its tagline: ‘every heart beating as one’
Donegal-born entrepreneur Troy Armour with singer Jordan O’Keefe at the launch of the global 30 Days of Good Deeds at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Pic: Brian McEvoy
The Mo Chuisle Foundation supports work in three areas where small contributions can change individual lives: cancer care, period poverty and creative education.
It has been established in Monaco with charitable activity focused in Ireland and internationally.
The choice of the Princess Grace Irish Library as the launch venue is symbolic.
Bronagh Gallagher at the launch of the global 30 Days of Good Deeds at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Pic: Brian McEvoy
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco has longstanding family ties to Ireland through his great-grandfather, John Henry Kelly, who was born in Newport, Co Mayo.
Both Prince Albert II and his late mother, Princess Grace, maintained a strong affection for their Irish heritage.
Chloe Henning at the launch of the global 30 Days of Good Deeds at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Pic: Brian McEvoy
That connection is reflected in the Princess Grace Irish Library itself, which preserves Princess Grace’s personal collection of Irish literature and cultural treasures.
Speaking at the launch, Troy Armour, founder of Mo Chuisle Foundation, said: ‘I grew up in Donegal, where looking out for your neighbour wasn’t a campaign – it was just what people did. The world feels noisier and more divided than it has in a long time. We wanted to give people a way to push back against that, gently, in a way anyone can do. Ten minutes. One person. One kind thing. Then pass it on to three more people. If millions of us do that across June, we’ll see what every heart beating as one really looks like.’
Roberta Vaineikyte at the launch of the global 30 Days of Good Deeds at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Pic: Brian McEvoy
Miss Ireland Caoimhe Kenny added: ‘Over the last 6 months, Troy has been working on Mo Chuisle. When he first told me about it I loved the concept and I was determined to be involved but moreover I wanted to also make sure that ending Period Poverty was one of the goals of Mo Chuisle – this is something I have been working on for the last number of years with Hygiene Hub and it is a real problem that many people are not aware of. Up to 24% of girls miss at least 1 week of school a year because they don’t have access to sanitary products.’
Sean Quinn and Lee Gooch with Donegal-born entrepreneur Troy Armour at the launch of the global 30 Days of Good Deeds at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Pic: Brian McEvoy
The 30 Days of Good Deeds campaign officially begins on June 1.