On Tuesday 23rd December 2025, three members of the executive committee of S.H.A.R.E. Cork – Peter, Saoirse and Jack – visited Bishop Paul Colton and Mrs Susan Colton at their home. Susan Colton was delighted to discover that one of them, who is actively involved in this Cork charity, is one of her own past-pupils.

S.H.A.R.E. is Students Harness Aid for the Relief of the Elderly and, since the 1970’s when it was founded by Brother Jerome Kelly at Presentation Brothers College Cork, has developed 140 independent living houses in seven complexes in the Cork City area. Each year the 39 strong Executive Committee is made up of Transition Year students from schools throughout Cork City with over 100 students at any one time collecting on the streets of the city throughout the 12 days before Christmas. Many of the students fast for 24 hours in the course of this annual fundraiser for the charity.

Usually, Bishop Colton makes the journey to the S.H.A.R.E. crib in the city centre of Cork himself, however, in a small seasonal twist for his last Christmas as Church of Ireland Bishop, he invited the representatives to visit the crib at his home instead this year.

Bishop Colton said:

It has been both a joy and an inspiration to witness, to be associated with and to support the work of these young people of Cork in their work for older people in our city throughout the last 27 years. S.H.A.R.E. is at the heart of generosity and caring in Cork and its prime movers are the young students. They do the work and that isn’t just confined to the 12 day Christmas fast and collection. There are weekly visits to the older people and social activities also. I have found that the energy and dedication of these young people has energised me over my years as bishop in my own ministry. They are magnificent.

The group enjoyed a chat with Bishop Paul and Mrs Susan Colton in their drawing room, where talk ranged from the work of S.H.A.R.E. to memories of past Christmases, changes in Cork over the years and the opportunities for charities and service in the community. Christmas treats were very much part of the occasion, prepared by Susan Colton, whose hospitality added a note of homeliness to the formal setting.

The visit concluded with the group looking at the Colton’s Crib, where Bishop Paul presented the three representatives with his annual donation.