Herdwatch has raised over €11,000 for charity through a fundraising climb up the Devil's Bit in Co Tipperary.

The money is being donated to support members of the Herdwatch team that are based near Kherson in Ukraine and also to the Irish mental health charity Aware.

The donations, according to Herdwatch, will be used to deliver thousands of humanitarian aid kits, especially near Kherson, which was recently badly affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.

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The donation follows on from the additional €10,000 provided to the relief efforts in Ukraine last year. Beneficiary

In recognition of the ongoing mental health crisis which is increasingly being felt across communities in Ireland, the other beneficiary of the fundraising is Aware, which has received just over €5,500.

The donation will assist its efforts in delivering support, education and information services to those affected by anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and related mood conditions.

Speaking about the activity, Herdwatch CEO and founder Fabien Peyaud said: “We are delighted that we were able to raise funding that will go towards two really important causes.

"It was fantastic to see so many of our colleagues, friends, families, farmers and clients dig deep and provide such generous donations. We are very grateful to everyone who helped us reach our fundraising peak."

Peyaud said Herdwatch is lucky to be working with people in Ukraine and we are very conscious of what the war has meant for them and their families.

"Their lives have been turned upside down. These are friends and colleagues we were talking to and working with practically every day before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"They are never out of our thoughts and we wanted to provide a contribution that was specifically targeted to make as much of a local impact to them as we could."

Mental health issues

He added that mental health issues are affecting communities and families all across Ireland, adding that more focus needs to be placed on supporting people who need help and to be there for those who may be in crisis.

"That is what Aware does and we have no doubt that all donations that go towards enabling that activity is money very well spent,” Peyaud concluded.