Record last charity sit-out

Black Santa collects on cathedral steps

Northern Ireland's Black Santa has raised almost £400,000 for 100 local charities and the Third World during his last annual Christmas sit-out.

For his 15th week-long charity vigil on the steps of St Anne's Cathedral in central Belfast, Dean Jack Shearer had set himself the target of raising £250,000 this year.

But he has said in the final year before he retires, he has again been overwhelmed by the generosity of the public.

People have put almost £2m into the barrel over the years that St Anne's Cathedral deans have spent the Christmas period sitting out.

He said by the time the counting was finished "I think we will have raised £400,000, perhaps more. That's double what we had hoped for.

"This year several thousand people have been along to the barrel. They have had to make a journey because we're not on the main thoroughfare - they put in a few coins, sometimes £5, sometimes £5,000. On Friday two young men came along and put £900 into the barrel," he said.

Compassion

"You get some surprises. There was one occasion when a man came and gave me a plastic bag and he went off into the darkness.

Dean Jack Shearer: Annual sit-out

"About 15 minutes later the staff came out shouting: There was £30,000 in that bag. It was a man who died and left instructions with his friend to take me this money."

Dean Shearer added: "These people are coming voluntarily out of compassion and very often they are giving to the hilt. One lady last year gave us £1,000 and I decided to go along and see her because she could gift aid this, I thought.

"But when I rather tentatively brought up the subject I discovered she didn't pay any tax. There she was living in Tiger's Bay in quite a small pensioner's house and each year she has been giving us £1,000 - always for the Third World. It is absolutely astonishing."

"The biggest amount I've received, I would say, was a £5 note. The reason for that was that a man came along with two boys aged about seven and eight and he put the £5 in. He apologised that it was so small, but said he was unemployed. I have thought about that ever since - £5 from an unemployed man with two boys just coming up to Christmas."

Post appeal

Because this was the Dean's last sit-out, he started collecting for good causes early by post.

"The cynics said you will be lucky to get 0.5% of these things back.We have been absolutely amazed at the amount of money that had come in every day money has been coming in by post and many people are coming along because they have got the letter."

At 73, Dean Shearer admits that he isn't getting any younger and that it takes no little preparation to face the nights in the cold. He said that it is "time to let a younger man take over".

But said he has enjoyed the sit-out every year.

"I get into practice. I go out for long walks in the cold and I get used to the cold coming up to the sit-out and of course I dress for it and try to eat well at night and I can go in for soup and so-on in the day.

When he retires Jack Shearer plans to move to Scotland to live near his daughter and her family, but said he intends to come back to visit Northern Ireland regularly.

"I will miss Northern Ireland and the cathedral with so many wonderful services, particularly at Christmas, and I'll miss so many of the bridge building operations that we have had here, for example in our partnership with St Peter's Cathedral."

Dean Shearer added: "We have already raised the money for 100 locally-based charities. Everything that comes in on Saturday on the last day is going to the Third World for the hungry and the homeless and we with all our luxuries should think of them."