Pieta’s annual global charity event, proudly supported by Electric Ireland, will take place this year but with a special Sunrise event 

Lisburn residents are being urged to sign up to a special Darkness Into Light (DIL) that will take place on Saturday, May 8th this year. 

DIL, one of the biggest global charity events of the year, returns in Northern Ireland for One Sunrise Together with organisers, Pieta, asking people to sign up and mark the event with an activity of their choice – be that walking, running, hiking, biking or simply sharing their sunrise.

These activities, carried out within Covid guidelines, will help shine a light on suicide and self-harm while raising vital funds for the prevention and bereavement services provided by 17 partner charities in Northern Ireland as well as Pieta, the founding charity of DIL.

In the run up to the 8th of May, Darkness Into Light ambassadors from a range of areas will help drive people’s preparation and encourage them to sign up at darknessintolight.com, talking about the reasons they became involved and the importance of supporting the event.

Darkness Into Light will also have community support from popular outdoor nature site Trek NI, who will help signpost the best walks and places to watch the sunrise from multiple locations in each county on a weekly basis through their site and social media, all the while acknowledging the need to adhere to Covid-19 restrictions.

Darkness Into Light which has become a global movement of comfort, solidarity and hope for all those affected by suicide and self-harm is proudly supported by Electric Ireland.

Commenting on this year’s Darkness Into Light, Clare McAllister, Northern Ireland Residential Manager, Electric Ireland said: “Now more ever in these extremely trying times, our communities need encouragement, support and hope and so we are delighted to have Darkness Into Light return. Although this year we can’t come together in the way we usually do, we are confident that ‘together-apart’ we can play a role in raising funds for the essential services provided by charities right across Lisburn and Northern Ireland. We are extremely proud and grateful to have the support of the ambassadors and communities who have joined us to help raise awareness of how people can sign up and get involved in this year’s different but exciting event. While we can’t be together physically as in previous years, whether walking, running, biking or hiking, we will all be watching the same sunrise together and that is hugely important.”

To find out more information about signing up and fundraising visit www.darknessintolight.com