A community wellness event aimed at raising funds for a vital local charity, Bray Area Rough Sleepers Support (BARSS), will take place in Bray on Sunday, September 13, bringing together fitness instructors, therapists, wellbeing professionals and local businesses to put the fun back into fundraising.

The Wellness Day, organised by Pilates with Ash founder Ashling Smith, will be held at Bray’s Wolfe Tone Youth Club from 1pm to 6pm, with all proceeds going to the voluntary soup run service that provides food and support to people experiencing homelessness in the town, as well as those who find themselves without the means to access an evening meal.

The organisation was established in 2015 to essentially bridge the gap between the closure of daytime services and their reopening the following morning, ensuring rough sleepers have access to food during hours when few other supports are available. But it has since expanded to help anyone who has fallen on hard times, even for a short period of time.

Speaking ahead of the fundraiser, Ashling – no stranger to rallying the community for a good cause – said the event was designed to give the charity a helping hand before the winter months.

“It really is a great organisation to be raising money for,” she said. “They do such a lot in the local area, and we thought we’d get in there just before winter starts and give them a little boost.”

Ashling runs Pilates classes in Bray and has built a community of around 150 members, and regularly organises fundraising initiatives for local and national causes.

“My ethos is if we all do a little, we achieve a lot,” she said, as over the years, the group has raised funds for organisations including Bray Women’s Refuge, Wicklow Animal Welfare, LauraLynn, Five Loaves and hospice services.

This fundraiser is not just about turning up and buying a cake – although homemade cakes will be available. As it’s billed as a wellness day, it’s far more interactive and will feature a wide variety of activities.

Visitors will be able to take part in Pilates, breathwork sessions, powerlifting demonstrations, yoga and massages, while fitness and wellbeing providers will also be on hand throughout the afternoon.

There will also be coffee, pre-loved clothing stalls and a raffle featuring a large selection of prizes donated by local businesses. Families attending the event can also enjoy a bouncy obstacle course, which has been donated for the day.

Ashling said community support has been crucial in making the fundraiser possible, particularly at a time when charities and volunteer organisations are facing increasing financial pressures.

“It is getting harder because everybody’s being pinched a little bit more,” she said, adding that fundraising at community level often relies on support from the same groups of people.

Still, whatever is raised, “it’s 100pc more than nothing”, she said, and is optimistic that local residents will come out to support this worthy initiative.

If you can’t make it on the day, you can always contribute to the appeal at: idonate.ie/fundraiser/ashlingsmith2