The Amy Winehouse Foundation provided a generous donation to the London Irish Centre recently, which will help the Centre continue to provide help and guidance to London’s Irish emigrants.

The Irish Post reports that the donation of just over $30,000 was handed over by Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch Winehouse in the form of a check. The relationship between the London Irish Centre and the Amy Winehouse Foundation began last Christmas when Mitch Winehouse switched on the Christmas tree at the Centre which is in Camden, the same neighborhood where Amy had lived.

Jeff Moore, the director of welfare at the London Irish Centre said that their partnership with the Amy Winehouse Foundation “allows us to continue to provide targeted advice on housing, benefits, debt and employability services.”

The London Irish Centre received the generous grant the same week that it was revealed that most of the Irish migrants who head to London are unprepared for the challenges that they will face. Most will find difficulty in securing housing in the competitive rental market.

The presentation of the donation from the Amy Winehouse foundation also coincided with the LIC’s launch of a new guidebook with information to help Irish migrants transition into London. ‘Moving to London: A Practical Companion for Irish People’ has been deemed as “essential” for Irish migrants.

There has already been strong response to the guidebook, which compiled information from several different London authorities, as well as recent Irish emigrants. Moore said “the majority of people we spoke to said that they regretted not undertaking more planning before moving to London. Some recent migrants said this had caused them a lot of stress and anxiety.”

He added, “As always, the centre continues to provide for the needs of vulnerable older Irish people but now thanks to the support of the Amy Winehouse Foundation we are now able provide a preventative and ongoing support and advice for younger Irish people in London.”

Click here for more information on the London Irish Centre.