Solas@School is back!

Solas@School is back again this year and we had our first outing with Solas College on Friday, along with 17 girls from 6th class in St Brigid's Primary School. We were also joined by two wonderful volunteers, Ellen and Garreth, from one of our corporate sponsors, McCann FitzGerald.

We set off for a fun day out in Trinity College Dublin where we were welcomed by the TCD SU President, Lynn Ruane, who chatted to the children about her role in the college. She then introduced us to Molly Kenny, TCD SU Vice President, who showed us to The Atrium building. Molly studied engineering so to help the girls understand a little more about her career, she set them with a task to build the highest free standing object they could, using only spaghetti and blu-tack. The competition grew fierce as the children split in to three groups to win the coveted prize of chocolate! 

Following on from that, Lynn brought the group to the Science Gallery for a private tour of the 'Secret' Exhibition where they learned all about the future of surveillance and privacy through an array of interactive exhibits. We wrapped up the day with lunch and a conversation about what the children had learned from the day and what they thought about the idea of going to college. 

Throughout the day, the children were encouraged to ask lots of questions and many of them spoke about what they would like to do when they finish their Leaving Cert. Solas College aims to introduce 6th class children to the idea of attending third level education and to breakdown perceived barriers they may have towards going to college. 

It was a great day and a great start to the year for Solas@School! 

You can own Brian O'Driscolls Boots! - Terms & Conditions

We are delighted to have a pair of Brian O'Driscolls boots from Irelands win over Australia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

-          Winner will be selected randomly

-          Closing date & time – 22nd October at 5pm

-          Eligibility criteria (All entrants must be over 18)

-          Winners will be contacted on 23rd October & announced on our facebook page

-          Texts cost €6 a minimum of €4.88 will be paid to the charity

-          Contact likecharity helpline: 0766 80527 

Closing date is 22nd October 2015 at 5pm, winners will be contact via their mobile phone and must be available to take our call.

Winners names will be announced on our facebook and website on 23rd October 2015.

Winners will be selected at random & independently by 'Like Charity' 

No alternative prizes will be offered

Winners will be required to participate in promotional prize collection photo for post event publicity

"Rising Up" The Liberties 1916-2016 Exhibition

Yesterday marked the launch of '"Rising Up" The Liberties 1916-2016 Exhibition' . For the past 8 weeks, the young men in The Yard Crew have been researching their area in a bid to present this endearing and unique exhibition in conjunction with Terenure Enterprise Centre. 

The exhibition has been launched in The Atrium Dublin City Council Civic Offices in Wood Quay and will be open to the public for the next four weeks. It is amazing to see the history steeped in The Liberties and the connections between the past and present day. 

Councillor Daithí Doolan was on hand to launch the exhibition and meet The Yard Crew who put this wonderful exhibition together. 

If you have a chance over the next four weeks, pop in and have a look. You never know, you might learn something new about your area! 

In the mean time, take a look at some photographs of the launch;

Hilton Charity Ball

As The Hilton Worldwide Ireland's Charity Partner of the Year, we have been fortunate enough to benefit from their many fundraising events so far this year. As well as that, the wonderful Hilton employees have been volunteering their time in any way they can, from taking the kids on day trips, to installing a kitchen in one of The Club's locations and helping out with our Summer Project. 

Our next big event is the Solas Project Ball which will be hosted by The Hilton Dublin on October 9th. Tickets are €80 each and guests will arrive to a champagne reception, followed by a 5 course meal and live entertainment to finish the night on a high! This will be the first ever Solas Project Ball so as you can imagine, we are all very excited. It is sure to be a fantastic night, and let's be honest- who doesn't love an excuse to get dressed up?! So get your glad rags on as we would all love to see you there!

To purchase tickets and for information on special room rates for the night, please contact clodagh@solasproject.ie or yvonne.brady@hilton.com.

Time to Say Goodbye

The time has come to say goodbye to three of our wonderful Solas Project Interns; Andy, Laveda and Anne-Marie, who have been with us for the past year. 

They began working in The Club last year and since then have become a big part of our team which we will greatly miss. From the minute these amazing people walked through the doors of Solas Project, they have showed such passion and dedication to our cause which has been great to see. 

Andy worked with the Transition After Schools Club which is made up of 5th and 6th class children. This can be a difficult time for some young people as they are trying to deal with the transition in to secondary school, along with other difficulties they may have going on in their lives. We had a chat with Andy and he talked us through some of his highlights during his time with Solas Project;

"My highlights have been the consistent relationships I've been able to build with the kids... kind of like that family environment we talk about. It's really important, and unique to Solas Project I think. I've been able to get to know the children, and see them grow personally and socially, in competence and confidence. 
Also, the opportunity to do lots of different things, like sports, mentoring, life skills, homework, fun stuff generally, all as different ways to engage kids in the club and in schools has been great. Dublin 8 has been a highlight in itself. It can be a hard place to grow up I think, but  people look out for one another here.
The staff at Solas Project - just great people who are dedicated to what Solas Project does and they readily believe in people."

Laveda, who is originally from The Cayman Islands, moved here from Jamaica to complete her internship with Solas Project. As well as working alongside Andy with the Transition After Schools Club, she helped out with some of the Solas@School events, including Solas Business and Solas College. Laveda spoke of her experience with Solas Project;

"It's been a real pleasure getting to know the children. From moving past the initial wariness of our first meeting to knowing their likes and dislikes and various talents and personalities. There has literally never been a dull moment... Seeing their confidence and range of unique ideas was a great reminder of the depth of children's imaginations. You begin to feel the possibilities are endless and I think that's a very important platform for them to have... The staff and volunteers at Solas Project have been so supportive, committed and caring! They have all inspired, encouraged and challenged me to a new level of service and excellence which I hope to continue in the next chapter of my journey."

Anne-Marie also made the big move to come to Ireland from her home in Germany. For the past year, she has worked with the Junior After Schools Club which is our club for children in 1st and 2nd class. It is important for children at this age to have consistent support which is just what Anne-Marie helped to provide for them each day after school. Many of her highlights include seeing the children grow and learn new things throughout her time with Solas Project;

 "I have so many highlights with Solas Project! Two of them which stand out for me are when the kids started to ride a bicycle or learned to swim. It was great seeing them taking those important steps. And then of course all of their sweet moments, for example, when they would write you a card saying 'I love you'. I could keep going with many more stories, but those were very special for me. I just had an amazing and unforgettable time with some very special people!"

Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication over this past year. From all The Solas Project Team, we wish you the best of luck in the next chapter of your lives! x