Volunteer Celebration

We look forward each year to our Volunteers Celebrations, where we gather to acknowledge the work of our volunteers and thank them for how they support the staff of Solas Project and for their dedication to the children and young people.  

Last week we got to celebrate in style at The Mansion House who kindly opened their doors to host our event and with thanks to The Hilton Charlemont, Bar and Bistro, who spoiled us with their delicious array of canapes and desserts. 

We were delighted to have Nina Arwitz, CEO Volunteer Ireland, as our guest speaker for the evening, who reminded us of the positive impact volunteers can have at a local, national and global level.  Nina highlighted how essential volunteers are to organizations like Solas Project because without them we could simply not exist!  

Throughout the year we give out special service awards to those who have completed over 100 hours of volunteering with Solas Project.  We had a significant number to give out at this years celebration.  What became very evident as these awards were being presented, was that our volunteers offer up so much more than just their time.  They bring their whole selves to this role.  They work with such heart and vision, overcoming challenges, persevering and creatively think of ways to engage and inspire the children and young people they work with, drawing out and unlocking the  potential they each have in abundance.

To all our volunteers, from all different ages and stages and walks of life, we are thankful, not only for what you do, but for who you are.

A big thank you to Emily for organizing such a lovely event.  If you would like more information regarding volunteering with Solas Project you can contact emily@solasproject.ie

Our wonderful team of interns.

Nina Arwitz, CEO Volunteer Ireland

Thank You Hilton Charlemont, Bar and Bistro

We are hiring!

We are delighted to announce we are searching for a new member of our wonderful team. 

In September 2016, as part of our Step Up programme, we will start 'The Bridge' a programme to further support young people in their transition from primary to secondary school.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, or know someone who might be - please check out the job spec here.

Applications to be made in writing to:

Clodagh O'Reilly, Solas Project, 40 Marrowbone Lane, Dublin 8

Closing date for applications will be June 15th and interviews to be held the following week. 

Solas Project - Think Tank

On Friday we held our first 'Corporate Think Tank', Solas Project now partners with over 15 local businesses who volunteer and financially support our programmes. We are grateful for how much they have invested in supporting our young people to reach their potential.

The Think Tank is a pilot initiative to challenge our corporate partners to really understand what it means to grow up in a disadvantaged area of Dublin and also brainstorm together to come up with innovative cost effective solutions to support young people and their families. 

The aim was threefold:

- Increase awareness of the social disadvantage Solas Project works to overcome

- Increase awareness of the work of Solas Project

- Increase connection within the corporate sector and the environments they are working in

We were delighted to have Senator Lynn Ruane speak on the day about her experiences growing up and what she believes are the best ways we can ensure each young person is supported to reach their potential. She also shared a very insightful experiment called 'The Privilege Walk' which was run in TCD in April 2016.

After a morning of brainstorming, there were some really creative and engaging solutions put forward as to how we can further support young people and we look forward to investigating them further in the coming months. 

A huge thank you to all our corporate partners that took part in the morning and also to UCD Smurfit for kindly hosting us. 

We look forward to sharing a report on our findings in the coming months!

Intern Spotlight - After Schools Club Intern, Abby Demarest.

Interns and volunteers play a vital role in the day to day running of our programmes.  We wanted to continue to celebrate their work and achievements this week so we caught up with Abby Demarest, Senior After Schools Intern, to ask her a few questions.  Abby is from Durham, North Carolina, and joined the Solas Project team in September 2014.  

Abby what was it like working in the club at the beginning?

I found it to be a lot of fun but also hard at first. I distinctly remember the accents being harder to understand than I thought they would be, thankfully I have greatly improved. The kids love to play a game where they imitate my American accent and I try to imitate their Dublin accent, I still lose every time.

What have your highlights been?

I have said from the beginning that my favourite day at Club is Thursdays, when we take the kids to the sports hall. Normally we end the time in a big game of adults verses kids in football, we all get really into it and have a lot of fun! I have also enjoyed leading art activities and helping teach tag rugby in the schools, and getting to know each kid in club individually.

What impact have you noticed Solas Project having on the children over 2 years?

I think the biggest impact I have seen at Solas Project is how the children have become more confident in who they are and more understanding of how they work individually. This impact has shown its self differently in each child. For some it has been learning to tie their shoes, and others it has been learning to manage their anger and others it has been realizing when they need to take a "wiggle break" during homework time in order to concentrate better. I have also seen kids go from being scared of getting in the pool to swimming fully on their own, as well as kids learning how to cycle for the first time. I think the biggest impact has been seeing smiles on their faces!

What will you miss?

Everything! Ha. I will miss each one of the kids, their great personalities, the hilarious things that they say, and the fun that we have had together in using our imaginations to create art. I will also miss beating them in football, being asked to sit beside them on the bus, and making them laugh by being too silly for them to handle. Oh yeah, and drawing pictures for them so that they can then write their name on them and claim the drawings as their own. There are probably about 100 Abby Demarest originals floating around Dublin 8, under many different pseudonyms right now.

Abby finishes her internship with Solas Project at the end of May and we will be sad to see her go.  We appreciate so much about Abby and the hard work she has put in over the past two years.  Along with the artwork she leaves behind, Abby also leaves a legacy of love and laughter that will last well into the future.  

Abby enjoying the Solas Project Ball

If you are interested in finding out more about any of our volunteering and interning opportunities, please email Emily@solasproject.ie for further information.

Volunteer Spotlight - Step Up Volunteer Avril Halligan

Continuing with our celebration of our volunteers this week, we took some time out to catch up with Step Up Volunteer Avril Halligan

When did you start volunteering?

I started volunteering at a young age in my home town with Meals and Wheels, and also when I lived in Galway I was involved for many years volunteering with a homeless shelter for women. I started Volunteering in Dublin with Solas Project in 2014.

 How did you find it at first?

 I hadn't worked in this type of setting before, as a one to one mentor, so both the young person I am mentoring and myself, had to find our feet and get to know each other to build up trust. So the first stages were tentative, but over time a unique friendship develops. 

What have the highlights been for you?

The highlights have been developing that trust and bond with each other,  getting to know each other better, and being in some small way involved in this young persons life. 

 Why do you choose to volunteer?

I choose to volunteer because I feel we all need to contribute something to society and give back some of our free time to our communities. 

What do you get out of it?

I have always really enjoyed volunteering over the years, most especially the people I have met a long the way. It also great to be part of something bigger like the Solas Project grassroots community project, and it is a joy to mentor a young person. 

 How have you seen Step Up impact one or more young people’s lives since you joined?

 I have seen a lot of the young people grow more confident in their abilities and building bonds with their mentors. 

If you are interested in finding out more about any of our volunteering opportunities, please email Emily@solasproject.ie for further information.