A Good Clause. The gift that keeps on giving...

Are you anybody’s secret santa this year? Would you like to give someone a gift but you’ve no idea what?! OR maybe there’s someone you’d love to say thank you to this Christmas but who you know wouldn’t expect anything from you… then this is for you!

This year we’ve teamed up with A Good Clause giving you the option of sending an E-card and in doing so to make a donation to Solas Project on behalf of your friend or relative.

Often I’ve heard my own parents say ‘sure we don’t need anything’. So in addition to the bottle of Baileys or box of biscuits wouldn’t it be a nice gesture to donate to a good cause on their behalf?

You can choose your own E-card personalising it with a message or even a photo, then whoever is on the receiving end will see that you’ve donated to Solas Project on their behalf.

The last 18 months of restrictions and rising anxiety over an ongoing pandemic has taken it’s toll disproportionality on our young people.

We’ve ramped up our supports in the last few months introducing a new youth work team in Solas Project, and we continue to reach out to up to 600 young people growing up in challenging circumstances only exasperated by the effects of the pandemic.

This Secret Santa donation is a simple, sustainable and heartfelt way of supporting our work.

Whoever you send your card to can join in on the reward of feeling like they’ve contributed to building up the next generation.

Finally, the whole process can be organised in just a few minutes. You might save yourself a few hours online or wondering aimlessly around the shops looking for an appropriate gift!

You can access the Ecards now and select a date and time for this eCard to be sent.

The link will take you through all the steps one by one.

The HOW-TO:

How to Send a Secret Santa ecard:

1. Choose from one of five different ecard designs

2. Choose how much you want to donate

3. Enter Recipient details

4. Choose a when to send your Secret Santa eCard

5. Personalise your card 

6. Your ecard will be delivered at the selected time and date to your recipient.

Transitioning to adult prison and more

Oberstown is the National Detention Centre for children under 18 years of age who receive a custodial sentence.

Some young people serve short periods, others will reach their 18th birthday and automatically transfer over to adult prison.

Oberstown operates from a care model and aims to support the rehabilitation and personal growth of each young person who goes through their door. Solas Project has connected with Oberstown in different ways over the years.

At Solas Project we have always had a focus on supporting young people through key transitions in their lives.

Transitions such as from primary to secondary school or full time education into further training or employment can be game-changing moments in young people’s lives. Similarly, for young people transferring from juvenile detention to adult prison it is a daunting and unnerving process.

Like most of us, these young people do not know what lies ahead and may only be aware of what they have seen about prison on TV or from the exaggerated stories that do the rounds.

During the summer our Compass team developed an 8 week transition programme to educate and prepare young people for their transition.

We were able to respond to some of their fears in a practical way, sharing from our own experience and knowledge of the work we carry out in Wheatfield and Mountjoy prisons.

The course covered topics such as:

• the rules and regulations of adult prison

• managing conflict and stress

• anti-racism work

We also had support from young people involved in our other programmes who themselves had spent time in adult prison. They contributed by answering questions and responding to concerns of the young people transferring over.

it was very real to talk to another young fella who had been there, you could ask questions you wouldn’t ask normally, it made me feel a lot more able and maybe it won’t be too bad if I know what I’m doing. 

It was a privilege to support 5 young people from all parts of the country who voluntarily completed this programme. Through our Compass programme we plan to continue to support them through their time in adult prison too.

Alongside the transition programme our team also delivered music sessions and sports programmes in Oberstown throughout the summer.

Young people got the chance to express their feelings and tell their stories through songs and raps recorded and edited by us. We are hoping you might hear one of them on the radio one day.

Football was taken as seriously as a world cup final but always ended with a smile and shake of the hand.

The programmes were a big success and we received really positive feedback from the Oberstown staff. But the proof comes straight from the young people who came back looking for more!

We are delighted to be back in Oberstown since October continuing to support the positive development of young people.

We firmly believe that these young people can be more than the reason they found themselves in a juvenile detention centre and we are excited to be a part of bringing about this change.

Introducing our ESC volunteers 2021

Sarah:

What are your first impressions of Ireland?

Firstly, the weather is not as bad as people say!

Dublin is not a big city but there are so many things to see that it feels huge: museums, parks, theatre, and those little streets full of hidden buildings and art.

I’m still looking forward to going to the countryside of Ireland and to discover the ‘green side’ and sheep that every postcard depicts.

So far, I’ve been to Howth by the sea where the landscape looks like Brittany where I’m from! The seagulls gave me a feeling of familiarity until they decided to steel some of my local fish and chips…

The « beep » sound of Dublin’s crosswalks gives rhythm to our journey to work. To see the people gathering around street musicians is such a relief after all this time stuck in our houses.

Why did you choose to take this year for ESC ?

I always wanted to go abroad. A friend of mine went to Germany on an an ESC project so I decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to leave France after the quarantine and also take a year and think about « what’s next ? ».

Being a volunteer with children is also a way to ask myself if I could choose this as a career path. It’s a need to breathe and to take a step back.

What has your experience in Solas Project been like so far?

I’m helping the Junior After School. At first I was kind of nervous that the children would not appreciate me or just ignore me, but it’s about taking the initiative to show that you want to spend time with them and embrace their energy (which they have in abundance).

The kids are so sweet and have so much to share, being here for them is a pleasure.

Ruth:

This summer I graduated from secondary school in Germany. I decided to do an ESC year because I always wanted to live abroad. I also wanted to do something practical before starting an apprenticeship or a degree. 

I can imagine working with children later in my professional life. That’s why I was so excited when I was offered the opportunity at Solas Project. 

My first weeks were really great. The team is so nice and friendly. Their support made it easier to settle in the new work environment.

The kids in Senior After Schools are great and it is so much fun to work and to play with them.

Dublin is a very quaint city. It’s charm is due to the many pretty corners, the street art, it’s green spaces and of course the many pubs, which make the city very lively.

I am already looking forward to the coming year volunteering in Solas Project with the children and getting to know Ireland better.

Jana: 

My expectations have been exceeded and falling in love with Dublin‘s atmosphere was easy, especially due to it’s small size. Still, there’s so much to discover. Whenever I feel like I am starting to get to know the area, I encounter new corners with unusual shops and galleries. I really am looking forward to travel other parts of the country in the coming year.

Since I finished German high school in 2021, I wanted to take a gap year but be as productive as possible.

Volunteering with Solas Project seemed like a perfect way to challenge and prepare myself for my future, especially because I want to become a teacher.

Working with children is challenging. But that doesn’t take away plenty of beautiful moments.

I really enjoy spending time with the Bridge. But also outside the After Schools Club, the welcoming atmosphere of Solas Project makes me really enjoy my entire work day.

Even peeling 6kg of potatoes is bearable with such nice team mates!

After Schools Summer 2021 - Remember That?

Invigorating, fun, rewarding, enjoyable were some of the words used by volunteers to describe their experience this year at The Club’s Summer Project.

While Summer feels like a long time ago we always like to look back and mark the great times we had.

The trips over the 6 weeks in July and August 2021 ranged from education to pure adventure! We had perfect beach weather for our trip to Howth and Sports day the first week. Topped off with ice creams for all!

Curiosity was sparked at Dublin zoo as the children discovered some animals for the first time. EPIC museum gave the children an insight into Irish history. We also had more of this at Croke park stadium, and Dublinia.

Kildare maze was a challenge as well as rock climbing. The children showed resilience in persevering even when it got tough. All the hard work of hiking up mountains was usually met with awe at the tiny city below us.

Finally, we got to lounge back and take a breather at the cinema to see Space Jam in week 4!

Newbridge farm was a learning experience where children got to see the source of food products and enjoy the animals. 

We had a bit of rain at Clara Lara on week 3 which just meant we could fully immerse ourselves in the water on the slides and in the kayaks.

Days often ended up with heads flopping and snoozing on the bus on the way home.

Fort Lucan, a new experience this year was the all round favourite and finale in the final week.

“I had so much fun in Fort Lucan, I’m so happy that we got to go. Hopefully we can go next year.”

Finally, a massive thank you to our incredible team of volunteers. Many who joined the team just for the summer. We couldn’t have done it without you!

I really enjoyed chatting to the children every day and getting to know their different personalities as they warmed to the volunteers

Pass it on… parting advice and reflections from ESC volunteer Ines, Italy.

Volunteering with Solas project has allowed me to discover the power of community, to uncover my skills and apply them to make a difference, to convert challenges into precious sources of learning. Once back in Italy, I plan to become more involved in my community, volunteering as an Italian language teacher for refugees and offering my help and experience for after schools.

These were some parting comments from Ines, one of our European Solidarity Corps volunteers who finished up last month (August 2021).

We asked Ines a few questions and we’d love to share her experience with you.

What did you enjoy most about Solas Project?

I think its one of the experiences in my life where I have learnt the most.

Peer learning was invaluable to me. To spend so much time with the young people in a horizontal learning setting. Before I came to Ireland I worked as a teacher and I found that there were more limitations in my relationships with young people due to differing boundaries.

It was so rewarding to finally establish some bonds with the pre-teens in The Bridge group after several months. Even the most self-protective young people opened up eventually.

I know that everything is possible now. Even the hardest case is not worth giving up on.

I’ve enjoyed Ireland in general particularly the landscape. I’ve enjoyed great friendships in work and in the YWCA residence. Dublin has a lot to offer culturally. I love the outdoors and nature. I’m not a partier or a big drinker so it didn’t bother me that pubs were closed due to the pandemic.

What did you learn about yourself from your time here?

To give more time. Don’t give up so easily.

Change can take a long time. You can’t force results to be seen immediately.

Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Communicate honestly with teammates.

I learnt about respecting yourself and meeting people halfway.

I learnt not to take things personally and how to build healthy boundaries with young people. I also learnt how to set healthy boundaries for my own well-being.

I have learned never to judge a book by its cover, to try to bring as much joy and light as possible.

With Solas Project there is a constant hope and resilience, always seeing the positive even if the negative seems overpowering. It’s always about focusing on the good to start afresh.

The energy of Solas Project is so positive and hopeful.

What advice would you pass on to our new ESC volunteers?

I would recommend to always feel free to talk with their supervisor, to share ideas of restorative practice for episodes of challenging behaviour, to be extremely patient and hopeful: the results will show, even if later on during the year.

I wish them the best of luck.

Make the most of every minute of this life-changing experience, because it will fly by without you even noticing it!