Volunteer Celebration 2023

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”

– Margaret J. Wheatley

At Solas Project it is a special joy to see the power of change manifested through our volunteers who care deeply about supporting the lives of young people. In early summer we had the opportunity to celebrate and thank all those who have dedicated their time and energy to our various programmes throughout the year at our annual Volunteer Celebration.

Sharing Experiences: ESC Volunteers' Panel Discussion

As part of the celebration, we had a panel discussion of volunteers from the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) who joined us for the year to serve in our After Schools and Solas@School Sports Programmes. Berivan from Turkey shared about how this experience helped him grow:  

“After the first few months I built good relationships with the children which made me happy. Improving myself in different areas kept me motivated and I enjoyed interacting with the Irish volunteers as they made me feel at home. I couldn’t be more grateful for their presence and their help, it was a unique and valuable experience.” 

A Moving Performance

Another highlight from the evening was Eabha O’Keefe's musical performance, which demonstrated the remarkable gifts and talents of young people within our community. Eabha, who initially participated in our After Schools programme and is currently involved with Liberate, composed a special song for the occasion. In this song, she shared how Solas Project has impacted her over the years as reflected in the following lyrics:

“Thank you for everything, without you I couldn’t have been the person I want to be, thanks for accepting me."

Our sincerest thanks

Studies have found that the presence of just one supportive adult in a young person’s life is critically important to their well-being, sense of connectedness, self-confidence and ability to cope with difficulties (My World Survey, Dooley and Fitzgerald, 2012). At Solas Project we are immensely grateful to all of our volunteers who continue to show up as positive supports to young people; whether by playing football with a child at The Club, or offering a listening ear as a Step Up mentor, all of these actions go a long way in helping young people feel connected and supported.   

While one evening is not enough to fully express our appreciation and thanks to our volunteers, it was a great start in celebrating together the joy that sustains and motivates the work we do, and our commitment to creating space for laughter, freedom, and expression. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with us, click here to see our current opportunities.