International students - what a team!

On the 12th March 2020, an enthusiastic group of 6 European students placed in Solas Project received the news that this country (and their own countries) were about to come to a standstill due to a global pandemic called Coronavirus.

On what had seemed like a normal day in our weekly routine of running the After Schools clubs, sat a very upset and tearful group of young people at the shock of this news.

Half of these students had only just embarked on their Solas Project journey full of enthusiasm and motivation.

Our three European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteers were half way through their year and starting to make some break throughs with the young people, bonding and building trust and beginning to see an impact. This came as a shock to everyone, the non ESC students being forced to turn on their heels on return flights home…the ESC volunteers holding out to see what they could do remotely. No one knew how long this would go on for.

Then, in August 2020 three keen ESC volunteers took a risk to travel to Dublin within the limitations imposed at a national and international level in the knowledge that they could potentially get stuck here through various lockdowns which followed.

Our team was greatly reduced throughout this time and their dedication through to August 2021 was admirable.

In August 2021 another three European ESC volunteers, and one volunteer from the USA continued the hard work to support staff to keep everything running smoothly in the After School clubs. With the number of volunteers both from Ireland and abroad significantly reduced due to Covid19 concerns it was a small team and it is fair to say it was tough at times!

That was until February 2022 when our ESC volunteers did not know what hit them (in the best possible way) with an influx of students from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany arriving to join the team, two more arrived in April, and another in May 2022. It’s fair to say that this has been a unique time for the After Schools clubs, particularly in the light of the last few years.

Together with an incredible band of reliable and quality local volunteers giving up at least one afternoon per week, the team of social work students and ESC volunteers have formed a robust volunteer team!

Not only have they worked remarkably well as a team, the students and volunteers have become friends choosing to spend their free time together outside of the clubs.

The bond in this group is apparent to any onlooker and has filtered down to the children in the After Schools who have benefitted from their positivity, consistency and solidarity with the wider group of staff and volunteers.

The students went above and beyond showing initiative and flair - for example they created some new resources with the support of our staff such as a sex education course for young people.

One of the students, personally familiar with living with a disability, developed and ran an equality workshop with the Junior After Schools group working on ways we can be inclusive, respectful, and show admiration for each other’s differences.

Students have used their artistic abilities to creatively set up new spaces, to run special events, and also to partake in photography around the local Liberties area.

We’ve seen them be pushed out of their comfort zone. One ESC volunteer Sarah, made a speech at our volunteer celebration in front of over 60 people. A group of the students participated in a local school’s multi cultural week in May, each of the students have been involved in our Solas @ School Sports programmes, including our Rugby Blitz 2022 with over 400 kids.

Thanks to our ongoing team of volunteers and students, we are able to create a space for young people to grow their motivation and self-worth.

At the same time we get to see the students and ESC themselves grow remarkably in confidence and flourish.

We want to say a big thank you to the volunteer class of 2022. It has been to see a group of young people volunteering free to make the most of their time in Solas Project and in Ireland, thanks to lifted restrictions, and freedom of movement again.

We’re looking forward to welcome more local and international volunteers over the next few weeks and months.

It’s an honour to provide a space for life-long learning for those helping us run the programmes, as well as the young people and children participating.

Tag-Rugby Blitz 2022

We were very excited to be back in UCD for our annual Solas@School Tag-Rugby Blitz this year. The event which has run every year since 2011 has been really missed over the past 2 years. 2022’s event was another huge success!

With amazing weather, energetic young people and a vibrant atmosphere that’s hard to beat, we had the added bonus and excitement of this being our first year back up and running in schools and collaborating with our corporate supporters for Solas Sports since the lockdowns. 

In total we had 10 schools from across Dublin 7, 8 & 12 there on the day. Which meant there were over 400 children and 100 volunteers representing 10 global and local businesses with additional one off student volunteers alongside regular Solas Project volunteers, all supporting us on the day. 

“The atmosphere there was great; kids were happy, teachers were happy, and volunteers were happy. A fantastic day out for everyone.”  Corporate volunteer. 

It was incredible to see the teamwork, enthusiasm and positivity brought by each class, who all worked very hard with our Solas@School team to be ready for the event. 

Corporate volunteers enjoyed a morning away from the desk job and were blown away by the size and energy of the event. We got some great feedback from teachers, volunteers and all involved on the day:

“The kids of course made it and the team that I was working with really enjoyed it.”   

“Absolutely enjoyed the whole day, the kids had great craic. Loved cheering them on and running around the pitch” 

“Such a great event. Thanks for the tea and coffee also!”. 

“Great to see the kids enjoying themselves and doing really well at a sport that maybe they had not participated in much beforehand”  

A highlight of the day was for the kids was making their mark on their faces thanks to our fantastic face painters who worked tirelessly throughout the event making sure each young person went away happy. 

A big thank you to all who took part on the day, we’re already looking forward to next year!!

Volunteer Celebration 2022

We were so delighted to be able to have an in person Volunteer Celebration this year for the first time since 2019.

A massive thank you to our local hotel in the Liberties the Hyatt Centric for generously providing the space for us. We were treated on the night to a talk from Liberties local, Anthony, of In Our Shoes Walking Tours who gave us a taste of the tour he takes around the Liberties area. We had Eric, a young person who has been up through Step Up, share about his experience of having a volunteer mentor over the years. Eric, along with another young person Evan, worked the room gathering material for Eric’s podcast called ‘Absolute Waffle’. We had another very talented young person Darragh there taking photographs. One of our European Solidarity Corps volunteers, Sarah from France shared about her year with Solas Project. There was laughter and tears!

Our volunteers who have worked alongside us through the pandemic received a small token of our appreciation, beautifully crafted by the young people in The Yard.

After 2 years of not being able to get together in this way, it was all the more inspiring to witness so many volunteers in one room, to feel the positive energy, to connect volunteers spread across our various programmes. Volunteers who may even volunteer in the same programme but on a different day got a chance to meet each other. It was also great to have this opportunity to acknowledge those volunteers who work primarily on their own speciality, behind the scenes or remotely (e.g. volunteers mentoring volunteers!).

Most of all we just loved having this opportunity to publicly thank each of our amazing dedicated volunteers and express again the foundational role volunteers play in enabling us to work towards our vision.

‘When I look back to last summer I can’t believe how different my life is right now…’ European Solidarity Corps update nine months in!

Our European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteers have completed 9 months with Solas Project so far! It’s hard to believe they only have a few months left. We wanted to ask them a few questions to hear how the last 9 months have impacted their lives…

The ESC volunteers as the year went on became part of a larger group of international students and volunteers. It’s been great to see them bond as a team and support each other in the day to day teamwork required.

Ruth, ESC, Germany

Sometimes you don’t realise how much you grew and how much you changed until you look back. 

And when I look back to last summer I can’t believe how different my life is right now. 

Through the last 9 months I was able to build relationships with the young people in Solas Project based on trust and mutual understanding. I grew in my role in the After School Clubs. I found really good friends among the team I’m working with. I successfully lived on my own abroad. I improved my English. 

I got more confident in my own body. It wasn’t always easy and sometimes it still isn’t easy but I grew from the challenges. 

It is hard to pick a highlight about my time here so far. But if I had to choose, it would be the welcoming atmosphere at work. The feeling when you come to work and everybody is glad you are there. The staff, the other students and also the children (though they often don’t like to let on that they are). 

I’m looking forward to enjoy my last 3 months with Solas Project. I’m sure the summer project is going to be super fun and I’d make plans to explore Ireland even more.

Sarah, ESC, France:

I’m proud of the relationships that I’ve formed with the kids. It’s something that took effort and energy. Spending time discovering their personalities taught me how to be myself and to create a bond with them.

I’m also so happy that I’m way more confident with the language now, I used to be very hesitant thinking about what I wanted to say but now I’m comfortable.

The team has been so encouraging and was always pushing us to take initiatives. My leader was trusting me to suggest activities, to work directly with the kids and to manage challenging situations, it really gave me a boost of confidence. I feel free in my work because I know that my opinion matters in the team and that we rely on each other to make everything work.

I’m going to go home in August 2022 feeling more confident about my work, knowing that I’m able of handle situations and that even if it seems hard and stressful it’s getting better with time… One year ago there’s things I would have never been able to do or to manage, and today, with the time that I spend with the children and my co-workers it’s so much easier.

I’ve grown so much because of the independence I have gained and the trust that the Solas Project team gave us. This experience which was a huge challenge for me is now my everyday life and I’m so grateful for that.

Jana, ESC, Germany

Ireland is not all sheep and meadows — not that surprising since we work and live in the capital. But I wouldn’t have initially expected such a colourful mix of people and sceneries in Dublin alone.

In Solas Project, I am positively surprised by the open dynamic that can be seen throughout all different programmes: The entire staff including the CEO communicate with us the volunteers and the young people as equals.

One of the first significant things that made me feel good as a volunteer, was hearing the kids call my name when they were in need of help. I felt recognised. By now, when young people remember the smallest details I have mentioned weeks ago that shows me that I have an impact on their way of thinking and that I have to use it in the most positive way possible.

Volunteering here has confirmed my career plan of becoming a teacher. Showing and teaching the kids how I draw and paint, for example, never fails to make me happy.

Now that we’ve escaped the awfully cold winter, I am looking forward to my summer in Ireland. I am eager to see more of the Island. I am grateful that I will get to experience summer projects with the after schools club the bonus being adventuring to many fun places with the children.

As I think about my return to Germany, all the knowledge about a whole different culture will have changed my day to day views. Hopefully, I will be able to maintain my self-reliance at home having now lived on my own.

Actually, I really don’t want to think about going home yet. Time is flying over here and I still can not believe that nine months have passed. It’s going to be over way too soon! 

Targeted Response with Youth (TRY) joins Solas Project

Solas Project is pleased to announce the addition of the TRY (Targeted Response with Youth) Project to our organisation.

Targeted Response with Youth (TRY) is a peer - mentoring project based in Dublin's south inner city, which targets young people involved in or at risk of becoming involved in the drug economy and antisocial behaviour.

The TRY Project was started as part of the St. Teresa’s Gardens Regeneration in 2017, initially on a small pilot basis targeting a group of young men who were engaged in public drug dealing in the flats complex. The project was hosted by Donore Community Drug and Alcohol Team (DCDAT) and overseen by a volunteer steering group.  

In 2021, the geographical reach of TRY was expanded to include Oliver Bond and TRYs key funding was moved to the Department of Justice. This meant that TRY could no longer remain part of DCDAT. After exploring the possibility of becoming an independent entity, the TRY steering committee approached Solas Project to see if they we would assume the Governance remit of TRY under our organisational structure.

The young person centred approach of TRY fits well with the vision and values and Solas Project and we share the same ethos of never giving up on young people. The leadership of Solas Project saw the value the skills and specific skillset of the TRY team would bring to our organisation and most importantly to the young people in our community.

In February 2022, after a period of discussions and a formal transfer of undertakings process the three TRY employees joined Solas Project. TRY have come in as part of our larger Justice Team while retaining their unique identity.

We have developed a Joint Project Committee for the Rua and TRY programmes and are delighted to have some of the TRY steering group members join this group, alongside the Gardai and other experts in the field.

Our focus in now on re-establishing and developing the important work of TRY in both Donore Avenue and Oliver Bond. We look forward to the continued, and growing success of this programme.