Volunteering award for CPC students

Transition Year students at Cross and Passion College have been awarded the Localise Youth Volunteering Award in recognition of the volunteering they are and have been involved with, writes Brian Byrne.

"We have a very strong community spirit," says Glenda Groome, TY Year Coordinator. "We have created awareness of and fundraised for The Irish Cancer Society. In addition to awareness raising and fundraising for Heart Children Ireland, Elaine Birchall and her grandmother, along with the knitters of Kilcullen, have been leading our knitting initiative to make the very much appreciated Comfort Teddy bears for children recovering from heart surgery. They have knitted over 100 teddy bears so far!"

Other activities recognised in the award are Halloween Parties for the KARE community clients, 121 Digital teaching older people in the community to use their digital devices, Intergenerational Coffee Mornings, and a CPC Temple Street Bake Off and more.

File photo: Mick Maher availing of the 121digital initiative in 2015.

CPC TY students have been continuing to contribute to their communities during the coronavirus situation. "James Ryan, one of our TY students, has been delivering food and other necessary supplies to people who are cocooning."

Localise youth volunteering challenges young people to come together and make a difference in their local community by being of service to others. Localise has its origins in 1972 in Ballyfermot, Dublin. A group of young people came together to work on a specific need. Later, as Peace Corps, it expanded through the city and then nationwide.

A post-primary schools programme was set up in 2007, involving classroom work with community needs. In 2014 that was expanded to primary schools. Today there are Localise programmes in 35 schools and communities, and there is a waiting list of schools and communities who want to engage with the movement.