Trinity Volunteers Lend a Hand for National Day of Volunteering

Oct 05, 2011

More than 75 Trinity College students and members of staff joined forces with representatives from the local community to assist with five different projects for the National Day of Volunteering held on September 30th last.  Volunteers worked on projects with Habitat for Humanity, Age Action, Lighthouse Homeless Ministry, the Rediscovery Centre, and with the Trinity organised Voluntary Tuition Programme to mark the occasion.  The National Day of Volunteering serves to encourage people to donate their time and skills for a few hours and experience hands on involvement in the community.

As part of  Habitat for Humanity's partnership with Dublin City Council, students volunteered to paint, clean windows, garden and even fit door handles in the renovation of two homes in Inchicore.  The scheme aims to build and renovate houses in Dublin allowing low income families the opportunity to buy their own home.  Speaking about the experience, Nadege Serna, studying Law and French at Trinity said: “It was incredibly enjoyable and a great way to meet new people.”

The TCD Environment Society joined forces with the Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun to clean up the Centre's newly planted wildflower meadow.  The project aims to rejuvenate a derelict area and improve local biodiversity. The Rediscovery Centre is a community centre recycling and sustainability initiative which runs a number of diverse projects including Rediscover Fashion, Furniture, Paint, Recraft and Recycabike as well as educational initiatives working with schools and local businesses.

Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast and Gavin Stapleton, a student at the School of Engineering, help Eilis, Eimear and Pierce Prendergast who took part in the 'Helping Hands Tree' art project.

The children, community members and students involved in the Voluntary Tuition Programme took over Trinity’s Physics Square for a collaborative art project and created the ‘Helping Hands Tree’ which is on display at the College during October.  The Voluntary Tuition Programme (VTP) is a cooperative of members of the local community in Pearse Street and students of the College.  It runs fourteen different activities each week ranging from primary school tuition and special needs tuition, to sports, drama and other activity clubs.

Student volunteer group "Vox" brought two teams to the Lighthouse Homeless Ministry on Pearse Street to help organise their clothes and supplies bank. The Lighthouse offers a twice weekly drop-in service where they offer a cup of tea, bowl of soup, toiletries and clothes for people experiencing homelessness as well as an opportunity to sit down and have a chat.  This is the third time that a group of Trinity volunteers have helped out in the centre this year and the plan is to run the activity on a fortnightly basis into the future.

Student volunteers at the Lighthouse Homeless Ministry.

Staff and students also got involved in a 1950s themed event which took place on campus as part of Positive Ageing Week. ‘In the Mood’ was organised by Age Action Ireland in collaboration with the Trinity College Dublin Equality office.  Volunteers donned their vintage wardrobe to assist with the ‘Fox Trot’, a gentle stroll around St. Stephen’s Green, and the ‘In The Mood’ Swing Dance Afternoon Tea Party.

The National Day of Volunteering offers members of the College community an opportunity to experience volunteering through once-off local projects. There is no obligation for volunteers to commit to anything beyond the day but some discover a real passion for volunteering and decide to get involved further. Outreach activities also offer volunteers an opportunity to get to know people from across campus, learn a bit about the community and have some fun while getting practical work done for charities and community organisations in need. To keep informed about future outreach activities, contact volunteer@tcd.ie.