Interviews
Name: Conor Clancy
Trinity Qualification: BA (2015)
Title: Director of One for Ireland
About: One for Ireland is a youth driven initiative run by Trinity students and alumni that drives social change through crowd-fundraising. In our first year, 2016, we raised €172,000 for youth homelessness charities and we are running a campaign this April (28th April-1st May) to raise funds for youth mental health. The campaign takes donations through retailers, text and online and will be featured in shops and in media across the country.
What is your favourite Trinity memory?
When I was campaigning to be elected to the Students’ Union. I have never, and may never again, feel so supported by so many people and I’m humbled when I think about all the people who turned out in terrible t-shirts morning after morning to drive the campaign. In particular I remember pretending to fish for votes with a real fishing rod in the arts block with my friend Liam, in the midst of all the stress and bustle.
What was the impetus for a group of Trinity students to set up One for Ireland while still in their Senior Sophister year?
We’re not blind to the problems around us but sometimes there’s a mental block between recognising that there’s something you want to change and actually doing it. Homelessness is an obvious problem especially in Dublin. Mental health is clearly an issue too particularly amongst young people.
It was about getting over that mental block and realising we’re not powerless. We realised that no one was driving younger people to get involved and very often they want to change things. We stopped looking at our age as a hindrance and more as an opportunity and now, two years later, here we are.
Tell us about the accessible and user-friendly One for Ireland campaign that was run (how did the innovative ‘euro to the bill at the till’ concept come about)?
As students we were regularly low on funds so we wanted to find a way that allowed people in any situation to be involved in creating social change. Our mission is not just to fundraise but to rally people around the cause. That’s what creates sustainable change and allows people to take ownership over social issues. The One for Ireland model is accessible to anyone, as creating social change should be. One euro, once a year, to change society. That’s serious bang for your buck.
As well as that this campaign has retailers at its core. Many of the businesses that allow the donations to be taken in their stores already make a big effort to support their communities so creating a way for them to be part of this movement channels a lot of existing goodwill.
What is your proudest achievement to date?
Last year we raised over €172,000 in one day which we granted to charities on the 5th December 2016. We were so proud in the midst of so much controversy and bad news around homelessness this Christmas to be giving that money to charities that will be working to house, feed, and comfort people as well as providing education and training to give them a chance to make a better life for themselves.
Tell us about your role as Director of One for Ireland?
I’m tasked with creating and implementing a strategy as well as working with the team to manage the day-to-day of the campaign. It can be difficult and hectic and there’s a lot of learning on your feet but every once in a while you get a boost that keeps you going whether that’s the team being great week after week or establishing a new partnership with a national broadcaster such as 2fm. The feeling of the momentum building behind the cause and seeing how many people actually care makes me want to get out of bed in the morning. I also have to keep my feet on the ground and do the ten thousand small things that make that happen.
For me this role is very personal and that can be hard when I look at the big tasks we set ourselves. Difficulties with mental health have been a big part of my life as well as that of my friends and family. It raises the stakes considerably when there is real change on the horizon for real people and that something we can do will be a part of that. There’s a real scare factor there, but it’s also very motivating.
What role did Trinity play in getting you to where you are today?
A lot of days in College I felt that I was in at the deep end. Being in a competitive and creative environment taught me to be comfortable when I’m out of my depth. Not in a ‘’fake it till you make it sense’’ but when you feel you are reaching, then you’re most likely in the right place. This was especially true of my time in the Students' Union when my remit covered a lot of sensitive and complicated topics and the role required me to interact with a lot of very experienced professionals. It taught me to acknowledge what I don’t know - that’s the first step to improving, both with One for Ireland and for me personally.
I also met a lot of people at college who taught me never to underestimate people. I’ve got some wacky friends who do some amazing and unexpected things - there’s a lot of brilliant people out there.
What are your ambitions for the year ahead?
To raise a €1,000,000 for youth mental health charities and build a movement around social change which engages young people in the process.
How do you stay connected to Trinity as a graduate?
I still have a few friends studying and working in Trinity so I keep abreast of the news and gossip that way. I also have a peek at the University Times and Trinity News now and then to see what’s going on.