Keeping Active – school sports, zoom classes & sea swims

The Solas@School team were delighted to get back into schools this term for Solas Sports. The weather has been good to us and it's been great to have some fun in person (sweating underneath our masks!). A few of our volunteers and students have had the opportunity to join us too.

We’ve also continued doing regular Sports activities with the After Schools clubs. These activities shifted from indoors to outdoors permanently the last year. The children look forward to Thursdays for Sports with Ste in Phoenix park.

We are committed to fulfilling one of our five objectives for The Club which is provision of regular physical activities to support the children’s physical and mental wellbeing helping them stay Active and Healthy.

This year The Clubs have had fewer demands on the homework front and with an incentive to get outdoors as much as possible to keep everyone safe from Covid19 we’ve been more active than ever.

The young people involved in our Justice programmes have also been keeping fit at online fitness classes with coach Eanna, one on one runs with key workers and some have even been brave enough to tag on the pandemic craze of jumping in the Irish sea!

From July we’re hoping to run fitness sessions as part of a set of workshops planned for Oberstown Children Detention Campus.

And it’s not just the young people, our staff team dusted off those winter cobwebs by taking on a walking / running challenge for the month of March.

Family, friends and dogs tagged along as we ran, walked and cycled through hail, rain and sunshine. Our top walker covered an impressive 395km. As a team we walked the distance from Dublin to Moscow!

Shiny new Shopfronts

Thanks to our new shopfronts our spaces are becoming increasingly more visible in the heart of the Liberties community.

We have a brand new sign up at The Yard shop and workshop (at 82 The Coombe), we hope to have a windowfront display of our handmade products soon!

Two doors down at The Bridge (80 The Coombe) we have bright new window signage which provides privacy for our young people while still allowing lots of light into the space.

We are also excited to have new shutters on the way for The Bridge.

A big thank you to our friends at Dublin City Council who have supported these improvements through the shopfront improvement scheme and the Community Enhancement Grant.

Solas@School becomes Solas@Home

Solas College starts the conversation with children about their potential to reach college. It’s part of our Solas@school initiative which this year has become Solas@Home as we haven’t been able to go into classrooms. Still, we were eager to check in virtually, with the intention of meeting the students again in person next year in their first year of secondary. 

To help the 6th class kids start thinking about their own education and futures, our European Solidarity Corps volunteers shared their own educatonal journeys to date on a Zoom video. We want the young people now half way through their school education to know that there are so many different opportunities and options ahead. 

Here’s what Marta, Ines and Cecile our ESC volunteers shared…highs, lows, hard choices and doubts…read on to find out how they ended up here in Ireland with Solas Project!

Marta. Age 27. Spain

The compulsory education age in Spain goes from 6 to 16. After that, you have the option to continue in school or to pursue a professional apprenticeship. Me, I chose a Humanities High School but later you must do a university entrance exam if you want to go to college. You need to get the highest mark you can if you want to have more options to choose a degree. I had enough to choose my favourite one: teaching for primary education.

During the four years of the degree, I studied one semester in Norway with an Erasmus+ program. That was my first experience living abroad, and it was hard but also rewarding, so I decided I would do it again in a future.

When I finished college, I got lost. What can I do now? I tried to work but everyone asked for experience. I was just graduated, what experience could I have? So I continued studying several courses related with education and improving my languages skills. I found some badly paid jobs with fixed-term contracts so I made the decision to study a master’s degree in educational orientation while I was working.

Once I finished university, I continued looking for a job and finally I found one as a part-time teacher in a private academy. It wasn’t my ideal job but at least I was working in the right field. While I was there, I couldn’t stop thinking about my experience abroad so I signed up in European Solidarity Corps portal and I found and applied for the position in Solas Project. I got it and left my job to be able to focus on this new experience.

When I had almost everything ready, Covid-19 arrived. My life, as others, stopped. What is going to happen? Should I postpone the volunteering? Should I stay in Spain? Doing what?

I decided to risk, at least, to travel and do something that would make me happy.

And here I am.

What will happen after that? I don’t know, but I know that I’m going to have this experience with me and it can help me in a future to achieve my dream job.

Ines Gitzoller. Age 27. Italy. 

My educational journey started in primary school at age 6. Then to secondary school.

After my first year in university studying Philosophy which I thought I’d love, I realised I wasn't satisfied with my choice. Instead of pushing through with it, I decided to change my degree course. I had to repeat the first year, meaning that for the first time I was no longer in step with my peers. At first, I perceived this as a failure, because I had to go back and admit that I made the wrong choice. But, after a while, I was grateful to myself: if I hadn't made the wrong choice first, maybe I would never have found my way to the right one.

Three years in university flew by quickly, allowing me also to spend one Erasmus year in France.

One I finished my Masters in teaching, including one internship, I received a job offer from Berlin. Everything was settled: I just had graduate and start packing for a new life.

It was March 2020 when my country was the first one in Europe to be hit by the wave of Covid19. So, instead of experiencing the traditional graduation, I graduated during lockdown in my room. My job offer vanished and I found myself at home, absolutely uncertain about my future.

But in those days, I noticed an extraordinary wave of solidarity crossing my community: young people were helping the elderly, looking out for each other in hard times. After doing some research, I came across an inspiring offer by Solas Project: a one-year volunteering opportunity. The project really convinced me, so I submitted my application and luckily I was accepted: in August I left all my worries behind and flew to Dublin.

Ever since, I am living and working here. I am learning new things every day and the challenges I have faced introduced me to my strengths. I have become truly appreciative of what I have and excited about what is yet to come. This situation will not last forever and if you look hard enough you can still find opportunities around you. 

Cecile. Age 19. Germany.

I started school, kindergarten at 3 years old. As a teenager during high school I worked in a retirement home on the weekends to earn some extra pocket money, which was a really rewarding experience.

I finished school last year (June 2020).

What and where did I want to study next? I had no clue where to go. That led me to the idea of taking a gap year with the intention to volunteer abroad. I knew that a voluntary year would give me the opportunity to widen my horizons by getting to know new perspectives of the world and myself. I also knew that I would really enjoy to support people that might need a little extra help.

My original plan was to volunteer for a year in Thailand but due to Covid I had to cancel my placement. Then, I luckily found a placement in Ireland from the Solas Project. They were urgently looking for a volunteer and I knew this was my chance. I couldn’t be happier.

So far, I learned that even if some doors in life are closing because of some unexpected circumstances like Covid, there are always other doors that are opening at the same time. You just have to use the given chances and try to make the best out of it.

My next goal in my life’s journey is to study something that matches my skills and passion to find a job that fulfils me with happiness and contentment. I am definitely open for every path.

A long-awaited kebab

Compass is our Prison programme which provides support and practical assistance for 18 – 24 year olds who are in or have been in prison.

Compass was established in 2012 with a vision to “love every young offender in Ireland away from re-offending and towards a new life”.

Our mentors spend time in prison running workshops, playing sports, and getting to know the lads. They work on a post-release plan together to set up practical support, assistance and mentoring to help reintegration into the community. Eanna shares the story of one young person’s release below:

“One of my favourite moments in Compass recently was collecting a young person from prison who had been taking part in our in-prison programmes for nearly two years.  

Without fail, he would always ask if we could bring him in a kebab but unfortunately, we were not allowed (it still didn't stop him from asking though!). As I'm sure you can guess, one of the first places I took him when he was released, was to get his long-awaited kebab.

I'm not sure I've ever seen someone enjoy a kebab so much! There was pure joy on his face. It reminded me to be so grateful for what I have and to appreciate the small moments.

Getting released from prison might sound like a fantastic time but amidst some of the highs, it is often a very overwhelming and challenging transition as well. Our hope is that we can help make the transition a little bit easier and the journey a little bit more joyful, even with something as simple as a kebab!”

We look forward to hearing more stories from young people in Compass via Eanna and the team.

Growing up together: The Bridge

What is The Bridge?

The Bridge is one of the three After School Clubs run by Solas Project Monday - Thursday.

The name The Bridge represents a bridge from primary school into secondary school. The concept arose out of a need for a more specialised intervention for 11 – 13 year olds going through this transition.

The Bridge is a home away from home for those in final year of primary school through to the end of 1st year secondary school.

“I come to The Bridge to spend time with my friends who I’ve made through the clubs who aren’t in my school” 

1st years in The Bridge will also each have a mentor as part of our Step Up programme and so have this double layered support through the transition.

 “It’s a good place to get your homework done before you go home to chill at night”

What makes the Bridge different?

In The Bridge young people prepare for and navigate the transition to secondary school through workshops and trips. Young people have more independence than they had in the younger After School clubs for example making their way to club by themselves. They also form part of the decision making process for activities and rewards.

“My favourite thing about club is all the different projects like the Easter and summer project where we get to spend our days doing rock climbing or canoeing and having a laugh”

We help them to think about making healthy life choices and give them increased responsibility to work on their organisational skills.

“The best thing about club is the overnight we get to go on every year. There’s so many activities and it’s just like a giant sleepover with all your friends” 

There is a greater emphasis on personal development during these crucial years –a time of self-discovery.

The Bridge facilitates peer support, growth, learning from healthy role models in staff and volunteers and as a bonus the young people’s horizons are broadened as they build on relationships with an international cohort of volunteers.

“It’s cool that we get to meet new people every year that come from all over the world to help out in club”

Growing up together, The Bridge young people have a safe space to share with peers who they trust and adults who want the very best for their futures. Our goal is to ensure young people move away from simply attending school to being engaged with the learning process. We believe this is the cornerstone of paving a successful path into adulthood.  

All quotations above in italics are from young people currently attending The Bridge (February 2021).