Southside is praised for lifting the mood

SOUTHSIDERS have been
praised for rolling up their sleeves and helping out in their local
communities.

Earlier this year, the Dulux
Let’s Colour Project called on locals across the country to take up their
paintbrushes and transform dull grey spaces into colourful

“happy

? places.

The results of the Dulux

‘Mood of the Nation’ poll released at the time showed how a massive 72 per cent
of people believed the mood of the nation was low, or very low.

A further 80 per cent
believed Irish communities were badly in need of an uplift.

The Let’s Colour team at Dulux
received a massive response from community projects across Dublin and they
decided to help out.

They got involved with
numerous projects across the Southside, from community centres to tourist
attractions that were all in need of a splash of colour.

One of the projects
selected, the St Kevin’s Family Resource Centre in Tallaght, created a new
youth café where young people could hang out and take part in activities
throughout the year.

The youth room was in need
of some brightening up so the youngsters and community volunteers brought it to
life through the Let’s Colour Project.

Coordinator Grainne Begley
said the centre has a whole new lease of life now.

“We are really excited as
this will give many young people in Tallaght an exciting and safe place to hang
out and be themselves,

? she said.

“Youth cafes are the way forward when it
comes to young people designing and having an input into what kind of
environment they would like to be in. Young people are now planning a new art
project that will develop the café even further.

?

Another Southside group that
received help was the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Outreach Project, which works with
people suffering from drug addiction.

And the not-for-profit
Brookfield Youth and Community Centre is to paint its crèche while the Queen of
Angels Primary School for disadvantaged children is to inspire them through the
use of bright playful colours.

In total, over 250 community
projects across the country, including 66 community centres, 22 scout
halls/dens, 20 youth centres, 48 schools and crèches, 26 sports clubs, one
whale house tourist attraction and a mix of other community projects including
old folks’ homes, women’s refuges and hospitals have benefited from the
project.

Ann Marie O’Riordan at
Dulux, who heads up the Let’s Colour Project, said:

“We are thrilled about the
amount of energy people are injecting into their local communities.

“We’ve tried to help as many
communities as we can and hope we have put a smile on lots of people’s faces.

?

Although the project is now
closed to applications for 2011, the team will be reopening for applications
early next year.