Students blossom during outdoor project

THERE was great excitement at a Northside school when it received a visit from an Ireland rugby star for the official opening of its new outdoor recreational area.

Nora Stapleton, with the Women’s Six Nations trophy in tow, cut the ribbon on the impressive new facility at Mercy College, Coolock.

Transition year students carried out the work during their involvement in this year’s Young Social Innovators (YSI) national programme.

YSI encourages, motivates and creates new opportunities for young people to actively participate in the community and world around them.

This year the students’ area of focus was health and wellbeing and they looked at school facilities at the beginning of term.

They decided to renovate the old and disused basketball court and transform it into a student-friendly outdoor lunch and recreational area.

For over eight years the basketball court was covered in brambles, briars, bushes and weeds. It was an eyesore to students and teachers.

Last October students, teachers and parents volunteered their time and support on a number of

‘Clean Up Days’ to start making an impact on this area.

Since then, the students have designed, planned, cleaned, shovelled, cleared, swept, painted and gardened. Like any big project, it had its ups and downs and unfortunately the weather was not always on the students’ side. However, they could see its potential and worked as a team to achieve their goal.

They raised money, awareness of the project’s benefits and raised the school’s spirits.

It was not possible for this group alone to complete their goal without huge support from the whole school community including students from first and second year, teachers, staff and the parents’ council.

As well as being a transition year project, it was also a local community development project as many local companies got involved.

The new recreational area could not have been achieved without the generosity, goodwill, support, advice and genuine interest shown by sponsors who donated their time, materials or funding to make the new outdoor recreational area a reality.

The local sponsors were BEGreene Gardening & Landscaping, Woodies DIY, Heiton Buckleys, Chadwicks, PACE, ESB Networks, Artane Coolock Credit Union, Crown Paint, Dublin City Council, local artist Johnny Fallon, Coolock Crochet Club, Difference Days and Lidl.

Mary Scully, YSI coordinator at the school, said:

“The girls have created a colourful, modern, teenage-friendly area where the students can relax, have lunch, enjoy the fresh air and get involved in games.

“This renovation project could have a huge positive effect on student mental and physical health and wellbeing at Mercy College.

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