Aer Lingus staff muck in for a different day at Cabra school

OVER 140 Aer Lingus Staff mucked in to transform the school grounds of Holy Family School for the Deaf in Cabra recently as part of the airline’s corporate social responsibility programme.

The renovation project, which forms part of the Difference Days initiative, saw staff including pilots, cabin crew, engineers, flight dispatchers and check-in and boarding teams working together to create a sensory garden.

The completed garden has a bug hotel, a climbing wall, rabbit hutch, fish pond and picnic tables while the school’s main yard has been transformed into a five-a-side basketball court, a games area, a putting green, a vegetable garden and an outdoor classroom.

The work was carried out for the for the senior pupils in the post primary section of Holy Family School for the Deaf, which is dedicated to creating a unique, dynamic environment devoted to the education and support of deaf and hard of hearing students.

Eimear O'Rourke, Principle at Holy Family School for the Deaf thanked the Aer Lingus team for their efforts.

“The school’s staff, pupils and parents are so very grateful to each and every Aer Lingus staff member for giving up one of their holiday days to come here today to volunteer and transform the school and enhance the learning environment of our pupils,” she said.

“The donation of their time, hard labour and materials to build the outdoor areas is invaluable, and we would never have been able to afford the project without them.”

Director of Communications at Aer Lingus, Ruth Ranson, said Aer Lingus was very committed to giving back to its local community.

“Every year our staff shows a great commitment to Difference Day,” she added.

“We have 140 here today and we’re all really proud of the team’s hard work transforming the school grounds. I hope the pupils of Holy Family School are pleased with their new sensory garden and play areas and they get many years of enjoyment and inspiration from them.”

The Difference Day initiative was supported by the Aer Lingus TakeOff Foundation which is Aer Lingus’ corporate social responsibility programme.