As I have already mentioned, our YSI project is called Tír na nÓg and is focused on loneliness in the elderly. Our main aim is to combat loneliness in the elderly and to help the elderly become more involved in our community. Throughout the school year we have been involved in many organisations such as Homelink and AgeAction and we have hosted many events to raise money for such organisations. The organisations we have fundraised for phone elderly people on a daily basis to simply chat about their day and have a friendly conversation. Loneliness has the power swallow you up, it can make you feel as though you are drowning in sorrow and that the world doesn’t care about you. Once loneliness surrounds you, you feel you can’t escape it. With the help of organisations like Homelink, loneliness loses its power and retreats back into the shadows. Small things like receiving a phone call, and having the chance to talk about how they are feeling, or the weather, can make a big difference in the lives of people who suffer from loneliness. Homelink also provides the service of gardening and they do small repairs in the homes of elderly people, as well as organise social events. However all these services cost money, and it would be unfair to ask their elderly members to pay a substantial amount of money for the service. Therefore for our YSI project we have already raised over €2000 from our bake sale, YSI table at the Bazaar and from selling heart-shaped candy canes on Valentine’s Day, to help to improve the lives of elderly people who may suffer from loneliness. I have just given you a brief synopsis of the work our YSI group have done over the last seven months. Now that we have done the work, the next stage of our YSI project is to present the work we have done to a set of judges and to other YSI groups; this is called the Speak Out. During our mid-term break Emma, Carla, Dillon and I dedicated some of our time to writing up our YSI report. Once the report and the work was completed our next task was to come up with a way to communicate to others who the St Gerard’s YSI group, and explain to them what we have done. You may think, well that’s easy just stand up and read out the first paragraph of this blog! After we watched a couple of videos of last year’s YSI Speak Out, we realized we had a lot of work to do! We only have two minutes to present our project such a way that people will remember us. YSI Speak out venue in the RDS! With only two weeks to spare we spent all the time we had to create a memorable and interesting presentation. During YSI class we all sat in group and brainstorming and exchanging and improving ideas. After a lot of productive discussion we decided on visually showing the audience how we have improved the lives of elders who suffer from loneliness (which was originally Lily and Anabel’s idea!). While a group of us would be acting, another group of us would be reading about the work we have done and the positive impact it has had on elderly people in our community. We did an incredible amount of work in those two weeks, and our Speak Out soon looked very promising! I think we were so productive, as we all worked together as a team and every YSI member was equally passionate about our project. Anna, Emma and me at the YSI Speak Out! At first I was worried I would not be able to go to the Speak Out, since the date found itself during my week of work experience in the EU Commission Representation in Dublin. However once I explained to the Commission the importance of this event, they were more than happy to allow to me take the day off for which I am very grateful! At 8.30am on Tuesday, March the 21st you would find the whole YSI group on a bus to … all dressed in black! We decided on wearing black, as black could represent loneliness and it might catch people’s attention if we are all in black. Once we arrived at … we got our picture taken (who knows, we might be in the local paper!) and quickly organised ourselves. A picture of our YSI group in the Wicklow Voice! The presenters were hilarious and very entertaining, over the next couple of hours they called out schools from all over Leinster to the stage. They were much more schools present that I had expected! Every time they called out a school, we all sat waiting nervously, afraid to would be us, however almost every time a fresh wave of relief swept over us as they didn’t utter the words ‘St Gerard’s YSI’! I was gobsmacked by the level of preparation and work the others school put into their presentations, some of them were truly mesmerizing! The range of projects presemted was broad, however I did notice a trend; there seemed to be quite a lot of projects based around the issue of health, obesity and lack of exercise. Although each project was different and unique, they all had a similar theme! The Presenters at the Speak Out! We found ourselves on the stage after almost three-quarters if the school had already performed, so we had a lot to live up to! For a moment I felt as if we were performing our musical for the audience, as the sensation of being on stage felt strangely familiar! Below is a picture of us doing our YSI presentation: I believe we were all happy with our performance, we did it justice and hopefully we have managed to convince the judges that we have the best project! It felt strange as we walked off the stage, as there had been such a big build-up to this very moment and now it was over. However I am certain all the hard work has paid off! Although we have officially finished our YSI project, the issue of loneliness in the elderly is not solved yet. We have done all we could to improve the issue, but it is an ongoing problem that will take a lot more people and time to solve. So if you ever find yourself bored, or having nothing to do, maybe you could pop down to the local nursing home and spent half an hour chatting to the people. That half an hour would cost you nothing, but could transform the day of a lonely person; just keep that in mind. A few pictures of our YSI group after the Speak Out! Our exciting day wasn’t over yet! I couldn’t believe, and still can’t, that the school brought us to the cinema to see the new Beauty and the Beast! I remember during YSI we asked the teachers to bring us to the new Beauty and the Beast, since we just did the musical however we never dreamed that actually would! We spent a relaxing hour having lunch and talking about the Speak Out (and also buying sweets for the cinema!). Then, with smiles plastered to our faces we entered the cinema and a bubble of joy burst within me, I couldn’t resist so I let out a loud laugh! In a nutshell, the movie was an emotional rollercoaster, I was incredibly grateful and happy to be here watching the movie with all my friends, I was sad that our musical was over, impressed with the movie and yet again, amazed at how much fun Transition Year is! It honestly was one of the best movies ever, and I think I speak of behalf of the whole YSI group, the special effects were mesmerizing! Emma and me looking very excited to see the new 'Beauty and the Beast'! I had a great day, with great people and I will never forget the YSI Speak out or watching Beauty and the Beast with my friends. I am eternally grateful for having the opportunity to be involved in such amazing things such as the Young Social Innovators Programme, and for having such kind and helpful teachers to help and guide us with our project and then also bring us to see a movie that means so much to us! Thank you!
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Today a photographer from the local newspaper, Bray People, came into our school to take some pictures of our YSI group! Since September 2016 we have raised over 950 euros for Homelink, and we plan to raise even more throughout 2017. Therefore to celebrate this achievement Bray People wanted to write an article written about St Gerard's YSI group all the things we have done to help our community and in particular Homelink. In addition two members from Homelink came to our school to feature in the photograph too.
At 3 o'clock today you could find almost all of the YSI members (unfortunately a few people were not able to be there), Mr Geraghty and the two Homelink members in the school library posing for a photograph! I was too small to stand in the back row so I was asked to sit down in a chair, which was fine by me! I am so glad to be part of YSI, it is truely a fantastic programme to participate in and it is great to be innovative and help our community as best we can. I am definitely enjoying the experience! Below is an image of the photo taken: As part of our YSI Project, which is called Tír na nÓg, we have been hosting a series of fundraisers to gather money for an organsition called Homelink. Homelink is a service that phones elderly people on a daily basis to simply chat about their day and have a friendly conversation, this service is aimed at elderls who suffer from lonliness. For Valentine’s Day we decided to create a product that people at school would buy, and the money would go towards Homelink. After lots of brainstorming and collaborating we decided to sell heart-shaped candy canes with a tag on each one; on the tag the buyer could write to whom they wanted to send this heart-shaped candy cane, and they could state from who it was from if wished! So, on Tuesday 14th of February (which was also the first day or our Musical Performances!) at break time we set up a table in the canteen and sold our original (and slightly cheesy!) heart-shaped candy canes! It was a massive success, we sold out and made over €200 selling each candy can for €2. It is fantastic working together with friends and doing something fun for a good cause! In the near future we hope to meet up with Homelink and present to them the sum of money we made from the heart-shaped candy canes and also the proceeds from our Christmas Bazaar table.
Hopefully a number of elders have been able to have longer phone calls with Homelink members and have been able to have gardening and repairs done in their homes because of the work our YSI group have done over the past few months! Due to the fact that the bake sale was such a success, we were first given the Splash area to sell our cakes, cookies and other things at the Bazaar! However the plans altered slightly and we were moved to the area outside Mr Drummy’s office, which suited us just as well! The Splash was to be used for a boxing ring, where professionals would demonstrate fights and also students could volunteer to fight one another! It was an amazing setup. The minute we discovered we were given the responsibility of having a table at the Bazaar, we all put our heads together and came up with ideas of things to sell. During the ‘brainstorming session’ .....
To continue reading about how our YSI team were invloved in the Christmas bazaar 2016 Click Here A few weeks ago, three member of Homelink visited our school to give us a talk explaining what Homelink is, and the work the organisation does. We offered to help the organisation in any way we could. During the talk, we learned that Homelink was organising a Christmas Party in the Royal Hotel in Bray for the elderly. We had a sudden flow of inspiration and thought that this was the perfect opportunity to connect with the elderly and be involved Homelink. As our project is based around loneliness in the elderly and learning the about the stories and lives of the elderly, this was exactly what we were looking for! A picture of the YSI group and Homelink members when they came to visit us at school and talk to us about Homelink On the day before the Christmas Party, I phoned Homelink to tell them the logistics and number of students coming to the party. I told them we were willing to do any little jobs for them, and that a few students had offered to perform a song at the party. Once this was done, buses were booked, forms given out and signed and plans made! After school on Wednesday the 23rd November, all the YSI members gathered at the front of the school, and got into the bus around 2 o’clock. We arrived at the Bray Royal Hotel a few minutes later. I had never been here before, and wasn’t sure what to expect. There were two buses bringing the 20 YSI members to Bray Royal Hotel. Our bus arrived first, so we waited patiently in the hotel lobby. A receptionist then guided us towards the hall where the Homelink Party was being held. As we followed the man, I honestly felt a bit nervous. Questions were racing through my mind. Should I smile? Should I wait for the other group before we enter? Should I speak, or will someone else? The Royal Hotel, Bray It was a little awkward as we walked through the big hall filled with large circular tables, christmas decorations and elderly people. I felt a little like we were intruding their party, they also looked a bit confused as to why a big group of teenagers were joining their party! However the awkwardness vanished almost immediately, and I was happy and excited to be here! We then we all went off in different directions to chat with the people. I first sat next to an elderly women from Greystones, and as we talked about her grandchildren, her former occupation and many other things, it felt as if we already knew each other! We moved around tables, talking to people and asking whether they wanted more tea or water for the next hour or so. It was very heart-warming and enjoyable! There was live music, which created a lovely atmosphere; but at times it was a little too loud and made it hard for the elderly to hear what we were saying. Darcy and I were asked to escort an elderly lady to the bus stop. She kept saying“this isn’t necessary, this really isn’t necessary” but was eventually glad that we came along! We did Christmas Crackers, there was great live music and there were lots of scones to eat, and tea to drink! After a while the love music stopped, and the YSI member were asked to sing a few songs! Darcy volunteered first, which was quite brave. She sang ‘Piano Man’ by Billy Joel. It was wonderful when the people started singing along, and the musician accompanied her on the guitar. Then I went on the stage, to say the least very nervous, and sang ‘Think of Me’ from Phantom of the Opera. It was an amazing experience, singing in front of a group of strangers, in a big Christmas themed hall. However, though I was nervous at the beginning I gradually enjoyed myself and gained confidence as the song went on! For the rest of the afternoon, we talked some more, danced and sold raffle tickets. We also presented Homelink a cheque of €500, that we had raised from a YSI bake sale! We were all sad to leave, and stayed long good byes to all the people and the Homelink volunteers who invited is to the party! Camille, me and Darcy with a HomeLink memeber at the Christmas party! I thought it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon, chatting to elderly people and dancing to old classics. I really enjoyed myself and I’m very glad to be a part of YSI. Today I have learned many new and fascinating things!
After we had the talks from Homelink and Age Action, we felt inspired and filled with new and fresh ideas for our YSI project. The foundation of our project is loneliness in the elderly, and our aim is to help organisations that support the elderly. This involves morally and financially aiding the elderly. Also as I have mentioned, we aspire to create a magazine dedicated to the stories of elderly. To fulfill these aims, we thought it a good idea to organise a fundraiser to collect money for an organisation. After much discussion and planning we decided to do a bake sale in aid of Homelink. We chose Homelink as we have been given a talk by them a few weeks earlier. Through this talk we have built a connection with Homelink and agreed to help them out throughout Transition Year as part of our YSI project. Immediately plans were made, people assigned roles and cakes asked to be baked! Initially we had planned to do the bake sale on the Friday before the mid-term break. I really liked this idea as it meant we could have a Halloween themed bake sale! The minute I got home I went to the shops to buy Halloween themed cake decorations and equipment (pumpkin shaped cupcakes moulds!). However there was a teacher’s strike the day before the designated date for our bake sale, which meant we were off school. We thought it wiser to postpone the bake sale to the Friday after mid-term break, as people might be busy on the strike day and forget to bake. Also we needed all the time we could get to ensure this was a successful bake sale, and generate a respectable sum of money for Homelink. So the decision was made and communicated to the rest of the school, that the YSI bake sale would be on Friday the 11th of November! First thing in the morning I rushed to the canteen to help set it up for the bake sale. All the YSI members gathered and helped out with stacking the chairs and moving the tables along the walls. A few people, including me, had our Public Access to Law course on the same day. Therefore we left to do our course, and the others stayed to finish preparing for the bake sale. While we were doing the course a handful of students from YSI stayed in the canteen to sell the cakes to the Junior School. I remember being a slight bit anxious that after the Junior School had taken their cakes, that we wouldn’t have enough to sell to the Senior School. Then minute the bell rang for break I was out the door to the canteen and helping out with selling the cakes. The price we concluded on was €2 for 2 cakes. It was very fun and exciting selling the homemade goodies to people! I brought my IPod with me and went around the tables taking pictures of the YSI group in action selling cakes! I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of cakes people had brought in, all of which looked delicious! I had baked banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. By the time break was over, we had reduced the selling price down to €1 for 2 things, such was the quantity of food left!
In total the YSI group made around €1000 in only a short while, for Homelink. This is an amazing figure, that I can safely say we did not expect! I am very glad that the bake sale was a success. I think we benefited from it (getting to eat all those yummy cakes!) as much as Homelink did. Today, Wednesday the 19th, Emma, Dillon and I had a meeting with our head master Mr Geraghty to discuss our plans for our YSI project and to examine our progress to far. We had prepared a sheet listing the YSI events and recent developments. We sought to explain to Mr Geraghty what we have done to this date in YSI and what we plan to do. In conculsion the meeting was a success. We got permission to hold a bake sale to fund the HomeLink party for the elderly on the 23rd of November, and to cover the costs of decorating the room in St Joseph's Centre for Dementia. The bake sale will take place on Friday the 11th of November. In addition we have a clearer picture of where we want to go with our YSI project and how we are going to put our plans into action!
At the very beginning of the school year we were all given a TY induction pack, including all the forms and information relevant to us. Within this pack was an application form to be part of the Young Social Innovators programme. First of all I researched this organization, after visiting and exploring their website I was intrigued and keen to participate in it. I filled in the form carefully and hoped for the best. I was very glad when I was told I was part of the YSI group! Now moving forward a few weeks: we finally agreed on our project, name and logo. We decided our project would be based on helping the elderly. There are various branches attached to our project. For example my father suggested we visit elderly people in the greystones/bray area and write down their stories. We ask them questions about their lives and how greystones/bray has changed over time; then we gather all the individual stories together and make a book. I was a bit hesitant in suggesting this, but was very surprised with the enthusiasm the YSI group showed! Then Anna’s mother is CEO of St John of Gods. As part of our project we are tasked with decorating a section of a wall in St John of Gods. The aim is to create a beautiful area for the elderly for feel comfortable in and that will trigger their imagination when they feel lonely. For people suffering from dementia this space will hopefully make then feel calm and joyful! The idea is that we are going to make the wall look like it's the ocean, with blue paint, fish, seaweed and many more accessories! In addition we will be doing various fundraising and helping out at social events for the elderly. To give us some more information and contacts, the awareness committee invited two speakers to come talk to us on Tuesday. HomeLink Two ladies came in to our school to talk to the YSI group specifically. It was an interesting and worthwhile talk that helped to open our minds to possibilities and to promote our project. First of all the ladies explained to us exactly what Homelink does. They are primarily a phone call service who spend their time talking on the phone to elderly, and sometimes lonely people. They also provide a maintenance service for people who need help with the basic maintenance jobs such as gardening and fixing things. Every second Wednesday of the month they organise a social tea and coffee morning for people to gather and chat. All of these services can be carried out and provided based on the donations HomeLink receive. Something our YSI group could do it to fundraise for HomeLink. Also on the 23rd of November HomeLink are hosting a party in Royal Hotel in Bray, and anyone is welcome. We could help with the setup and organisation for this party, as well as get to know some people. We could enquire if any of the guest would be interested in talking with us and telling us their story for our book. Age Action
Almost immediately afterwards, a man called Donal Denim came in to give us a talk about the organization Age Action. I liked the fact that Donal was in his late sixties, this proves that you can be old on the outside but young on the inside. He even mentioned that in his mind he didn’t feel old at all, but rather the same age as us! The speaker first handed out leaflets to the class and then commenced his powerpoint presentation. I learned that Age Action’s main function is protecting the rights of older people, and they have over 3000 members. All of the work is voluntary, they do receive a bit of government funding but most of their income comes from donations from the public. I thought his presentation was very fascinating. Donal’s primary reason for becoming a member of Age Action was because he wanted to set up U3A in an area somewhere between Bray and Dublin. U3A is a sort of university for older people who want continue their education, a life long learning centre. Donal has setup a U3A in Dun Laoghaire and it has been a great success. Maybe our YSI group could be involved in the U3A programme? What I found most astonishing was the background of Donal himself. He told us he visited Zambia many times, including visiting the president of Zambia. The president asked Donal to recommended a school in Ireland for his children to go to, ironically Donal suggested St Gerard's! Finally he told us a few simple things we can do for the elderly community on a daily basis, to make a difference. We can give up our seat on the bus for an elderly person, we can speak louder as many older people find they have trouble with hearing as time goes by, and we could read stories or sing songs in nursing homes as elderly people adore this. I am really looking forward to where our project will bring us, and hope it will be a success! |
YSIYSI stands for Young Social Innovators. For our YSI project we have decided on helping loneliness in the elderly and putting unity back in community! I will keep you updated on events that occur in YSI during the year. Archives
April 2017
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