Crosscare & Dublin City Council are celebrating 50 years of Summer Projects in Dublin, marking five decades during which more than 200,000 children and young people have taken part in activities organised by their local communities.
Since 1976, thousands of volunteers have given their time to run Summer Projects in July and August, providing recreational and educational activities for children and young people across Dublin.
Run by volunteers from the local community for the benefit of the local community, the projects are supported by Crosscare and Dublin City Council and have become a long-standing part of summer life in many areas of the city.
Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Daryl Baron, will attend a special event on 21 August to mark the 50th anniversary and recognise the generations of volunteers who have made the projects possible.
Speaking ahead of the anniversary, Crosscare’s Melissa Monks said, “Reaching 50 years is a remarkable milestone, but the real story of the Summer Projects is the thousands of volunteers who have made them possible.”
Melissa Monks added that “Many of our volunteers give up weeks of their summer, as well as evenings and weekends, to prepare activities. Some first became involved in Summer Projects as children and later returned as volunteers. That sense of one generation giving something back to the next is a major reason the projects have continued for 50 years.”
Larry Dooley, Dublin City Council Area Community & Social Development Officer, pointed out that “More than 200,000 children and young people have taken part over the years. Behind that figure are generations of children enjoying their summers, making friends, trying something new and feeling part of their local community. Volunteers are central to the success of Summer Projects; it is enormously satisfying to see local communities giving so much time and energy so children and young people can have an active summer.
While the activities offered through Summer Projects have evolved over the decades, their purpose has remained largely unchanged: to give children and young people opportunities to have fun, build friendships and confidence, and enjoy positive experiences within their own communities.
Crosscare, formerly CYC, and Dublin City Council have worked in partnership to support the local volunteers who deliver the projects. Support includes grants and additional activities as well as Garda Vetting and Child Protection Training.
The anniversary is an opportunity not only to reflect on the impact of the past 50 years but also to recognise the ongoing importance of community volunteering.
Summer Projects show what can happen when people in a community come together for children and young people. Fifty years on, that community spirit remains as important as ever.
Crosscare and Dublin City Council are enormously grateful to every volunteer who has been part of a Summer Project over the past five decades. This anniversary belongs to all of them.”
Our volunteers have been looking back at their memories over the last 50 years – watch here
