The Background to Solas After Schools Project
Solas is based on the ‘Aisling’ model in Ballymun.
In Ballymun, members of the local community, school staff and the parish, saw a real need to provide support for children, outside of school hours, in order to prevent early drop-out from school. Following research on the extent of the difficulties faced by children and extensive discussions with teachers and parents, it was agreed that the appropriate intervention would be in the form of a program of out of school activities that would provide care for the children and help develop their self-esteem and self-worth.
Currently, in Ballymun, four Aisling Projects work with around 80 children attending 3rd to 6th class in primary school. The first three Aisling Projects were set up initially in September 1997 as pilot projects, and all have since been mainstreamed and receive ongoing funding from the Government.
Solas has been developed together with the Aisling Projects in Ballymun, CORE Church in St. Catherine’s on Thomas Street, Mater Dei Primary School in Basin Lane, local parents, and Dublin City Council. All of these groups have given their full support for the project and have been instrumental in enabling the project to start.
Solas is a non-profit making Charity. Our main funders so far have been:
- Social Inclusion Unit of Dublin City Council
- Priorities Fund
- St. Stephen’s Green Trust
- CORE Church in St. Catherine’s
- Dormant Accounts Fund
- St. Vincent De Paul
- Katharine Howard Foundation
We are currently working with several organizations in order to secure long term funding.
