Cork City Garda Youth Awards: Carraig na bhFear students ‘Toys for Joy’ praise

CORK celebrated some of its most remarkable young people at a prestigious event organised by an An Garda Síochána on Wednesday night.

The Cork City Garda Youth Awards held at Rochestown Park Hotel highlighted the achievements and influence of the young men and women making Cork city a better place.

A number of accolades were distributed across a number of categories throughout the evening.

Transition Year students from Coláiste an Chroí Naofa, Carraig na bhFear were among winners at the awards for their extremely touching 'Toys for Joy' project.

The project focused on the issues raised by excess plastic and waste and their environmental impact.

The creative idea centred around up- cycling preloved toys. Students made contact with the principal of the local primary school, appealing for second hand toys. It wasn’t long before they were flooded with donations. The group sought advice from parents and grandparents on how best to repair some of the toys. They then transformed an old room in the school into their very own workshop. Here, the toys were fixed and cleaned until they were in a suitable condition to donate to less fortunate children.

DELIVERIES

Deliveries of toys were then made to kids living in direct provision in Cork city.

The initiative provided an intergenerational experience for locals in the community. It involved the primary school as well as parents and grandparents. Other members of the community provided funding to purchase supplies to repair and clean the toys. The initiative reiterated the importance of upcycling and spread happiness through the community in an innovative way. It has now been adopted as an annual project for transition year students at Coláiste an Chroí Naofa.

Transition Years from Coláiste an Chroí Naofa, Carraig na bhFear were among winners at the Cork City Garda Youth Awards for their extremely touching project.

Their project Toys for Joy focused on the issues raised by excess plastic and waste and their environmental impact.

The creative idea centred around up- cycling preloved toys. Students made contact with the principal of the local primary school, appealing for second hand toys. It wasn’t long before they were flooded with donations. 

The group sought advice from parents and grandparents on how best to repair some of the toys. They then transformed an old room in the school into their very own workshop. Here, the toys were fixed and cleaned until they were in a suitable condition to donate to less fortunate children.

Deliveries of toys were then made to kids living in direct provision in Cork city.

The initiative provided an intergenerational experience for locals in the community. It involved the primary school as well as parents and grandparents. Other members of the community provided funding to purchase supplies to repair and clean the toys. The initiative reiterated the importance of upcycling and spread happiness through the community in an innovative way. It has now been adopted as an annual project for transition year students at Coláiste an Chroí Naofa.