AbbVie employees from Cork have recently rejuvenated the outdoor area of Glounthaune National School, as part of the global biopharmaceutical company’s 11th annual ‘Week of Possibilities’.
The initiative is the company’s signature community volunteering programme, empowering company employees to personally improve the localities where they live and work.
A total of 58 AbbVie employees spent 406 hours at the school, improving facilities. The volunteers transformed the playground, bringing to life the Tír na nÓg theme the school had chosen with the goal of making it a ‘land of the young’ for the 440 students.
The main project was the addition of a dedicated outdoor classroom where the students can learn in an inspiring outdoors space, encouraging creativity and curiosity. Volunteers also refreshed existing playground markings, painted new Four-Square playground markings, revamped the basketball courts and painted the 100 metre perimeter wall a vibrant sky blue, providing the school with a bright, interactive and fun outdoor playground for years to come.
LONG-TERM BENEFIT FOR SCHOOL
Damien Irwin, principal of Glounthaune National School, Cork, said they were ‘so grateful’.
“To say we are delighted with the impact of the work would be a massive understatement. The AbbVie volunteers have transformed our playground and made it such an attractive place to visit for all of our 440 children once they return to school on August 27th.
“An outside classroom was seen by all to be a great idea if it could be constructed and it turned out to be a knockout. It is so sturdy, beautifully crafted and suitable to house any class outdoors regardless of the weather. It really is a great addition and kind of the natural centre piece of Tír na nÓg.
“The children were so impressed and delighted with the transformation. One 5th class boy said, ‘Wow, we have the best school in Ireland now’. A Junior Infant child said ‘It’s lovely. Blue is my favourite colour. Thank you AbbVie.’
“We knew getting AbbVie in would be great. But it was far better than that! I have been teaching for 37 years and, for impact, positivity and long-term benefit, it is one of the best weeks I ever saw in a school! We are so grateful.”
At each Week of Possibilities location, AbbVie selects projects that meet the greatest needs of local communities. AbbVie partnered with the national volunteer development agency, Volunteer Ireland, on the design and implementation of the projects.
Malcolm Garde, Site Head at AbbVie Cork said: “Every year, it is a pleasure to see so many dedicated colleagues take part in the Week of Possibilities, and this year was no exception. Seeing the transformation at Glounthaune National School and knowing that our work will make a positive impact on the learning environment of students is a great result, one that resonates with our key AbbVie values of giving back to our local community.”
Across the company’s six sites in Ireland, hundreds of volunteers spent more than 3,200 hours working on improving projects in their local communities.
