Savills has raised €20,000 over the past two years having undertaken a range of fundraising initiatives and has just acquired a mini-coach for Solas Project, a local community group operating in Dublin 8. 

Solas Project was originally set up in 2007 in the Basin Lane area of Dublin 8 and specifically targets local children at risk of early school leaving due to social and educational disadvantage.  Solas Project aims to provide purposeful activities in a caring and secure home-like environment in an attempt to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the children.

Savills has been supporting the Solas Project over the last two years, providing its employees with the opportunity to engage with the children in various activities including reading programmes, after-school mentoring, rugby blitz’s, university access programmes that have a genuine impact on people in our community. 

Savills also set a target of raising €20,000 for the Solas Project to buy a mini-coach which was needed to transport children from the local schools to the Solas Project centre and to other locations for day-trips etc.  Savills has undertaken a variety of fundraising activities   over the last two years which went towards the purchase of the minibus:

• 24 Hour Buskathon which took place on Grafton Street on Christmas Eve 2011
• Kerathlon in 2012 (included cycling the Ring of Kerry, climbing Carauntoohil and kayaking across the Lakes of Killarney)
• Christmas Cards designed by the children in the Solas Project & sold in cafes/shops near Molesworth Street & shopping centres managed by Savills.

The €20,000 target was reached recently and pictured at the handover of the mini coach are are Gavin Butler, Director in Savills, Larry Brennan, Chairman of Savills, and Graham Jones, Managing Partner of the Solas Project, According to Graham Jones, “the mini-coach has been such a blessing. It has allowed us do so much more with the children that we support. So far, the mini-coach has mostly been used for our after-school programme and it has given us so many more options with what we can do with the children. The children are really delighted with their new "wheels"!” 

Savills is also delighted to announce its sponsorship of the 17th Sporting Proud Triathlon event which takes place in Brittas Bay, Wicklow, on the 7th of September 2013.  The event is both a Sprint and Olympic triathlon and all funds raised will go to Solas Project and Orbis, an international organisation dedicated to the treatment and prevention of blindness in the developing world. Sporting Proud was set-up in 1997 to raise money for kids’ charities though organising fun events such as this year’s triathlon.  To date, participants, supporters and sponsors of Sporting Proud events have helped to raise more than €1,2 million for child-focused charities.

According to Gavin Butler, Director in Savills, “the triathlon is a great opportunity for companies and individuals who are not only looking for a sporting challenge but are also looking to support two very worthy causes.  We are all looking forward to a tough Summer of intense training!”  Entrants can compete as individuals or as a team and there will be a Corporate League with prizes for the winning team.  

To enter or for further details on the triathlon, please visit www.sportingproud.org