Student-led 'Better Ballymun Day' returns to bring community together
Better Ballymun Day will bring the community together through painting, planting, and environmental clean-ups this Friday.
This annual tradition is led by students of Trinity Comprehensive School as a hands-on way of empowering young people in this Northside suburb. Coming as part of the UN Year of the Volunteer, students are putting their best foot forward to build a Ballymun everyone can be proud of.
Lord Mayor of Dublin City Council Ray McAdam has welcomed this year’s event as a “powerful reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together with pride, purpose, and ambition.” He commended the students of Trinity Comprehensive for their inspiring dedication.
“Their leadership demonstrates how young people can drive meaningful change, strengthen local connections, and help create a cleaner, greener, and more vibrant Ballymun. I warmly encourage residents, organisations, and community groups to join the Day of Action and to continue supporting one another throughout the year,” he said.
Now in its sixth consecutive year, Better Ballymun Day has become a cornerstone of positive civic engagement in the area and encourages residents to enhance their area all year round. This idea was originated by Trinity Comprehensive themselves, who decided to dedicate an entire day to contributing to the betterment of Ballymun in their own way.
The students have actively engaged with the community in the lead-up to Friday’s event, and they have worked with residents and organisations sustainability, social inclusion, and active citizenship. While this is the goal each year, it’s particularly relevant considering it's the International Year of Volunteers.
“Better Ballymun is about giving our young people a voice and empowering leaders of change. Giving them opportunities and ways to act. It’s true what they say, ‘Actions speak louder than words’, our young people and community members are sending out a strong message by their actions,” the Better Ballymun website outlines.
“They are taking ownership of their environment. They are adding to and creating bright and beautiful place to live in. They are showing true leadership by getting out into the community and making a difference. They are learning about sustainable living in a hands-on, deep and meaningful way.”
Supported by Ballymun Tidy Towns and Dublin City Council , the school has reached out to local clubs, churches, community groups, organisations, and businesses to join the Day of Action. Each group is invited to contribute their skills, resources, and enthusiasm to help make the initiative a success.
Dublin City Council supports this community initiative by providing equipment for the clean-up, free of charge, and all bags are collected by the Council on the day. Our community and public domain staff are out assisting in many of the great actions on the day. ‘Better Ballymun Day’ is supported by Ballymun Tidy Towns and Dublin City Council.
For additional details or to join the Better Ballymun initiative, please visit: https://betterballymun.ie/.
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme