DCU MBA Society Charity for 2012/2013 Special Needs Youth Club
Each year the DCU MBA Society selects a local project to work with and raise money for initiatives that will benefit those involved. This year, they have selected Scoil Chiaráin Special Needs Youth Club in Glasnevin. This Club has 37 registered members ranging in age from 15 to 30. It offers a safe and secure environment for teenagers and young adults with special needs. It provides opportunities for the mental, physical and emotional development of all members and strives to equip these young people with the tools to enable them to function fully in society. Members are supported in their development in a friendly and fun environment.
The DCU MBA Society plan to raise funds this year to take the members to the pantomime in the Helix in December and also on a trip to LEGOLAND in Windsor in April. They are also organising a football game in February between the members and the MBA students and graduates. To prepare for this game, the MBA graduates and students who are GAA players and DCU/GPA MBA Scholarship recipients held a skills training session on for the members. It was a great occasion with lots of excitement amongst the members. They arrived dressed in various county jerseys and very keen to meet the players. The players were led by Colin Moran (Dublin) who is the DCU MBA Ambassador and those who participated were Michael Martin (Louth), Patrick Quinn (Sligo), Denis Bastick (Dublin), Jason Sherlock (Dublin) and Ross Munnelly (Laois) who filled in for Paul Durcan (Donegal) who is currently in New York with the All Stars. The players worked with the members to teach them various skills before having a short football game. Everyone enjoyed the event and it made a great difference to the members. The players were delayed for a long time when it was finished as the members were keen to get autographs, have posters signed and have photos taken.
The DCU MBA Society have already raised some of the funds required and are planning a number of events to raise the remainder of the funds for the various initiatives this year. The DCU Business School staff have offered to hold a coffee morning on December 13 to support this initiative. There is also a raffle in progress and tickets will be drawn during the coffee morning on December 13 by Bernard Dunne and Jason Sherlock.