AbbVie employees from Clonshaugh and Citywest have recently undertaken a major transformation of St. Brendan’s Boys National School in Harmonstown as part of the global biopharmaceutical company’s 11^th 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 158 volunteers from the AbbVie Clonshaugh manufacturing campus in North Dublin and the company’s Citywest office spent 536 hours at the school, revamping three key areas – the library, playground and gardens.

The AbbVie team painted the school library and assembled new bookcases. Windowsills and surrounds were given a fresh lick of paint while, in the yard area, volunteers painted the sensory area, created new murals and repainted basketball markings.

The team spruced up the school’s Rainbow garden, gave the raised beds some much-needed care and replaced wooden posts surrounding the Memorial Garden.

Siobhán Flynn, Principal, St. Brendan’s Boys National School, Harmonstown, said: “On behalf of our entire school community, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the incredible team of volunteers from AbbVie who dedicated their time, energy, and passion during their Week of Possibilities project with us.

“School is more than just academics; it is a place to develop physically, socially and emotionally. The team’s generous donation of time and resources has transformed areas such as our gardens, library and playground, which have been the least resourced yet most valuable areas of our school.

“I wish to express our immense thanks to AbbVie for considering us for this volunteering day and especially to all those employees who donated their time and energy to improve our school.”

AbbVie’s Anthony Gillick took particular pride in his work as a volunteer. A former pupil of St. Brendan’s, he continues to have a close relationship with the school, as his son is now among the students: “It was a fantastic experience to bring my colleagues to the school that I have such fond memories of. Improving and brightening areas such as the library, the garden and the play area make a huge difference to my son, his friends and all students. It was a joy to hear and see the excitement the project gave everybody at St. Brendan’s.”  

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.

Mary Moran, Site Head at AbbVie North Dublin, Clonshaugh, said: “This year’s Week of Possibilities was all about painting, weeding, and building new furniture for St. Brendan’s Boys National School in Harmonstown – a project made even more meaningful through the close connection several of our own colleagues have with the school. The fun and camaraderie of working with the shared purpose of our AbbVie values made the week very memorable for myself and my colleagues, all while achieving the main goal of making a lasting impact for the students.”

Grace Cappock, External Engagement Director, based in AbbVie Citywest, expressed her pride in the team’s efforts: “I am thrilled to see our teams from both AbbVie sites in Dublin come together with such dedication and purpose. Our work at St. Brendan’s Boys National School is a testament to our commitment to the AbbVie Foundation’s mission of giving back to our local communities through community-centred partnerships. It’s inspiring to witness our colleagues come together to make a positive impact.”

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.