AbbVie Mayo volunteers transform local school and community centre for annual giving week
Employees also prepare more than 4,000 play packs for children in hospitals across Ireland
Hundreds of employees from AbbVie’s Westport site have volunteered their time to support local community projects and children in hospital as part of the company’s eleventh annual Week of Possibilities.
A total of 211 volunteers dedicated 768 hours to transforming Carrakennedy National School, the adjacent Carrakennedy Playschool and Cushlough Community Centre.
The work included refurbishing a polytunnel into an outdoor learning space, repainting facilities, reorganising classrooms and storage areas, improving pathways and drainage, and enhancing safety at the community centre.
Carrakennedy National School Principal Aideen McPaul described the project as “transformational” for the school and wider community.
“The Week of Possibilities has been just transformational for our school, and the volunteers have achieved so much,” she said. “The enthusiasm of everyone, from volunteers to organisers, has given our whole community such a lift.”
In a separate initiative, 272 AbbVie volunteers spent 287 hours assembling more than 4,000 play packs for Children in Hospital Ireland. The packs, filled with games, activities and crafts, will be distributed to children and young people in 24 hospitals across the country.
Niamh Lawlor, Information and Communications Officer with Children in Hospital Ireland, said the donation would help bring fun and distraction to children during their hospital stay.
AbbVie Westport site head Ben Schroeder praised employees for their commitment to supporting local communities.
“Supporting Carrakennedy National School, Cushlough Community Centre and Children in Hospital Ireland was a privilege and reinforced our unwavering mission to enhance the lives and health of our community members,” he said.
The Week of Possibilities is AbbVie’s flagship global volunteering programme, with projects chosen to address the greatest needs in local communities. Across the company’s six Irish sites, employees contributed more than 3,200 volunteer hours to community initiatives this year in partnership with Volunteer Ireland.