Novartis volunteers bring a splash of colour to Presentation Primary School George’s Hill as part of Community Partnership Day

Over one hundred Novartis Dublin volunteers participated in 17 events as a part of the annual Community Partnership Day.  Novartis employees are encouraged to give back to their local communities through a wide range of volunteering activities that are chosen by the staff. This year, Novartis Ireland is contributing over 1,000 working hours by volunteering on projects such as; Presentation Primary School George’s Hill, Cheeverstown, Special Olympics, Enable Ireland, COPD Patient Support, and Pieta House.

With paint brushes in hand, employees from Novartis Ireland joined the staff and pupils of Presentation Primary School George’s Hill in the heart of Dublin city centre to bring a much-needed splash of colour to the outside of the school. The school, which recently celebrated its 250^th anniversary, is renowned for its inclusivity and celebration of diversity, and staff were keen to reflect this community vibrancy from the outside in.  Thirteen volunteers from Novartis painted the outside railings of the school red, yellow, blue, and green as a part of their annual Community Partnership Day.

Aileen Finnegan, Principal of Presentation Primary School George’s Hill, said; “We have been very fortunate to have the support from our community, staff and parents over the years and we are delighted to have volunteers of Novartis adding to that support today. Our community is very close and has had a long tradition of volunteering, and with the help of the Novartis volunteers today we can finish painting the outside railings of the school. It is so important to both the staff and pupils to have the railings painted in vibrant colours, to reflect the vibrant nature within the school - right now you wouldn’t even know it was a school from the outside. I would like to thank Novartis for helping us to make this a reality and have our school be a beacon of vitality and colour in the local community.”

Presentation Primary School George’s Hill is one of the oldest catholic school in Dublin city centre. The school promotes inclusivity and celebrates diversity; to mark their achievements the school will host an International Day to celebrate the more than 20 nationalities represented in the school. The school was also recently awarded the Green Flag for Water and the Digital Schools of Distinction Award.

Loretto Callaghan, Country President, Novartis Ireland said; “Novartis has a long-standing commitment to giving back to our local community and our Partnership Day is a wonderful opportunity for staff to support projects that mean a lot to them. This year, we wanted to give back to George’s Hill, a school that is full of charisma and character. However, the outside appearance was not reflective of the excellent work being done by staff and families and the close community spirit within. We hope that our volunteers have helped to introduce a little of that vibrancy to the outside of the school today.”