Congratulations to one of our young people on the YAP Meath programme and her Advocate Anne who recently completed a project for the Volunteering Mat-ters initiative. The initiative involved 15 community groups in Meath and each group was asked to design a welcome mat for placement in the doorways of local host businesses. The design on the mat was to reflect a key message linked to that particular business. 

The mats were exhibited in the Solstice Arts Centre during National Volunteering Week and the overall objective was to raise awareness of the positive impact volunteers can make to business and community sectors and how volunteering can strengthen links among various sectors in the community. It is hoped that the initiative will be extended to other towns in Meath creating a sense of pride and solidarity through volunteering in times when everyone needs to feel connected.

Anne and her young person were allocated one of the oldest shoe shops in Navan, Jack Kiernan & Sons. Jack Kiernan has been in the shop 40 years so we designed a mat which reflected shoes from that era. Mr Kiernan was thrilled with his mat and is placed proudly outside his shop on Trimgate Street in Navan.