Each year Dominican College identifies charities at both a local and national level to support.
The annual Dominican Beach Walk is one of a number of initiatives we use to support our chosen charities and we are delighted that this year’s Beach Walk will take place on the afternoon of Thursday October 3rd. Once again, our entire school community, in line with our school ethos, will walk together in support of social justice.
Acknowledging those in need and reaching out in support continues to be a vital part of our Dominican philosophy of education.
Over the past twenty years we in Dominican College, Portstewart have raised in excess of £195,000 for our sponsored charities as a consequence of our Beach Walk.
Our challenge in 2024 is to maintain this proud tradition and that every member of our Dominican community does their best to raise as much money as we can to help those in need within our community and beyond our school walls. This year we are pleased to recognise four local and national charities which will each benefit from our Beach Walk and we will continue with a wide range of additional social justice initiatives including Trocaire and our Christmas appeals.
We are delighted to announce that the following four charities have been chosen as our official Dominican charities for the 2024-25 school year:
Break The Silence- Zachary Geddis
We are delighted this year to support this local charity working to support mental health and prevent suicide in local people. Zachary was a past pupil of Dominican College and his sister Yasmin, also a past pupil of the school expressed her great delight and pride that we have chosen this as one of our designated charities this year. Yasmin looks forward to returning to Dominican in the near future to share with us the vital work of the Break the Silence foundation.
Medical Detection Dogs
This charity trains dogs to support people with life-threatening health conditions, saving their lives on a daily basis and helping the NHS by keeping them out of hospital. Jade, the daughter of our VP Mrs. Heaney, has received help from this charity very recently in the form of Jules, her medical detection dog who has enabled her to continue her studies at University in Surrey. Jade and Jules are delighted and send their heartfelt thanks for the nomination. Jade hopes to visit the school at Christmas with Jules to show our pupils just how much a difference their efforts can make. Medical Detection Dogs will be so grateful for the fund raising and it will be put to very good use.
https://www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk/
Bubble Foundation
https://www.bubblefoundation.org.uk/
This is a national charity which helps save the lives of babies born with no immune system- Oscar, a current Year 10 pupil owes his life to this charity. Oscar took part in the Transplant Games this summer and we are delighted to be able to support this vital charity for the first time. Oscar’s mum Olivia has told us just how important the work of The Bubble Foundation is, and we are really pleased that it is one of our official charities for the 2024-2025 school year.
Community Rescue Service
https://www.communityrescue.org/
This is a locally based charity which deals with Lowland rescue responding annually to more than 450 emergency incidents. More than 300 volunteers are involved with this charity- many of them with strong links to Dominican College.
Sean McCarry from CRS told us, “I am delighted to see my local school support this local charity which provides such a vital service both in our community and to the rest of NI. I am really proud to consider myself a Dominican parent- my son Christopher was very happy in the school, and I am now an equally proud Dominican grandparent as my son Kevin’s daughter Cliodhna is now a year 9 pupil. I look forward to meeting the pupils and staff of DCP to let them know just how valuable their fundraising efforts will be. Good luck on your beach walk on October 3rd.”
Dominican College Myanmar.
In 2018, as a way of recognising the 50th anniversary of boys joining our school community in 1968, it was decided to support a Dominican School in Myanmar as part of our school charity work over the past five years.
We have witnessed a serious situation unfold in Myanmar over recent months and continue to pray for the safety and well-being of all the people of Myanmar and want to help provide the basics of food, water and education for Dominican students in this war –ravaged part of the world.
This is our seventh year supporting Dominican Myanmar and this year the school needs our help more than ever.
Arrangements for Thursday 3rd October
Annual Dominican College Beach Walk
- Pupils will have a non- uniform day on Thursday 3rd
- Pupils should ensure they dress appropriately (including a rain jacket).
- The use of mobile phones/ MP3 players/ cameras is prohibited.
- Pupils should pay a donation of £1.00 on Thursday 3rd for non-uniform.
- Normal class will operate until lunchtime.
- All pupils should go to their form room at the end of second lunch (1.05 PM)
- The Year 14 pupils will be allocated groups to walk with years 8-12.
- Our senior pupils will help organise the walk and accompany junior pupils.
- Pupils will have their roll taken: before they leave for the walk, at the end of the beach and on their return to school.
- Form teachers and assistants will accompany their groups on the walk.
- Pupils must remain in your year group throughout the walk.
- The school day will end at the normal time of 3.15 and buses will be at the usual times.
- A first aid team will be on the beach to assist pupils.
- Pupils’ medical boxes will be brought to the beach on the minibus.
