Athlone Towncentre is currently hosting Westmeath Big Brother Big Sister’s Wall of Inspiration. Shoppers are invited to place a brick on the wall and write a special message to a person that has inspired them in their life. The Wall of Inspiration will run throughout this weekend.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ireland is an internationally renowned youth mentoring programme that matches a young person, who will benefit from extra support, with a caring adult volunteer. The impact of this relationship on the participants can be life changing. The Wall of Inspiration is an opportunity for everyone to let the person who has had a real impact on their life know just how much they mean to them. The Athlone Wall of Inspiration will be built on site and people will also be able to upload their messages to the online Virtual Wall of Inspiration, for everyone to see. An email will also be sent to the person nominated on each brick to highlight the impact they have had, with instructions on how to view the message.
The initiative aims to raise awareness of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ireland and all money raised will go directly to supporting young people and ensuring the sustainability and growth of the programme. It is also an opportunity to recognise the work of the hundreds of volunteers who are making a difference in the lives of young people on a weekly basis. It may even be a chance for the volunteers to show their little brother or sister just how much they inspire them.
The person that inspires you could be anyone; a family member or friend, a teacher or maybe a musician or sports star. The wall will tour the country over the coming months and communities across Ireland will help to build an infinite online Virtual Wall of Inspiration, where people can search for their brick and see other people’s inspirational messages.
BBBS Officer in Westmeath, Aisling Walsh said; “We have seen that matching young people with a caring adult volunteer is a powerful intervention that gives each participant the opportunity to reach their full potential in life. The Big Brother Big Sister programme currently operates in fourteen counties across Ireland, supporting over 1,500 young people in school and community settings. To ensure we can continue to assist young people facing adversity we need additional support and we think the Wall of Inspiration will help us fundraise and reduce our waiting lists.
“During the week, we are asking for the support of the public by visiting the Wall of Inspiration. As well as helping to build the wall and raising funds for the programme, we want people to gain a greater awareness and understanding about the work which is undertaken by our organisation.”
Aisling concluded, “The Wall of Inspiration recognises that people, whoever they are, need people to look up to, to admire, and emulate and that is what the Big Brother Big Sister programme”.
Further information about the Wall of Inspiration can be found at www.bbbsireland.ie
