Homework Club
The Just ASK Homework Club is the cornerstone of our work. Serving over 120 children weekly, it provides a safe space for learning, socialising, and personal growth, away from the stresses and temptations of inner-city life. The club is popular and has a positive influence in our communities.
We offer after-school collection and hot, nutritious meals for our children and young adults. The Homework Club fosters a love of learning and is a crucial first step in developing a structured, progressive education for many of our young people.
Outbound Activities
We believe that young minds need a breadth of experience to grow. Our Outbound Activities run throughout the year and include a wide range of sporting, cultural, and social projects across the island of Ireland.
Summer Programme
At Just ASK we recognise the need to keep our activities going throughout the out of term times. Our Summer Activities continue through the summer months with numerous day trips, adventure weekends and discovery days for the Just ASK children and young adults. Learning vital social skills and gaining insights to other ways of life are a big part of the summer activity programme.
Festive Joy: A Just ASK Christmas
Our Christmas activities ensured families feel joy and connection during the holiday season.
In 2024, a number of activities were put on to spread goodwill.
A group trip to the Dublin Zoo Christmas Lights.
A magical Just ASK Christmas Party, complete with a full festive dinner, themed decorations, and special guests. Many thanks to The Blink Group for their support.
Gifts donated by The Church Restaurant, Penneys, Glandore, IYF, and students from the Law Society Blackhall Toy Drive.
Thanks to VHI, families attended the Panto at the Stadium and enjoyed ice skating trips in Blanchardstown and Smithfield, supported by Dublin City Council Sports Development.
Education & Transition
Our Educational Support programs are diverse, covering school completion assistance, a transition year work placement program, and practical career guidance and support. Many of our children have gone on to excel in various careers, with some even giving back through mentorship and support for the next generation.
Youth in Action Group
This runs with some of our young people twice a year for one week in the summer period and for 2-3 days during the Christmas period or children in the community experiencing homelessness.
The Tusla Youth in Action group is a collaborative initiative between Tusla – Child and Family Agency and the Youth Advocate Programmes (YAP). It aims to facilitate a group of young people to express their views on Tusla services, identify what they find helpful, and suggest improvements. The group also explores the use of social media by young people, its benefits and barriers, and how Tusla, YAP, and parents can support them in navigating online issues like bullying.
School Completion Programme
This is organised for the second week of June each year and is designed to provide support and resources to help first- and second-year students complete their education to Junior Certificate level, a key stepping stone for growing their confidence and world view. This programme is then repeated for many of our primary school students in the seven-to-twelve-year age group.
During September and October, we bring the programme to the first-year students of St. Pauls’s CBS Secondary School, Brunswick Street, known locally as “The Brunner”.
Step-Up
Our Step-Up Programme supports first-year children, helping them manage the challenges of transitioning to secondary school. The in-class programme focused on peer support, confidence-building, and resilience, concluding with a celebratory trip, recently to Hidden Valley Water Park.
TY Programme
Our TY students engage in meaningful work placements with supportive employers who recently included Chapter One, Maples LLP, Applegreen and others. Thanks to Penneys, students received clothing support that removed financial barriers to participating in these placements.
Inspiration Through Real-World Role Models
At Stanhope Secondary School, 1n 2024 we hosted an all-female careers fireside chat with an inspiring panel featuring Suzie McAdam, Lorraine Bowen, Victoria Finlay, and Niamh McKenna, moderated by Just ASK’s Barbara O’Connell. The event sparked valuable conversations with TY and LCA students about careers, confidence, and personal growth. This is a great example of how we help to sow the seeds for changing lives and transforming our communities.
VIBES Programme
Sponsored by VHI and in collaboration with The Irish Youth Foundation, we run the VIBES Programme in our communities. The aim of VIBES is to support projects that strengthen resilience in young people and help them manage anxiety. VIBES runs for two full school days, two school workshops and in 2024 we also facilitated a community open day and youth club visits.
St. Michan’s House Residents Association Collaborations
St Michan’s House Flats in Greek Street has a strong residents association. We work very closely with the association with activities including a two weeklong summer project, two weekend outings for the young people and children to Crosscare House in Glendalough, an Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Children’s Party, a child protection training programme each May with Crosscare.
Wednesday Youth Group
This is run in partnership with Bradog Youth Services as part of the overall Youth Diversion Project. It is a community-based specialist project which supports young people. It seeks to divert young people from becoming involved (or further involved) in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour by providing suitable activities to facilitate personal, positive, social and personal development, civic responsibility and long-term employability prospects.
North Dublin to North Africa
Our marquee event each year is the North Dublin to North Africa trip, where our children experience completely different cultures by visiting and staying in remote parts of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. For many, this experience is formative and life-changing, with former pupils often attributing these trips to positively changing their lives.
In October 2024, a group from Just ASK travelled to Agadir, Morocco for a cross-cultural, hands-on project that included:
Thanks to all who supported our GoFundMe appeal for medical supplies and project materials. This initiative continues to build bridges between communities and broaden the worldview of our young people
Community Services
Just ASK provides services to children, young people and their families in the North West inner city area of Dublin. Just ASK is one of a range of services that support our communities.
CYPSC (Children & Young People’s Services Committee), with the support of Tusla, co-ordinates services for communities across Ireland. There is a directory of available services on theDublin CYPSC website which can be accessed here:
