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FEATURE | Volunteering


Students Changing the World

Then and Now

Last year in these pages, we put a question to our alumni: “Did you want to change the world as a student?” We were delighted, impressed and intrigued with the responses – from so many of you who went on to make your mark through your work and voluntary activity.

We received letters and emails from alumni who as students, remember running ‘starvation lunches’ in the GMB working on the Far East Missions, being involved in ‘Community Action’ in the 1980s and others who, inspired by their student days, went to work and volunteer across the globe from London to Guatemala, and from inner city Dublin to Afghanistan.

Today’s students are just as, if not more so, involved and committed. Trinity’s long and rich tradition of community service continues to evolve in our unique student environment, promoting a culture of participation and volunteerism and cultivating the leaders who will shape our society for the future.

The St Vincent de Paul is the largest society on campus, the Voluntary Tuition Programme thrives, Suas Educational Development, helping students volunteer in the developing world, is going from strength to strength.

What is different is that Engagement with Society by students, staff (and alumni) is now formally recognised and supported by College structures. The College’s Strategic Plan will give a new focus on how this University can play its unique role in bringing about a sustainable society – not only through our research and teaching, but with a renewed focus on this area. For some years now, College has had a Community Liaison Offi cer responsible for co-ordinating relationships with the local community. It has now appointed a Civic Engagement Offi cer who has the responsibility of supporting volunteering activity among Trinity students and staff. We would love our alumni to get involved.

For more information contact Trinity Foundation, foundation@tcd.ie or +353 (0)1 896 2088

But enough of 2009 – let us look back 50 years to 1959, to a time when the structure of College was maybe not quite so conducive to fostering civic action and when one student responded to an urgent social issue and motivated so many other students to make their difference.

Guy Milner M.A. (1961) returned to Trinity last Christmas with an extraordinary gift – a scrapbook documenting a unique Trinity student initiative …


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