Peter McVerry Trust, the national housing and homeless charity, is delighted to announce that they have been awarded a grant of €75,000 by the RTE Toy Show Appeal.

This grant will fund the construction of a 5 a-side all-weather pitch at their PMVT Learning Centre – Carline in Lucan. The pitch is part of a wider plan to expand the Learning Centre and support more young people living in the area.

Peter McVerry Trust operates two specialist Learning Centres in Dublin. The PMVT Learning Centre – Carline in Lucan and PMVT Learning Centre – CMS in the south inner city.

PMVT Learning Centres work with young people who cannot access mainstream education due to a number of reasons such as educational, emotional, social or behavioural challenges. The centres aim to enable young people to recognise the positive impact education has on their future development.

Expansion of the centre includes the establishment of a new all-weather pitch and running track to enable students to increase their physical education, grow a love of sports and, in turn, enhance their physical and mental well-being.

Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust, said, “We’re thrilled to receive this grant of €75,000 to build an all-weather pitch at our Carline Learning Centre. Sport and physical fitness are so important at a young age. We have a fully equipped gym already on site, which the students enjoy. The new pitch will allow us to build on their love of football and offer them the space to play it all year round – regardless of the weather!

“The link between education disadvantage and homelessness is huge – and sadly early school leaving weaves its way right through our client group. Our Learning Centres provide our students with a safe and supportive education environment, we’re delighted to have the support of the RTE Toy Show Appeal and the Community Foundation for Ireland to expand this work.”