Larkin LCA Students Bring Easter Bunny Cheer to Dublin Hospitals
As Easter approached, students from the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme at Larkin Community College took the opportunity to give back to their community in a thoughtful and joyful way. The group organised visits to the crèches in The Rotunda Hospital and The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, delivering Easter eggs and a very special guest appearance from the Easter Bunny.
The visits brought plenty of smiles, particularly from the children, who were clearly delighted (and more than a little hoppy!) to meet the Easter Bunny in person. The excitement in the crèches was infectious as the children gathered around, received their Easter treats, and enjoyed the festive surprise. For many, it was a simple but magical moment that brightened their day.
For the LCA students, the experience was about much more than delivering chocolate eggs. As senior cycle students in the school, they demonstrated leadership by example, showing younger students what positive community involvement can look like in practice. By organising and participating in activities like this, they help to build a culture of volunteering within the school and inspire others to follow their lead.
Planning the visits required teamwork, communication and initiative. Students worked together to coordinate with hospital staff, prepare the Easter gifts and think carefully about how to make the experience enjoyable for the children they were visiting. These kinds of experiences help young people develop important life skills, from organisation and responsibility to empathy and confidence.
Moments like these are exactly the kinds of activities that students can capture in My Volunteering Portfolio (MyVP), the youth volunteering recognition initiative developed by Localise Youth Volunteering. MyVP helps young people record their volunteering activities and reflect on the skills, attitudes and values they develop through giving back.
Through experiences like the Easter visits, students can recognise the real-world learning that happens through community action. Whether it’s leadership, teamwork, communication or simply the satisfaction of making someone smile, these are the kinds of outcomes that MyVP encourages young volunteers to notice and celebrate.
For the Larkin LCA students, the day was a reminder that volunteering can be both meaningful and fun. By hopping into action and bringing a little Easter magic to the hospital crèches, they not only spread cheer but also demonstrated the powerful role young people can play in strengthening their communities.
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