Today we are celebrating, as MSD Ireland has chosen us to be their 'Neighbour of Choice' for 2023.

MSD Ireland have blown us away with their generous €100,000 grant for 2023.

This grant will go directly to our Picker Pals Programme and will help us to reach 174 more classrooms this year.

Our amazing Picker Pals schools programme is designed to support primary school children while they become sustainability advocates. Our programme:

- works with 7-9-year-olds across 1,184 schools in Ireland.

- We provide them with the tools and opportunities to help their communities become greener now and into the future.

MSD Ireland has a dynamic and diverse team of over 3,000 employees currently across six sites in Ballydine, and Co. Tipperary, Brinny, Co. Cork, Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Carlow and Dublin. Together with our pals at MSD we were able to fund our Picker Pals programme in schools close to the MSD sites and across Ireland.

This maps shows all 1184 schools taking part in the Picker Pals Programme in the 2022-23 school year. The 174 schools MSD schools are highlighted in red.

VOICE is the NGO expert in Ireland on waste reduction and circular economy. This grant will help us to:

·        support further expansion of VOICE’S flagship Picker Pals programme across the country, promoting sustainable practices amongst children.  

·        support VOICE’S efforts to increase visibility and awareness of the importance of sustainable day-to-day habits in everyday life.

MSD’s Neighbour of Choice programme is an annual grant of up to $100,000. The grant has supported important local and national initiatives throughoutrecent years, partnering with organisations such as Jigsaw, Teen Turn, the CentralRemedial Clinic and others.

Pictured (L-R):- Ali Neill, from Stepaside Educate Together National School- Mindy O'Brien, Chief Executive VOICE Ireland- Yasminah Elsayed, from Stepaside Educate Together National School- Mairéad McCaul, Managing Director MSD Ireland- Eduardo De Castro, from Stepaside Educate Together National School

 

“We are delighted to be partnering with MSD Ireland for 2023 to support our Picker Pals schools programme. This is an important initiative specially designed to get children excited about sustainability from a youngage, helping them to feel empowered by championing green practices with their own families and communities. MSD Ireland’s support has allowed us to significantly expand the programme to a further 174 schools around the country this year, allowing us to further outreach nationally. We are very excited to continue our work with MSD Ireland throughout the year and beyond, working towards a more sustainable future for all.” Mindy O'Brien Chief Executive of VOICE.

 

We’re extremely proud to announce VOICE Ireland as our Neighbour of Choice for 2023. Through their Picker Pals initiative, VOICE has made a huge difference for thousands of children and local communities across our country. We look forward to working together and learning from each other as we continue on our efforts to inspire the next generation of inventors, with sustainability and a people-first approach at the heart of everything we do.” Mairéad McCaul, ManagingDirector for MSD Ireland (Human Health)