sunshine house
Holiday Smiles
Since 1935
about the sunshine fund
Welcome to the Sunshine Fund website. The Sunshine Fund is a unique part of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul which provides summer holidays for children living in disadvantaged areas of Dublin.
Click on the menu above to learn more about what we do, apply to become a volunteer or make a donation.
help us deliver fun!
The Sunshine Fund provides week-long Summer holidays for children, aged 7 to 10, from disadvantaged parts of Dublin, and surrounding counties.
The Sunshine Fund owns a purpose-built holiday home a short walk from the beach in Balbriggan, North Dublin, where it has been running these holidays since 1935, helping over 100,000 young people
VOLUNTEER TESTIMONIALS
*For privacy pictures are stock, comments are from our volunteers
Padraic - sunshine volunteer
if you’ve ever wanted to go back to your childhood, it’s a bit like that
LAUREN- sunshine volunteer
it’s a bit like being a responsible 7 year old..you’re being a big kid
EOIN- sunshine volunteer
it’s incredibly fun -a very structured environment, plenty of support.
ANNA- sunshine volunteer
I volunteered twice back in 1992 and had the best time. I’m from Australia and it was the highlight of my 6 month trip away
Years Providing Holidays
100+ Volunteers Yearly
Children Supported
like to get involved?
Ways to Help
VOLUNTEER
Every summer, our team of volunteers provides holidays to over 1,200 children from disadvantaged areas across the city. For all of them, it’s a chance to forget about daily living and make friends, play, sing and dance in a happy, safe and fun-filled environment.
FUNDRAISE
Looking for a worthy cause? Why not enter a sponsored event, or host your own fundraising night and raise much-needed funds for the Sunshine Fund. Read more about how to fundraise for the Sunshine Fund in our Fundraising section.
donate
We are most grateful for all contributions. We live in challenging times and we expect that the number of children in need of a holiday will increase significantly this year. Your donation will help children in Dublin to cope and have hope for the future.
nominate a child
Any member of a visitation conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul can nominate a child (aged 7-10) for a holiday in the Sunshine House. Other agencies, social workers or teachers/HSCL in DEIS schools are also welcome to nominate children for holidays at Sunshine House.
What Drives Us
Making a Difference
The Sunshine Fund is a unique branch of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul which provides week-long Summer holidays for children, aged 7 to 10, from disadvantaged parts of Dublin, and surrounding counties.
The Sunshine Fund owns a purpose-built holiday home a short walk from the beach in Balbriggan, North Dublin, where it has been running these holidays since 1935. Over 100,000 young people have passed through our doors since we opened.
Between January and April the fund organises fundraising, recruitment of volunteers and ordering of supplies for the holiday season- including clothes, shoes and toiletries.
Each week from May to August, 60-90 children are provided with food, board, €10 spending money, the chance to meet new friends and full-time positive adult attention. All free to the families.
The improved economic situation has not quite reached all areas of society and some of families are still feeling the pinch, but some are affected much more than others. Children are most at risk of being left behind, especially if they’re living in areas of disadvantage. It’s for them that The Sunshine Fund exists: we’re trying to make a difference to the most vulnerable members of our community.
We need YOU !
We can’t do what we do without you. Every year, we rely on an army of volunteers just like you, to help us give our Sunshine House kids a holiday of a lifetime – can you help this year?? You’ll be glad you did!
APRIL 4TH-5TH - THE ADVOCATE COLLECTION
All Day – Dublin Dioceses – Please support the Advocate collection!
jan-april - nominations open
Find out how to nominate a child for a Sunshine House holiday
MAY-AUGUST - SUNSHINE HOLIDAY SEASON
The fun begins and continues all Summer! Find out about what Volunteering with us involves
News & Events
The Advocate Collection 2022
The Sunshine’s main fundraising activity is the Annual Advocate Appeal! This year (2022) The Advocate Collection will be taking place across the Dublin Diocese on April 9th/10th. This year...
The Advocate Collection 2020
The Sunshine’s main fundraising activity is the distribution of the Advocate newspaper. The Advocate Newspaper is available across the Dublin Diocese on Palm Sunday every year, when hundreds of...
Celebrating 85 Years of Sunshine House
The Sunshine Fund is a unique branch of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul which provides week-long Summer holidays for children, aged 7 to 10, from disadvantaged parts of Dublin, Meath, Wicklow...
FAQ’s
How can I nominate a child?
If you are a member of a visitation conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, find out more about how you can nominate a child for a place in the Sunshine House this summer. Social workers are also welcome to apply.
Contact: Sunshine.east@svp.ie
wHY SHOULD I VOLUNTEER?
The Sunshine Fund has been providing holidays to children from areas of disadvantage for over 85 years. For every volunteer that joins us, we can take 8 more children on holiday. Learn more about the history of the Sunshine Fund and learn about the difference The Sunshine Fund has made