BeeKind: Youghal pupils promote kindness — and raise funds for Cork Penny Dinners

The boys of Bunscoil Mhuire's Síolta Beaga class seek to spread the message of kindness, with the help of their mascot Benny Bee — making cards and badges, with a percentage of proceeds going to the Cork City charity

Some of the children launching Bunscoil Mhuire Síolta Beaga’s 'BEE Kind' event which will be held in Youghal on Wednesday, February 15, as part of the Junior Entrepreneur Programme for the Síolta Beaga class. Picture: John Hennessy

As we head into the spring, and life gets back underway in earnest after a quiet January, it can be important to be mindful of the things that matter — and for the Síolta Beaga autism class at Bunscoil Mhuire in Youghal, Co Cork, comprised of young people from ages 10-12, that means talking about kindness.

BEE Kind is the community initiative that they've developed for their Junior Entrepreneurs project, alongside class teacher Ms Susan Conway, to raise awareness of sharing random acts of kindness. 

They're spreading the idea by way of button badges, as well as greeting cards, bearing their own drawings of their favourite places in their hometown — available for sale at their stalls around Youghal for the next two weekends.

"Well, we have a saying in our classroom: 'in a world where you can be anything, please choose to be kind', says Luke Walsh, 12, when asked about the inspirations for the project, which saw the class come together with Ms Conway to design their own mascot, Benny Bee, who adorns the button badges. "We had a few prototypes, but we decided on [our blue one] in the end."

"We were drawing bees in class, and then we put the best parts all together and made him up from the things we could agree on," says Lorcan Kennefick, 10.

Susan Conway, Class Teacher, with Siobhan Byrne, Perks Entertainment Centre, and Ger Flanagan, Flanagan Print, with the children at the launch of Bunscoil Mhuire Síolta Beaga’s 'BEE Kind' event which will be held in Youghal on Wednesday, 15th February, as part of the Junior Entrepreneur Programme for Síolta Beaga.

Lorcan also discusses some of the local landmarks that he's drawn for the crew's cards: "The bandstand in the park, the castle, Youghal Lighthouse and the Clock Gate." Other illustrations include Luke's rendition of the College Gardens, while WWE superfan Mikey O'Donoghue, 10, says: "I drew a card of me and my friend Eve on the beach." 

Not that badges and cards were the first idea to be proposed, says Rían Kenneally, 10: "I had an idea for board games. I came up with one that has a 12-sided dice — but if you roll under a six, you have to move backwards."

The badges and cards are part of the class' Junior Entrepreneurs' programme, but they're also raising funds for Cork Penny Dinners, who are emerging from one of their most demanding Christmas seasons and winters to date: "They help homeless families, and people that are lonely," says Lorcan. "They run entirely on volunteers, they serve 2,000 hot dinners every week," adds Luke.

As part of the project, the lads have been talking and learning about kindness, and its benefits for everyone. Says Luke: "Being kind can increase happiness, decrease stress, lower blood pressure, and release feel-good chemicals, like serotonin and oxytocin, and help inspire more kindness."

Peter Brookes, Brookes SuperValu Youghal, one of the Programme’s sponsors, at the launch of Bunscoil Mhuire Síolta Beaga’s 'BEE Kind' event.

They've had a lot of help from local businesses too, from the Credit Union, to local amusement arcade Perks, as well as local printer Flanagan Print, whose owner Ger Flanagan has called into class to give them advice.

And while they've had a lot of attention, including TV cameras in from Virgin Media News — "it was kind-of strange, actually", quips Luke — one of their big supporters has been none other than Tánaiste Micheál Martin, who they met recently in the town. Says Ms Conway: "He loved Benny Bee, he couldn't believe they had drawn the images on the cards, and he thought Penny Dinners is a great charity, and he gave them a donation."

It's all heading toward the crew's big day to mark the end of the initiative: BeeKind Day happens on Wednesday February 15, right in time for the mid-term break, and the people of Youghal will be asked to wear their badges and chime in with the spirit of the project. 

On where they can be found in advance, Luke says: "We're selling them at SuperValu on Friday, Lidl on Saturday, the coffee morning in our school on the 10th, and then Tesco on the 11th."

• BEE Kind Day happens in Youghal on Wednesday February 15. 
• A specially designed and printed BEE Kind badge (featuring Benny BEE) will be available to buy at a cost of €2. A pack of 5 cards & envelopes featuring unique artworks by the pupils, that have been inspired by their favourite places in Youghal, will also be available to buy at a cost of €6 per pack or 2 packs for €10.
• A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of both products will be donated to Cork Penny Dinners.
• Badges and cards will be on sale in Brookes SuperValu, Youghal on Friday February 3, in Lidl on Saturday February 4, at the Bunscoil Mhuire Coffee Morning on Friday February 10, and in Tesco on Saturday February 11. Packs of cards will also be available to buy in Read & Write and Youghal Credit Union.