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About Us
History

The SERVE story is closely linked to the significant commitment made by the Irish Redemptorists to working with young adults. The Irish Redemptorists have a long tradition of overseas mission and working with poor and abandoned communities.

This mission tradition and the associated commitment of resources and energy to working with young adults acted as the catalyst that inspired the SERVE initiative.

The first SERVE volunteer initiative involved twelve young Irish adults working with a range of development partners in the Philippine islands for ten weeks in 2003. This overseas experience prompted a vision that has seen SERVE evolve into a development and volunteering organisation working with partners in Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the Philippines and Haiti.

From the beginning, all SERVE initiative were characterised by a partnership approach. The Redemptorists in Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot, Dublin provided accommodation and space to facilitate returned volunteers to grow the SERVE vision. The Dublin Province of the Redemptorists helped provide in the early days seed capital to meet basic expenses and overcome early obstacles.

In 2007, SERVE established its own legal personality as a company limited by guarantee and as a registered charity. SERVE is governed by a board of directors who formulate and approve an ambitious strategic plan in favour of children, young people and gender equality in some of the poorest countries in the world.

Since 2003, SERVE has placed 475 Irish volunteers on overseas assignments and contributed over €5million to development projects and enjoys good working relationships with Comhlamh, Irish Aid, Electric Aid, Misean Cara and other important development stakeholders.

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Who are we

Mission Statement

 SERVE is a development and volunteering organisation committed to tackling poverty in the majority world.  We strive to do this by working in solidarity, service and partnership with marginalised and oppressed communities, empowering them to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice.  SERVE focuses specifically on programmes and projects that help communities enhance the lives of children and young people and recognises that gender equality is pivotal to achieving justice, equality and sustainable development.

Our priority countries include:

  • Brazil
  • India
  • Haiti
  • Ireland
  • Mozambique
  • Philippines
  • South Africa
  • Thailand
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

SERVE is a development and volunteering organisation committed to working with the poorest people in the world. SERVE contributes a budget of over €1 million each year, and assigns up to 90 volunteers per year, supporting programmes that help transform the lives of some of the poorest communities in the world.

Vision
In a world bound by poverty SERVE is committed to justice, equality and sustainable development.

Values
SERVE’S value base is characterised by:
1. A commitment to the principle of authentic solidarity
2. A partnership, participative and programmatic approach to development
3. A conviction that the voluntary sector is a significant stakeholder and actor in the development agenda
4. An approach driven by the analysis that capacity matters
5. The belief that development education in fundamental
6. A resolve to acknowledge the call of southern NGOs to devote greater energies to an activist style of development education
7. A perspective that understands that trade is as important as aid.

Governance
SERVE is a Company Limited by Guarantee, company number 419696 and is a registered charity with Charity Number CHY 18154.
SERVE’s registered office is at 75 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6.
In the North of Ireland SERVE is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee, company number NI073601 and is a registered charity with Charity Number XT 16752

 

SERVE is governed by a Board of Directors.

The directors are:

  • Gerard O'Connor
  • Jim Ryan
  • Noel Kehoe
  • Fiona O'Malley
  • Noreen Ryan
  • Diarmaid Ua Bruadair
  • Brian Silke
  • Leanne Kelly
  • Kerri Smyth
  • Greg Devlin


    • Bankers: Allied Irish Bank, Rathgar, Dublin 6
    Auditors: Hayden Brown, Grafton Buildings, 34 Grafton Street, Dublin 2
    Principal Places of Business: Cork and Belfast.