Fáilte Isteach is a community project with older volunteers welcoming new migrants through conversational English classes. It is a unique project which utilises the skills, talents and expertise of older volunteers and harnesses their desire to contribute positively to society.

Fáilte Isteach works at breaking down the barriers that migrants and communities face by extending the hands of friendship and goodwill through the practical, welcoming and inclusive manner in which the programme is delivered. It is providing more than the transfer of skills and knowledge. It is making a positive difference to everyone involved.

Fáilte Isteach currently has 21 centres nationwide. We have 240 volunteer tutors teaching conversational English classes to, on average, 450 new migrants from 53 different countries each week. Fáilte Isteach classes are starting shortly in Celbridge and Portlaoise.

The idea originally came about when members of the Third Age Foundation in Summerhill, Co Meath identified a need for English language teaching to new members of the community. The centre felt they had the resources in their senior citizen volunteers at the Third Age Centre to deliver such a programme, as well as the enthusiasm and commitment to make sure it was successful. We also saw the programme as an effective and practical means of helping and welcoming new migrants to the Summerhill community.

The first centre opened at the Third Age Centre in Summerhill in October 2006 and was an immediate success. Within a year approximately seventy people had progressed from no English to basic, intermediate and in some cases advanced level English through the classes. To date over 240 students from 27 different countries have attended the classes at the Summerhill centre.

In September 2008 a National Development Officer was appointed and his role to assist other communities in setting up the project in their own town or village. The first centre outside Summerhill was set up in Dunshaughlin in January 2009.

We at Fáilte Isteach hope that a network of centres throughout the country will make Ireland a better, more welcoming and stronger society.

If you are interested in joining our team of 240 volunteers or in setting up a new Fáilte Isteach centre in your own community, please click here to visit our website.

           www.failteisteach.ie