Mark Lee              February 5, 2015

How did you become involved in the Community & Voluntary Sector?

I first became aware of voluntary work through my father Terry. I used to help him when I was 7 years of age. He was involved with the Holy Ghost Fathers fund raising through Gymkhanas.

Then I joined the Garda Síochána and after 10 years I was sent to Tallaght as the Community Garda, there were 83 of us at the time in Ireland. I was the Juvenile Liaison Officer, Ethnic Liaison Officer and Gay and Lesbian and Transsexual Liaison officer. When the Square was proposed I was also given the job of liaising with them and helped them integrate with the community of Tallaght.

When the new Garda Station opened I used to facilitate group meetings in the conference room as there were no public meeting spaces available at the time.  This meant I ended up on the committee of most of these organisations and the Government had to organise a special Insurance for JLO’s bringing visitors into Garda Stations. This was a time when the Gardaí had taken a radical reinvention.

How many Community and Voluntary groups have you been involved in?

Having worked and lived in Tallaght for over 30 years I have worked with hundreds in Tallaght, all around Ireland and some around the world and have given most of them computers as that is my past time.

You are obviously very enthusiastic about helping out in the community; have you any particular story or event which has shown you that your enthusiasm has made a real difference in the community?

I am dyslexic and struggled all my way through school. I didn’t know it at the time – no one did.  Then a simple sequence of events happened which changed me and, I suppose, thousands of people.

I ran a community centre which was bankrupt when I got involved. I through that set up a group called the Community Centre Federation. There were 10 Centres like it in Tallaght, all struggling.

We were invited to go to Belfast to meet a similar group in the Loyalist areas. I met there a woman Attracta Jacob who has been a friend since. She helped run a centre in Glen Na Smole and wanted to go back to college to up-skill with computers as they were scarce at the time. I bumped into a company that recycled computers they gave me one for her. I discovered that the Community Employment staff were not doing their computer training because they felt intimidated and afraid of failing. So we set up a small room. I went mooching a few computers and ended up with 3,000, all of which I recycled myself. Microsoft gave me the software and furniture. So did RTÉ, Dell, KPMG, Capita Life and others.

What drove me then and even now was that I discovered the spell checker. I did a diploma and am a computer tutor. I was teaching people with mental problems up until recently. I have set up or helped to set up computer rooms all over Dublin in conjunction with FAS, and also Galway, Kerry , Bosnia, Africa and South America. I got a little carried away, but the release to me to be able to type for myself and the access to information which I absolutely love.

What would you like to see the formation of the PPN accomplish?

I joined the South Dublin Community & Voluntary Forum about 13 years ago. They were in existence for approximately 3 years but they were homeless, had no bank account, they weren’t a company and had no system. I helped to change that and am presently the Chairman. The PPN is a development of that. We are laying down the foundation for our children to have a say in local government. Eventually we might even have some power.

I see the problem is communication and networking so people can be informed and therefore be empowered. Evil men succeed when good men say nothing. Look at all the corruption over the years, thanks be to the Whistle Blowers.

Insurance is a huge problem for organisations. What we need is a collective approach getting a price and cover that suits our need supporting each other sharing ideas, equipment, and facilities.

I am hoping to develop a website that will be the golden pages for community and voluntary groups, some of which I and others are working on now.

It is early days for the PPN. When I started as a JLO I met a woman by chance at a burglary. She was the key holder. While walking around the scout den in the dark with a pathetic torch we got talking. I told her of my new job. She as it happened was a philologist and she said something that stuck with me since. She said the person you will change is 3 generations away.

When you are not working for the Community and Voluntary groups, is there any particular hobbies or pastimes that you engage in?

My past time for years was rebuilding computers. I got such a buzz when a piece of glass, plastic and metal came alive and then see that Google logo appear. Then I would close my eyes and type 3 letters and every time loads of sites popped up. It never failed. The stuff that came up you could never imagine.

I love photography and video, especially for weddings. One of my friends said to me, whose sister got married, that the video was the best present she ever had. Little did she realise how important it would prove to be, as the groom’s brother died unexpectedly within weeks and that was the only footage they had of him.

Of late, I have started dancing classes for a Strictly Come Dancing fund raiser in aid of the homeless soccer program. I don’t quite know how I got involved or sucked into that!

I run a group called South Dublin Senior Citizens Club. It started with 4 people and it now has a 37,000 footfall, 3 venues, 8 staff and going strong for 13 years. I drive a 17 sear bus.

I have been involved in older person’s holidays for 35 years bringing 250 people away each year. We have been forced lately to reduce that number to 150 now as the trains can’t cope.

I am going to be an ambassador for the ESB electric car in a few weeks – they are giving me an electric car for 4 months so I hope to have fun with that!