About The Shona Project
At The Shona Project, we see this storm every day. We hear the heartbreak in the messages they send us. We meet girls in schools across the country who are doing their best just to stay afloat.
But we also see something else. We see courage. We see resilience. We see sparks of strength. With the right support, those sparks can light up a life.
We know that early, honest, and relatable intervention makes all the difference. When girls feel seen, heard, and supported, they don’t just survive. They thrive. They become leaders. They lift others up. They change the world around them.
This is a once-in-a-generation moment to reimagine the future for Ireland’s girls. That’s why we’re launching our most ambitious strategy yet.
We are ready.
But we can’t do it alone.
We need visionary, compassionate partners who understand the urgency of this moment and want to stand with us.
Will you help us build a more equal and hopeful Ireland for every girl?
For many teenage girls in Ireland, life is harder than it’s ever been. They’re navigating a perfect storm of pressure: mental health struggles, social media perfection, rising misogyny, and a deep sense of not being enough. They’re comparing themselves to impossible standards. They're afraid to take up space. And they’re often doing it in silence.
We want every girl in Ireland to feel safe, strong and seen.
We imagine a future where girls lift each other up, know their worth, and lead with courage and compassion. Where schools, communities and systems are shaped with them, not just for them. Where being a girl is something to celebrate, not survive.
Our long-term goal is to become the go-to support and empowerment community for girls in Ireland.
We provide them with the skills and tools they need, and signpost to the appropriate supports as necessary, to:
scale our programmes nationally and deepen our impact locally.
ensure that their voices are heard in rooms where decisions are being made that will impact the world they will inherit.
build a movement that lasts long after any one event, workshop or campaign.
Our Long-term Vision
Our Track Record
Everything we do is rooted in lived experience, designed by young people for young people, and built around the belief that girls deserve more: more support, more celebration, and more space to grow into the strong and confident women we know they can be.
We are proudly Irish, radically inclusive, and fiercely committed to building communities where girls can thrive.
Since 2016, The Shona Project has*:
Reached over 40,000 students through school workshops
Grown an online community of over 250,000 monthly impressions
Created Shine Festival, Ireland’s largest gathering for teenage girls, attended by over 75,000 girls (in-person and via live stream) since launch in 2019
Participation of 75% of all-girls & co-ed schools in Ireland through our programmes
Been recognised by the Obama Foundation, the European Parliament, the Irish Red Cross and Irish Tatler for our impact and innovation
*Numbers are accurate and correct as of September 2025Our Community Today
The Shona Project is a movement powered by girls, for girls.
Right now, our community includes:
Students in schools across all 26 counties
Teachers and youth workers who champion our work
Parents who reach out for resources and reassurance
A team of ambassadors, facilitators and creatives dedicated to lifting girls up
A small army of funders, who are passionate about creating positive outcomes for young people, and recognise The Shona Project as the organisation with the vision and passion to rise to the challenge
Thousands of girls who connect with us daily through content, events, and conversation
Trust and Governance
As a proud registered charity, we adhere to the highest levels of governance by:
Adopting the Charities Regulator’s Governance Code for Charitable Organisations
Preparing a Trustee’s annual report and audited financial statements that are readily available to the public
Adopting the Charities Regulator’s guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the public
Fully complying with all relevant safeguarding and child welfare procedures and policies
Ensuring oversight through an experienced and committed board of trustees.
Who is SHONA?
Shona was the sister of Tammy Darcy, The Shona Project Founder. Tammy has always mentioned that “no matter how hard I tried to catch up as a child, Shona always remained a solid 18 months older than me. In spite of this, we bonded over a shared love of rice pudding, fancy pages and erasers that smelt like strawberries”.
“Personality-wise we were total opposites, Shona was a soft and gentle soul, happy to go along with whatever everyone else was doing and stare dreamily at the clouds on the way. I, on the other hand, had a steely determination to succeed at everything, even at that stage. I always competed with myself, as Shona had no time for my bull s**t, and felt I was a little dramatic for her taste.
Shona had a bright future in front of her. She was beautiful, smart, gentle and loving. Somebody would have been very lucky to have her as a wife someday, and she would have made an amazing mother to some very lucky children if she had been given the chance.”
Sadly, this wasn’t to be. Between the ages of 13 and 15 Shona started struggling to do normal everyday things and was eventually diagnosed with AVM Arteriovenous Malformations (a type of acquired brain injury). Her health began deteriorating very quickly and my parents were told that she would probably pass away within about a year. Shona had remarkable strength and defied logic, medicine and science, to live for another 30 years. For most of those years she lived in full-time nursing care. Sadly, she passed away on February 1st 2023, surrounded by her family. She was incredibly loved.
“I have lost the sister I thought I would share my life with. We will never laugh, cry and dance together, share late-night phone calls, Friday night cocktails or girly shopping weekends. By naming this organisation “The Shona Project” I feel like she is, in spite of her illness, creating an impact on the world, and people will know who she was. The Shona Project is her legacy, and we will continue to do this important work in her name.”
In 2026, we are proudly supported by:
