Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
2007 Awardees
THE PEOPLE WHO DARE TO THINK
THEY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
ARE THE ONES THAT DO
www.corkam.com
2007 Awardees
Level 2
6 Bob Seward
Cork Academy of Music
14
John F. McCarthy
Mental Health & the Law
8
Caroline McGuigan
Suicide or Survive (SOS)
16 David Egan & Ken Boland
RedBranch
10
Ciaran Hayden & Eamon Stack
Enclude
18 Louise Oppermann
Community Timebank
12 Elizabeth Garrahy
Arts For Peace Foundation
20
Paul Mooney
Jobcare
Level 1
23 Alison Darcy
UPR-Online
35 Golden Anikwe
Co-operative Support Services
24 Ann Francis Murphy
Tilt Versatile Crockery
36
25 Anne Doran
Mainstreaming Mediation Initiative
37 José Ospina
Carbery Housing Association
26 Bernard Sweeney
Travellers4Travellers
27
Carol Doyle
BelleEtik Clothing Company
28 Caroline Carswell
IrishDeafKids.ie
29 Cherif Labreche
Hanine Media Development Agency
Helene Hugel
Freddie & Friends
38 Martin Dier & Claire Oakes
Living Democracy
39
Mary Nally
Fáilte Isteach
40 Monika Sapielak
ArtPolonia
41 Paul Mooney
Resilience4Enterprise
42 Robert Mulhall
Lucca Leadership
30 Clare Mulvany
One Wild Life
43
31 Clare Muireann Murphy
Community Storytelling
44 Tina Schmill
Pegasus – Horses Help People
32 Colm Olwill
Assistive Technology Ireland
45
33
Dave Dunn
Media Forum
34 Evelyn Grant
Cork Music Works
Stephanie Fitzgerald
Saoirse Support Service
Tonia Custers
Support for Caring Communities
46 Tania Zhinzhina
The Immigrant Newspaper
47
Zoë O’Reilly
Siúl Eile
Seán Coughlan
Chief Executive
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
Introduction
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland’s mission is to spark social change
by identifying, investing, and supporting some of Ireland’s most
exceptional emerging leaders and the organisations they launch.
We believe that new and innovative solutions exist to the myriad
social and environmental challenges we face today. We believe that
these solutions will be most effective when driven by individuals who
adopt a highly entrepreneurial approach to their activities, i.e. by
social entrepreneurs. We are therefore very proud to introduce you to
this year’s 2007 Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awardees.
These 36 individuals join their peers from 2006 and 2005 in one of Ireland’s most
unique groups, a group where passion, resourcefulness, commitment and ambition
help drive social change. As the following pages show, social entrepreneurs are
mavericks and innovative thinkers who tackle some of today’s critical issues and
in doing so both deepen our understanding of the issue and radically challenge
our perception of the possible outcomes. In all of them there is the promise that
exceptional people with exceptional ideas can ultimately change our world. But
change does not happen in isolation and the journey cannot be taken alone. Social
entrepreneurs require support to realise their vision for change. The SEI Network
helps to provide this support and is looking to expand. Do you have a part to play?
Do you have skills or resources to contribute?
If
so, join us on this incredible journey!
www.corkam.com
email: [email protected]
LEVEL 2 // SEI Awardees
Social entrepreneurs with proven models
positioned for rapid growth
Bob Seward // Cork Academy of Music
The Cork Academy of Music provides training in music skills to residents of the north
side of Cork City, helping to raise educational expectations and awareness of its
students and working with them to realize their full potential in life. To date over 600
people have received training at the Academy of which 20% have gone on to third
level education in Ireland and the UK.
Bob has been involved in music all his life and founded the Academy in 1994. The
north side of Cork City always had a music tradition, but Bob became aware of a
fall off in standards and the ability to read music and felt that there was a need to
confront this. Bob set out to try and turnaround people’s lives and to let them see
that education was a way in which they could change their circumstances.
Alongside its teaching programme, the Academy provides music and singing classes
to local schools in Cork City and County as part of its outreach work as well as
a new initiative targeting young people at risk and early school leavers and an
international jazz summer school.
“If you can get someone who
never even dreamt of going to
college to do just that, then he or
she has the potential to change
everything about themselves and
their families, to break the link with
poverty and go on to bigger and
better things.”
www.corkam.com
Bob Seward
Cork Academy of Music
Caroline McGuigan // Suicide or Survive (SOS)
Caroline is the Founder of Suicide or Survive, an organisation which designs and runs
an innovative suicide prevention group programme called the Eden Programme. The
programme provides an opportunity to people who have attempted or contemplated
suicide to explore their own experiences, develop their personal skills and source
avenues of support and assistance. Caroline sees herself as working towards breaking down the stigma that is
associated with mental health. Based on her own experiences, Caroline believes
that we need to start to ask the questions “Are we listening? Are we being real with
each other?”
“The change I want to see in Ireland
is that young and old are not hiding
the parts of themselves they believe
to be shameful and weak…I want to
work towards stopping one suicide,
which effects up to 50 additional
lives, and to promote difference.”
Caroline has learnt over the years that life is quite complex and difficult and it’s more
about giving a person options that fixing them. There is a huge need to fix people.
Caroline believes it’s about encouraging a person to recognise the many parts of
themselves and to work on the relationships they have with themselves and the
possibility of accepting and learning.
SOS is based in Arklow, Co. Wicklow with an initial catchment area of Wicklow,
Wexford, Waterford and Carlow. Caroline’s aim is that the Eden Programme is
offered nationwide.
www.suicideorsurvive.ie
www.corkam.com
Caroline McGuigan
Suicide or Survive (SOS)
Ciaran Hayden & Eamon Stack // ENCLUDE
ENCLUDE is an independent nonprofit Information Communication Technology
(ICT) consultancy service to the Irish Nonprofit Sector. ENCLUDE is the first such
organisation in Ireland and has delivered services to a wide range of voluntary,
community and development organisations. ENCLUDE’s starting point is the mission of the nonprofit organisation and its aim
is to enable nonprofit client organisations, through the systematic and innovative
use of technology, to give better service to more people. A key initiative is the
ENCLUDEit.org website which offers technology products such as Microsoft software
at discounts of 96% to qualifying charities.
ENCLUDE’s founders are Eamon Stack and Ciaran Hayden. Eamon is a software
engineer with 25 years development experience in the nonprofit sector, mostly with
the Jesuits. He is a founding member of the Garvaghy Road Residents’ Coalition
and also worked for the Debt and Development Coalition Ireland, coordinating the
MakePovertyHistory Irish campaign. Ciaran brings over 25 years of management,
business and technology consulting experience from the commercial sector. He
spent two years as a development worker in Cameroon where he set up a computer
studies centre. A strong interest in technology for social change led Ciaran to
seek opportunities where he could utilise his skills and experience to benefit the
nonprofit sector. “Our mission is to bring affordable,
trustworthy business and ICT
consultancy to Irish charities…
ENCLUDE is about e-inclusion - the
reduction of the digital divide in
Irish Society.”
10
www.enclude.ie
11
Ciaran Hayden
Eamon Stack
Enclude
Elizabeth Garrahy // Arts FOR Peace Foundation
The Arts For Peace Foundation’s central mission is to develop a residential facility
in Durrow Abbey, to which children of diverse cultures worldwide could come
and partake of residencies of one month or more to promote friendship and
understanding. Specific rehabilitation programmes for children who have been
seriously affected by conflict will also run at the facility.
In the aftermath of 9/11 Elizabeth Garrahy, the Foundation’s Founder felt compelled
to create something to assist children affected by conflict and to create an
organisation which as its template promotes understanding between children of
different cultures, not just conflict areas, who under normal circumstances would not
have an opportunity to live and play and learn with each other.
The unique element of the international element of the programmes is their hosting
in a politically neutral country which has a rare experiential history of conflict, conflict
resolution and post conflict reconstruction and which crucially has no history of
colonisation or of occupation of other nations.
“I believe Ireland has something
singular and special to offer the
world in peace relations and peace
education in terms of her history,
political experiences and her
recovery. Ireland’s neutrality makes
her uniquely stable and suitable for
the hosting of international peace
programmes.”
12
www.artsforpeace.ie
13
Elizabeth Garrahy
Arts For Peace Foundation
John F. McCarthy // Mental Health and the Law
John McCarthy is an ex-user of the Mental Health services in Ireland. His experiences
as a patient within mental health institutions compelled him to bring to public
attention the voice of those that are voiceless in our society.
John is fighting to reduce the great stigma attached to mental health issues. He is
working to highlight the normality of madness and reduce the incidence of suicide
by allowing people to express their feeling without fear and stigma – to make mental
health a high profile public and political issue. He is also working to change the law
regarding forced treatment for people in institutional care.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our teenagers could say to their friends and relatives ‘I
think I am getting depressed’ as simply as they can say I think I am getting a cold.”
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“This campaign is not about those
who do well and some people Do do well in the present system.
It is about those who are left
behind. It is about those who are
forced to exist in a fog of drugs but
cannot live their lives. It is about
those you do not see any more,
because they are locked up. It is
about those who sit on the bridges.
It is about those who cannot speak
for themselves.”
www.votejohnmccarthy.com
15
John F. McCarthy
Mental Health and the Law
David Egan & Ken Boland // RedBranch
RedBranch promotes healthy lifestyle choices in Irish children and young people and
works with schools and parents to act as advocates for healthy food and physical
activity choices.
Childhood obesity levels are at an all time high, and cardiovascular disease, which
begins in childhood, kills four in every ten Irish adults. David Egan and Ken Boland
founded RedBranch to address this lifestyle crisis in Irish children. RedBranch
approaches the issue from the standpoint of maintaining health rather than treating
illness. Through a combination of education, activism, advocacy and improving
access to healthy food and physical activity, the RedBranch team aims to fight
passive lifestyle trends. The organisation provides a range of practical and
innovative solutions for schools, parents, young people and communities. This
has included facilitating the supply of healthy school food, an informational
website (www.redbranch.ie), and improving participation in physical activity. The
organisation also facilitates a parents advocacy initiative called the Irish Parents Jury
(www.parentsjury.ie).
David is an Exercise Physiologist who has worked with many top Olympic athletes.
Ken Boland is a qualified Sport Scientist from the University of Limerick. Since their
beginnings in 2003, David and Ken have worked exclusively with parents, schools
and young people in Ireland on a voluntary basis. They currently work with more
than 30 schools across Ireland, and their workshops have been delivered to more
than 30,000 Irish youngsters.
16
“We became sick of hearing the
results of study after study outlining
the issues…with RedBranch, we
wanted to break away from this
‘paralysis by analysis’ – to actually
make a difference on the ground.”
www.redbranch.ie
17
David Egan
Ken Boland
RedBranch
Louise Oppermann // Community Timebank
Louise Oppermann is the Facilitator of Community Timebank. Community Timebank,
based in Glounthaune, Co.Cork, is focused on making communities better places to
live, working with people, projects, groups and businesses by connecting them to
each other. Community Timebank brings people together who may be interested in getting
involved in community activities such as improving amenities, setting up a Youth
Café, cleaning up the area, starting interest groups, establishing support groups
to address mutual interests or concerns or organising community events. It also
supports voluntary groups by publicising matches and fundraising events and
organising training such as first aid or child protection. Community Timebank
develops relationships between the businesses in the community and the people
who live there through business networking, matching local people with jobs and
work experience and organises business events. It also improves communications
within the community through its newsletter, email and texting services.
“We want communities to
recognise and value their own
resources, assets, skills and
goodwill to resolve issues within
the community. We believe that
connected communities are safer,
healthier and friendlier places.”
Given the success of Community Timebank in Glounthaune, Louise hopes to support
the establishment of the model in other parts of the country in 2007/08.
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www.communitytimebank.org
19
Louise Oppermann
Community Timebank
Paul Mooney // Jobcare
When Paul Mooney established Jobcare in 1994 the unemployment rate in Ireland
was 14.7%, and higher in some areas of inner city Dublin. Paul sought to bring a
new type of response to the problem of how unemployment can hit at the heart
of an individual. Through skills development, work experience, on-the-job training,
and practical support within a caring and encouraging environment with a Christian
ethos, the Jobcare team has assisted many people towards not only meaningful
employment but also towards changing how they and their communities see
themselves.
Paul is now seeking to extend Jobcare’s services to ex-offenders and those preparing
to leave prison. Recidivism is a serious problem in Ireland, and studies show that
meaningful employment after release from prison can significantly reduce the
odds of an individual re-offending. Paul will roll-out a programme of individualized
coaching, training, and work experience through Jobcare’s Community Employment
scheme which will provide an opportunity for participants to forge a new path for
themselves and their families within their communities. Paul is establishing this
programme within the wider Jobcare organisation, building a dedicated team to
serve this marginalised group.
“I hope to see individuals come
through the programme and be
a new model of hope to their
communities. I am convinced
that the cycle of re-offending
can be broken.”
20
www.jobcare.ie
21
Paul Mooney
Jobcare
LEVEL 1 // SEI Awardees
Social entrepreneurs with new initiatives
at the early stages of development
Alison Darcy // UPR Online
UPR Online uses the internet to help organisations providing support, counseling and
information to provide interactive learning and therapeutic tools for their clients.
Its founder, Alison Darcy, a research psychologist believes that more internet-based
activities would help these organisations to deliver their message to much wider
audiences. Organisations could also connect to those who would never ordinarily
use traditional services such as one-to-one counselling or support groups. These
organisations could benefit enormously from being able to provide their target
audience with immediate, secure, and evidence-based help. “I want to make it easier for people
to access help when they need
it…by giving people an easier
alternative to attending traditional
face-to-face services, we can
provide people with a positive first
experience, and make it easier for
them to avail of traditional services
if necessary.”
23
www.upr-online.com
Ann Frances Murphy // Tilt Versatile Crockery
Tilt Versatile Crockery came about as a final year project which Ann completed as
part of her degree in Industrial Design. Ann hopes to create a universal crockery set
which addresses the needs of people with arthritis but which is also used by the
general population.
Anne has an active interest in elderly community, and noticed that standard crockery
did not take their specific needs into consideration. When Anne looked at “specially”
designed crockery for people with arthritis, users didn’t like it and found it degrading
or embarrassing to use due to its unattractive design. Specially designed crockery also causes segregation. When sitting down to a meal with other people, arthritis
sufferers are forced to use their ‘medical’ looking crockery while everyone else uses
a standard set.
24
“I strongly believe in the concept of
‘Universal/Inclusive Design’ and
that if we put more emphasis on
the design of everyday products
people’s lives can be enhanced and
money can be saved. Arthritis is the
single biggest cause of disability
in Ireland but if it is taken into
consideration in the design process
it can make life a lot easier and
more enjoyable.”
www.corkam.com
Anne Doran // Mainstreaming Mediation Initiative
Anne would like to bring Mediation & Conflict Resolution into the mainstream
through the creation and delivery of a public awareness strategy which will include
public information sessions, the development of a website and a media campaign.
She is an accredited mediator with the Mediator’s Institute Ireland and works part
time for the Family Mediation Service in Waterford.
Mediation is a form of dispute resolution which provides an alternative to litigation. It is fast becoming the method of choice in a variety of settings including separation/
divorce, workplace and commercial environments, restorative justice, community
meditation and peer mediations in schools. Mediation offers a confidential, flexible,
low cost and a speedy approach to resolving conflict.
“My vision is to see the use of
mediation mainstreamed into Irish
society….so that people can make
informed decisions on how to
resolve their conflicts in a speedy,
cost effective manner, while
maintaining ongoing relationships
in a positive way. In summary..
creating a conflict friendly society.”
25
Bernard Sweeney // Travellers4Travellers
Bernard is a member of the Traveller Community and has been instrumental in
setting up a Traveller only forum, Travellers4Travellers. Bernard is looking to address
issues such as conflict within the Traveller Community through mediation and
restorative justice and sees the community as a whole, both Travellers and Settled
people, as potential beneficiaries.
As well as supporting Travellers, Bernard also sees the forum as a means of creating
a platform of potential Traveller leaders and a way of working towards direct and
open negotiation and dialogue with the State on Traveller related issues.
“There are ten times more Travellers in jail than Settled People. Conflict is fueling
divisions within our community.”
“Being a Traveller, I grew up in
an environment of hostility and
oppression: Being a victim of
violence leads to reactionary
violence, feeding the conflict
that exists within the Traveller
Community. In addressing this,
the beneficiaries will be society
as a whole.”
26
www.corkam.com
Carol Doyle // BelleEtik Clothing Company
Carol has a background in the Fairtrade movement and has recently set up BelleEtik,
an online boutique selling ethically produced women’s clothing. BelleEtik works
with designers and producers who are guided by the principals of Fairtrade, proper
production and working conditions and respect for the environment.
Carol aims to work towards putting the concept of ethical clothing, fair pay and
conditions and environmental considerations on the agenda. She would like to get
people to start questioning their purchasing decisions when buying clothing and
raise awareness of the environmental and social problems of cheap clothing.
“I came up with the idea because
I was feeling tired of not knowing
where my clothes come from.
I appreciate value for money
and want to look great in clothes
I buy but am tired of being plagued
by questions of what is behind
the label.”
27
www.belleetik.com
Caroline Carswell // IrishDeafKids.ie
Caroline Carswell, the founder of IrishDeafKids.ie was born profoundly deaf in
Dublin, Ireland, but has led a normal life due to having good speech and lip-reading
skills. With this website she aims to promote inclusive education for deaf children
at mainstream schools and enable parents to help their deaf child realize their full
potential in Irish society. IrishDeafKids.ie seeks to enable parents to make informed choices about their
childrens’ education (whether to use speech or sign language, and to opt for
mainstream or segregated schooling). Caroline intends it to be a central resource
website for parents, teachers and educators of deaf children to network through
message boards, share experiences, ideas, research and information. She also hopes
the site can be used to raise governmental and public awareness of the challenges in
educating deaf children and the need for funding.
“The fundamental change that I want
to see in Ireland is for deaf people
to play a full role in mainstream
society without hearing people
feeling awkward because they
don’t know how to communicate….
In short, to access the same
opportunities that their hearing
peers do, and to be on an equal
footing.”
28
www.irishdeafkids.ie
www.corkam.com
(launch date: Spring 2008)
Cherif Labreche // Hanine Media Development Agency
Cherif is an Algerian born journalist and the founder of Hanine Media Development
Agency. HMDA’s vision to effect a change in media culture, in order to promote a
positive role for the media in counteracting xenophobia and promoting equality.
The project aims to use the power of the media to create deeper public
understanding of Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) groups and their human rights
issues. It targets journalists at all levels, BME leaders and their organisations,
journalism educators and students, and the general public. Activities are
predominantly training-based and range from provision of diversity reporting tools,
to cross-ethnic team reporting exercises, to workshops for Black & Minority
Ethnic leaders.
“My main role is to provide Black
Minority Ethnic groups with the
media and communication skills
to take a lead role in addressing
inequalities they experience…
to build their communications
capacity.”
29
www.minoritymedia.my10gb.com
Clare Mulvany // One Wild Life
For eleven months in 2006/07 Clare Mulvany travelled the globe interviewing
people who change our world about their life stories. Through a book, interactive
website and tour of universities around Ireland, Clare aims the share the stories of
global social innovators as well as individuals in Ireland who are daring to make a
difference.
The project is specifically focused on helping college students and recent graduates
use their talents and passions to effect social change. By understanding how these
social innovators have chosen to live their own One Wild Life, she hopes to help
other people define theirs.
“I want to see an Ireland in which
young people are given the chance
to more fully participate in creating
their own future. Also a society in
which more people, exercising their
personal leadership, look for ways
in which they can effect positive
change in society and actualise
their ideas.”
One Wild Life takes its title from the poetry of Mary Oliver, ‘So tell me, what do you
plan to do with your one wild and precious life’.
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www.exceptional-lives.blogspot.com
www.corkam.com
Clare Muireann Murphy // Community Storytelling
Community Storytelling is the pioneer project of Clare Muireann Murphy, a storyteller
living in Galway City. Already a professional storyteller, Clare is currently designing
and implementing a series of Storytelling workshops that will work with marginalised
communities in Galway such as the elderly and the international communities. The
main focus of these workshops is to integrate excluded people into the mainstream
of community life through the medium of stories.
“My aim is to improve Galway’s
community by making it more
inclusive, by bringing people
together in a casual, fun and
informal atmosphere that allows
friendship, understanding and
community spirit to develop easily. ”
Clare has also organised a Story night in Galway, another community initiative, open
to all, for the sole purpose of bringing people together once a month to share tales. She is currently involved in Celtic Tales, a show aimed at reviving interest in Celtic
mythology and folklore. Clare will also continue her work in disadvantaged schools
through the ACCESS programme teaching storytelling skills to children.
After all, everyone loves a good story.
31
www.myspace.com/claremuireannmurphy
Colm Olwill // Assistive Technology Ireland
Assistive Technology is any item which enhances an individual’s independence.
Through Assistive Technology Ireland, Colm aims to provide Assistive Technology
support for individuals, looking at innovative ways of using Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) to deliver Assistive Technology training and
support. He also wants to provide support for organisations and businesses helping
them to incorporate Assistive Technology into their products and services.
Colm works in the third level sector providing Assistive Technology support and
training in an educational setting. This includes providing advice, training and
on-going technical support to students with disabilities and updating the student’s
knowledge and skills as new applications are developed. He also works as a
researcher in Assistive Technology.
“The change I want to see in
Ireland is a situation where people
with disabilities can achieve full
access… I am passionate that
Assistive Technology can improve
people’s lives in many ways.”
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www.corkam.com
Dave Dunn // MediaForum
Dave believes that advancing media literacy is vital to supporting positive change
in social justice, citizenship, democracy, health promotion, culture and personal
actualization. His project is a social profit organisation that provides, supports and
facilitates media literacy education in Ireland.
MediaForum works with media consumers and particularly with young people. You
will find MediaForum in classrooms, with youth groups, at public debates, online,
on billboards and on TV. Media Forum will be there with images and questions
empowering critical and creative engagement with media. The organisation is also
contributing to the national shared space of media literacy education in Ireland.
“Media Literacy is the skill to access,
analyse, appreciate, evaluate, enjoy,
create and produce media – or in
other words: understanding the
difference between selling and
telling, news and views; making
your own media, re-presenting your
voice to the world; and having fun
while you’re doing it.”
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www.mediaforum.ie
Evelyn Grant // Cork Music Works
Evelyn’s vision for Cork Music Works is that people with a disability will hold a
respected place in the field of music performance and expression. The organisation
was set up by Evelyn and music therapist Judith Brereton in 2002 to provide musicmaking and performance opportunities for people with a learning disability.
Five years on, Cork Music Works provides weekly workshops for adult and teenage
clients from Cope centres in the City, Enable Ireland and various centres of the
Brothers of Charity. Vocal, percussion and movement are the central activities with
an emphasis on improvisation and creativity.
Evelyn has a busy career as a performer, conductor, researcher, lecturer and
broadcaster with Lyric FM. She is currently involved in developing access programmes
– ‘Exploring Education through the Arts’ – for Cork Institute of Technology at the
new Cork School of Music.
“What is new about this work is that
it addresses a need from several
angles – providing access; training
musicians to work effectively;
involving other collaborators;
influencing policy-makers;
lobbying; advocacy and most
importantly producing good work
and getting it noticed.”
34
www.corkpops.ie
www.corkam.com
Golden Anikwe // Co-operative Support Services
Golden trained as a Co-operative practitioner and promoter in his native Nigeria and
served in various government departments as well as co-operative organisations as
a co-operative development officer. With Co-operative Support Services, Golden
aims to facilitate and encourage community group actions and the empowerment of
ethnic minorities.
Golden believes that many of the challenges faced by ethnic minority communities
throughout Ireland can be addressed through the use of co-operatives – whether
providing childcare or housing or establishing and building a business.
“More than 760 million people
around the world are engaged
in the co-operative movement.
Co-operative actions of self-help,
self-reliance, self-development
and capacity building activities
can ultimately contribute towards
the reduction of poverty and
poverty traps through community
participation initiatives in ethnic
minority communities.”
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Helene Hugel // Freddie and Friends
Transforming the Hospital Experience for Children
Helene is a puppeteer and a clown doctor with a qualification in hospital play. She
has been specialising in the field of art and health for the past four years and is
working towards positively transforming the hospital environment and countering
the negative effects of hospitalization. For children, the hospital can be an unfamiliar
and frightening environment. The beds are unusual and machines are strange;
tubing, plastic pouches, nozzles, equipment that sticks to you, sticks into you and
nearly everyone is wearing plastic gloves. The effects of hospitalisation on children
have been documented to include fear, anxiety, stress and harm to a child’s future
development.
Helene has developed a series of guided hospital play sessions which utilise
performance, storytelling, and making skills useful to the healing process. She is
planning to further develop this work within a ‘multi-disciplinary arts and health
cooperative’ comprising of a mixed team of artists. The cooperative would design
and facilitate cross-disciplinary, participatory, performance based projects in context
and in discussion with a hospital community.
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“I would like to support a more
imaginative and creative childfriendly approach to children’s
health service provision in
Ireland… Hospitals are functional
places in need of creativity and art
to holistically support the wellbeing
of a child as a whole.”
www.corkam.com
José Ospina // Carbery Housing Association
Carbery Housing Association (CHA) is a community-based housing association
based in West Cork. Through CHA and other related projects José Ospina aims to
develop social housing developments that incorporate resident-participation, energy
efficiency and microgeneration of energy for people who cannot afford to buy or
rent on the open market. José has developed participatory models for co-operative self-help and self-build
housing, recently attempting to integrate sustainable design and energy into
construction. Hundreds of people have benefited from his work over the years, and
several of his projects have won awards for design excellence, energy efficiency and
sustainability. A native of Colombia, José has been working and living in Ireland
since 1996.
“It is my conviction that the social
housing sector in Ireland could
lead the way in promoting socially
and environmentally sustainable
communities, and combat the social
segregation and degradation of the
environment which is linked to the
wrong sort of development.”
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www.carberyhousing.eu
Martin Dier & Claire Oakes // Living Democracy
Living Democracy aims to facilitate the networking of citizens and hence increase
their capacity to organise and engage effectively with the system. It is about
helping create a society in which citizens can meaningfully exercise their rights and
responsibilities to shape the decisions that affect them. Claire and Martin are developing the project as a resource of ideas and information,
designed to support people to engage skilfully with the official decision-making
system. Having been involved in a wide range of campaigning and awareness raising
activities and having found themselves, as citizens, unsuccessful in getting their
voices heard, they decided to organise a seminar specifically to investigate the causes
of this ineffectiveness. The seminar entitled; “Empowering the Citizen: Do you feel
you have a voice?” (October 2005) attracted a wide range of people from around
Ireland. It revealed a common pattern of experience with people feeling frustrated,
disenfranchised and disempowered by the official system. Out of this initiative Living
Democracy was born. Claire and Martin are currently designing a significant on-line
resource which will be the foundation stone of the project.
“We believe this approach, by
contributing to the development of
real democracy, can lead to lasting
change in Ireland and enable
us to face the major social and
environmental challenges of our
time ,challenges that are so big we
can only deal with them together.”
38
www.livingdemocracy.ie
www.corkam.com
(launch date: early 2008)
Mary Nally // Fáilte Isteach
The Fáilte Isteach Project sees older people volunteer their time to teach
conversational English classes to non Irish nationals from all over the world living and
working in the Summerhill, Co. Meath area. The programme has now provided basic
language support for more than 65 people who have come to live in Ireland.
The programme was established by Mary Nally, founder of the Summerhill Active
Retirement Group and the Third Age Foundation, as part of her innovative work with
older people. Other projects she has initiated include the Senior Helpline, and the
St. Joseph’s Hospital Project.
The most significant impact of the Fáilte Isteach programme is the improved level of
integration that it has helped bring about for the newcomers who now have friends
and contacts to which they can turn in time of difficulty or stress. They are made
to feel part of the community and feel welcomed and understood. Local employers
have recognised the value of what the volunteers are doing and have sent some of
their staff along to improve their language skills.
“The project has been a great
success. Our new residents
improve weekly in proficiency
and confidence. Our village
relationships have been
transformed in that we now
know a whole new sector of our
community who had been unknown
before – and they know us.”
www.thirdage-ireland.com
39
Monika Sapielak // ArtPolonia
Monika Sapielak was born in Poland and has been living in Ireland since September
2005. In 2006 she founded ArtPolonia which provides professional organisation,
support and promotion of cultural events and initiatives aimed at the Polish
Community as well as a wider audience with an interest in Polish culture. A long
term goal is also to provide the opportunities for Irish artists to present their work
in Poland and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Monika is focused on how the cultural environment can be used as a tool to
enrich people’s lives, broaden horizons and knowledge as well as to increase
capacity for tolerance, communication and mutual understanding. Through
ArtPolonia she facilitates exhibitions, concerts, installations, readings, workshops
and the presentation of film or animation. Services also include programming of
events and promotion and coordination of cultural activities and PR within the
Polish Community.
“I aim to provide the Polish and
Irish living in Ireland with the
opportunities to learn about
each other’s cultures, traditions,
contemporary arts and above
all – to provide them with the
opportunity to meet through
shared projects and initiatives.”
40
www.artpolonia.org
www.corkam.com
Paul Mooney // Resilience4Enterprise
Paul, a successful entrepreneur with 26 years commercial experience, launched the
Alchemism Foundation in response to the need he saw for burnout prevention and
recovery services and suicide prevention services in the workplace.
One of the key strengths of Resilience4Enterprise is that it has been set up by
entrepreneurs and high achievers some of whom have also been mental health
service users. Using Coaching, Assessments, Research, Media and Seminars /
Workshops as ways to engage with the corporate workforce, Paul and his faculty
now help to develop resilience and positive mental health in the enterprise. The
profits from this project are donated to the Alchemism Charitable Trust which funds
bursary PhDs for community activists.
His book “Surviving Commercial Suicide – is your business worth dying for?” will be
published by the foundation in late 2007 or early 2008.
“The change I would like to see in
Ireland is dealing with burnout/
depression and suicide prevention,
intervention and post vention from
a work environment. I would like to
see attitudes from management and
staff change about the issue.”
41
www.alchemismfoundation.org
Robert Mulhall // Lucca Leadership
Robert runs courses in transformational leadership which aim to enable young
people of all nationalities and backgrounds to discover their purpose, clarify their
vision and develop the skills needed to make change happen for the benefit of their
communities, nations and ultimately humanity itself.
Robert has been Managing Director for Lucca Leadership Ireland since it started in
July 2004. Lucca Leadership believes that real transformation happens when people
see unity not division, and learn to co-operate rather than just to compete. Over 300
young people aged from 16-30 have attended these courses in Ireland and over the
next 12 months Robert aims to introduce Lucca’s ‘Leadership in Schools Programme’
to five Irish schools.
“Imagine a nation where our young
people are confident, inspired,
skilled in leadership and willing to
work for the good of all and not just
themselves. It is a high ideal, but if
we don’t aim for greatness we can
never achieve it.”
42
www.luccaleadership.org
www.corkam.com
Stephanie Fitzgerald // Saoirse Support Service
Saoirse is a parent-centred service which aims to empower and support parents who
have concerns around their child’s educational development. Saoirse was founded
by Stephanie Fitzgerald, an educational psychologist, in 2006. Stephanie began with
the concept of Saoirse following a range of experiences that highlighted the lack of
support and services available to parents and families of children with special needs. The service is based on a solution-focused model which assumes that parents have
the solutions and resources to best support their child. A primary aim of Saoirse
includes the establishment of a parent support network run by parents for parents
which will facilitate sharing of experiences and expertise in dealing with challenges
that may be faced by families. Saoirse also offers group and individual solutionfocused parent programmes and consultative work with schools, universities and
other professionals. It is envisaged that Saoirse will present a model of best practice
for the delivery of support and services to parents and families.
“I want to see an Ireland that
provides for all children equally, a
nation that provides an appropriate
level of support and education
for all, one that believes in
empowering individuals with a
focus on drawing on the strengths
and resources that each of us have
to offer.”
43
www.saoirsesupport.com
Tina Schmill // Pegasus – Horses Help People
Pegasus is a specialised therapeutic riding centre committed to offering the proven
benefits of therapeutic riding to children and adults with special needs or a disability.
Pegasus promotes tolerance of diversity and social inclusion and serves clients of all
ages and abilities.
Tina Schmill founder Pegasus in late 2002 and is Project Manager/Head Instructor at
the centre. Contact with animals can create measurable health benefits in autistic
children and bonding with horses can create unique opportunities for depressed
or troubled individuals to regain trust, confidence and lost communication skills.
Pegasus’ clients experience specific (or multiple) challenges and the organisation
seeks to enhance physical, cognitive and emotional healing through equine/animal
assisted activities. Tina also has plans for a unique playground, sensory garden &
respite accommodation.
“I want to see Ireland and its people
becoming more tolerant, openminded and supportive of people
with special needs and to send
out the message that ‘ability not
disability’ is what truly matters.”
44
www.corkam.com
Tonia Kusters // Support for Caring Communities
Tonia wants to create a client centred low-cost multidisciplinary therapeutic centre in
East Clare which will offer long term support alongside medical services to those in
need. A carer herself, Tonia sees a huge need for coordinated access for care givers
and their families to services that can provide a lifeline for the body and mind under
times of increased stress.
The centre would also capitalise on the wide range of alternative therapists working
in the areas of massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, counselling and art and
music therapy in East Clare. Tonia has been involved in setting up a number of
community initiatives in the East Clare area including the ALFA Project (a pioneering
school project for young teenagers) and CLAI House (a community living project for
people with disabilities providing an alternative to institutional care).
“The life of crisis and struggle, alone
and often unsupported continues
for many families in Ireland today…
I would like to create a centre which
offers long term support alongside
the medical services available to
those in need.”
45
Tania Zhinzhina // The Immigrant Newspaper
The Immigrant Newspaper project is run by the Eastern European Association of
Ireland, of which Tania Zhinzhina is a founding member. It was established by a
group of people with vastly diverse backgrounds who are interested in creating an
Ireland for the future through cultural exchange and dialogue with others.
The Immigrant aims to promote Irish Culture and traditions to newcomers and
introduce a flavour of the diversity which Ireland has to offer. It has been running
since 2004 and is the only free multicultural newspaper in Cork. It contains
information such as Education, Accommodation, Employment opportunities, News,
Culture, Health, Child Care, Entertainment and other services available to migrant
workers, foreign students and other interested members of the local community.
“I am an immigrant myself and three
years ago had no Irish friends while
living in Ireland. I just realised that
all non nationals are linking only
with communities from their own
countries and it didn’t look right to
me. I decided to create a team of
volunteers to begin The Immigrant
Newspaper project and inform
people about their newly formed
neighbourhood.”
46
www.theimmigrant.org
www.corkam.com
Zoë O’Reilly // Súil Eile
Súil Eile is a participatory photography project aimed at promoting the integration
of young asylum seekers into Irish society and encouraging awareness within the
broader community of the situations and difficulties faced by this group.
Zoë began Súil Eile as a six week pilot project in November 2006 in association with
Interyouth and the YMCA, Aungier Street, Dublin. Throughout the project, the
young people also learn photography and visual awareness skills. Zoë believes that
young people seeking asylum in Ireland can find themselves in very difficult and
confusing situations, with little or no power to shape their own futures. By giving
them a means of expression which transcends language boundaries through Súil Eile,
these young people can gain confidence in their voices and can begin to represent
themselves and their views.
“The image…works as a means to
bridge the gap between the Irish
and their new neighbours, a means
to break down cultural barriers and
stereotypes. By having a glimpse
into individual lives we can move
beyond the headlines, the statistics
and see asylum seekers and
refugees as individuals with goals,
hopes and dreams.”
47
Design_www.reddog.ie
www.socialentrepreneurs.ie