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Free workshops for women in Killarney

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WORKSHOP: NCCWN National Coordinator Miriam Holt and National Administrator Sharon Geraghty, pictured with Andrew Marr and Conor Marr from the EU Funds section of the Department of Justice & Equality.

 

Free workshops for women who are thinking of going back to work will soon be run in Killarney.

New Directions will begin on Wednesday, January 29 from 9.30am-12.30pm in Ballyspillane Family Resource Centre, and will run for 14 weeks.

The course is run under the Programme for Employability Inclusion & Learning (PEIL) and has been successfully delivered in Caherdaniel, Cahersiveen and Killorglin by National Collective of Community Based Women’s Networks (NCCWN) South Kerry over the last three years.

 

NCCWN were delighted to receive funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) for NCCWN STEPS for Women Programme.

Through its 17 local Women’s Community Development Projects throughout the country, NCCWN help to address poverty, social exclusion and gender inequality experienced by women.

Through seven of their Women’s Projects nationwide NCCWN ran a successful ESF PEIL 2014-2020 NCCWN STEPS for Women Programme. The ESF PEIL funding enabled NCCWN to engage with 296 women to support them into employment, education and training explained NCCWN National Coordinator, Miriam Holt.

“This ESF funding enables NCCWN Projects to engage with grassroots women in order to increase confidence, build relationships and foster a sense of personal power in women to shape their lives for future employment or education,” she said.

“Through the previous ESF funding, seven of our NCCWN Projects supported 296 women to participate in the STEPS programme. We hope to engage and support more women now that this women-focused and women-led programme will be rolled out in 10 of our projects nationwide.”

The workshop is open to women aged over 18 who are not in receipt of Jobseeker Payments. For more information call Cathy on 087 146 2374.

 

 

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Concerns over future of St Mary of the Angels

Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for […]

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Two Kerry TDs have voiced concerns over the future of St Mary of the Angels and St Francis Special School in Beaufort, highlighting the urgent need for respite services for children and adults with profound disabilities and special needs.

The campus, set on lands generously donated by the Doyle family, offers 30 acres of grounds, existing buildings, and services, making it a valuable asset for the provision of respite care in Kerry. TD Michael Cahill emphasized that the Doyle family’s wishes should be respected, and that the grounds should be made accessible immediately.
“The special needs community in Kerry has a major respite crisis and families don’t have time to wait. Families need help — they are not asking for full-time residential care but respite care, a break, a helping hand,” Deputy Cahill said.
He added that a bespoke approach is needed to meet the individual needs of children attending St Francis Special School. “Many of the children in the county with profound needs need a safe haven where they can roam the grounds freely, and St Mary of the Angels offers this.”
Deputy Cahill has accompanied several Ministers to the Beaufort campus to highlight its value to Disability Health Service providers. A working group has been formed including St John of Gods, the HSE, representatives of residents at St Mary of the Angels, and St Francis Special School, to explore options for maintaining and expanding respite services.
“Parents are worn out and at the end of their tether. This needs to be dealt with expeditiously, in an environment of cooperation between the relevant Government Departments of Health, Disability, and Education. We need to get this across the line urgently and put it permanently in place,” he said.
Deputy Cahill pointed to the current shortfall of respite services in Kerry. “As of now, Cunamh Iveragh respite in Cahersiveen is only open Friday to Sunday, running at half capacity — two adults per night instead of four. The issue is staffing, and the HSE will not release funding to open full-time. The Beaufort campus is available and should be utilised as parents are crying out for overnight respite. Cooperation and compassion could see this done quickly.”
TD Danny Healy Rae echoed these concerns during a Dáil speech this week. “We are still short of respite beds on the southern side of the constituency. Families caring for people with disabilities just want a break, but there is nowhere available locally. Places are being offered only in Tipperary or Meath for those needing new residential care. It makes no sense. St Mary of the Angels in Beaufort has 40 or 50 acres of grounds that could be expanded, with facilities already in place such as swimming pools. It could be developed as a model for the rest of the country.”
Both TDs are urging the Government and the HSE to take immediate action to utilise the Beaufort campus for respite care, in line with the intentions of the Doyle family and the needs of Kerry families.

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Cardiac Response Unit’s ‘Restart a Heart’ training event

Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates […]

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Killarney Cardiac Response Unit (KCRU) is set to run a range of events as part of the global initiative Restart A Heart, which aims to increase awareness and actual rates of bystander CPR worldwide.

The main event, titled RAH 2025, invites the public to learn life-saving skills and the basic steps in the chain of survival. This will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the Killarney Outlet Centre.
Members of the public are encouraged to join KCRU at the centre between 10:00 am and 5pm.
Key feature of the day will be the CPR Competition, offering “fantastic prizes to be won.”
For further information, visit www.killarneycru.ie/rah25

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