Where the Magic Begins: The Bluestack Special Needs Foundation

This feature is part of the Women’s Collective Ireland- Donegal, “Women’s Lives, Women’s Voices’ series. Written by Finola Brennan a volunteer at the Bluestack Special Needs Foundation. The story tells of the special bond created by all those who play a part in the success of the Centre.

Whether speaking to Members, Volunteers, Families or the Staff and Board members, there is a golden thread that links them all. This thread carries Friendship, Acceptance, Belonging, Independence, Community, lots of Fun, Smiles and Memories. Collectively they create the magic that makes a difference and enhances the lives of all.

How this magic has been created is best described in their own words.

“I feel happy in the foundation, the teen club is a place where I can go independently, I feel grown up helping the little ones and loved helping Colette and Catherine after school in the office.” (Member)

“I love to play and this place is amazing because of the garden and the rainbow wall inside.” (Member)

“I like going because Colette is the best.” (Member)

“What I like best about the Bluestack Special Needs Foundation is going to the choir on a Wednesday evening and seeing my friends also I love coming to the jiving classes on a Monday evening there is all sorts of I like to, I really loved volunteering at the summer camp it was one of the best experiences for me.” (Member)

“The Bluestack Special Needs Foundation has been a lifeline for both my son and our family. Caleb enjoys every second he spends at the Foundation and is bubbling over with excitement to tell us what he has been up to every time he has visited. From after school clubs to the choir, everything they do is done with enthusiasm and passion. They have also been a source of support for me in terms of being a listening ear during tough times. I cannot speak more highly of the staff and volunteers who enrich our lives in so many ways.” (Family)

“It means a sense of belonging or inclusion with others in a group where all are accepted for whom they are, and cared for by volunteers with big hearts.”(Family)

“It is extremely rewarding to give the parents a chance to take a much needed break for a couple hours on a Saturday morning. The kids enrich our lives as much as we do theirs. Seeing their smiling faces, interacting with them and getting down to their level leaves me with such positive energy for the day ahead, it is such a heart-warming experience.” (Volunteer)

“Volunteering is one of my best memories. The children I met at the clubs have great, energetic personalities that make you see past their disability and the one to one, allows you to get to know them all each individually!

They make your inner child come out and you enjoy it as much as they do. You never see a volunteer without a smile on their face, unless they are leaving! Volunteering gave me a sense of happiness, belonging and fulfillment! I’m looking forward to going back at some stage in the future 😊.” (Volunteer)

Volunteering

The Bluestack Special Needs Foundation provides support to 436 families throughout the county. Wendy Mc Carry, CEO and a staff of 42 provide one to one support and loving care to the members and also guide and support the volunteers. It now has a Saturday Club in Donegal Town, Killygordon and Falcarragh and would love to have more volunteers to help support with this expansion.

When speaking about volunteering to Catherine, staff member she said “No specific qualification is required, only kindness, empathy and a passion to make a difference. Volunteers are never on their own and have the support of trained staff at all times.

We have Teen Club on Thursday’s, a Saturday Club, Choir on a Monday and many other activities. We are always keen to hear from volunteers who have a special skill or talent and are willing to give up their time. Colette, another staff member, spoke about the Choir and how they would love to have a keyboard player, so there are many different ways including fundraising where volunteers can come and make a difference.

It is up to you how much time you give, there are no commitments, each week is flexible depending on your availability. If interested the staff would love to hear from you.

For many young students they spoke about how volunteering shaped and informed their career choice going into educational psychology, children’s occupational therapy and other health related professions.

Contact details for The Bluestack Special Needs Foundation

Visit their website at: www.bluestackfoundation.com

Email them on: info@bluestackfoundation.com

They can also be found on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/BluestackSpecialNeeds

WCI-Donegal are always looking for women to share their stories and looking for women to write features on topics of their choice which we will profile as part of our Women’s Lives, Women’s Voices’ series.

Putting Women’s Equality Centre Stage

Sep19

WEAR PRESS RELEASE 2017.png The NCCWN Donegal Women’s Network warmly invites you to attend their WEAR (Women’s Equality Awareness Raising) seminar, an event which is part of a wider project that the Network has been delivering this year. This seminar will be held in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny on 28^th September 2017 from 12.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. everyone welcome.

In 2017 it remains a reality that globally women and girls can often face gender-based discrimination which increases their risk of experiencing poverty, violence, poor health and a lack of an education. While research also shows us there is a link between development, poverty eradication and women’s equality.

To create awareness to this issue and support women’s equality NCCWN-Donegal Women’s Network, developed The WEAR project, with the funding support of the educational development awareness, EU Ladder Project.

Since April the WEAR project held a 5-week workshop series in Letterkenny, working with women from across Donegal, where participants looked at topics on poverty, health, education, gender based violence and decision-making, through interactive activities and group discussions.

Working with young people is critical if we are to influence change and embed gender equality as a core value within our society.

Through the WEAR project over 80 Transition Year Students from Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana and Moville Community College participated in a ‘Gender Equality and Development’ awareness workshop. As both schools have Global Development incorporated into their curriculum the students who participated in WEAR now have a better understanding of gender equality to inform their reflective learning and development.

Educational Development is about increasing awareness and understanding of the rapidly changing, inter-dependent and unequal world in which we live. The WEAR project has afforded the participants to learn about the structures and systems that impact on their lives and the connections of these to those in developing countries. While providing the opportunity for people to engage in analysis and reflection; recognising local action can assist and sustain global development to help to create a just and more equal world.

The WEAR seminar will share and reflect on the projects learning and look at the ways as a community we can help advance women’s equality locally and globally.

To book a place, please contact: NCCWN Donegal Women’s Network, 6 Tír Chonaill Street, Donegal Town. Tel No: 0749722790 Email: donwomnet@eircom.net

Where do Donegal Councillors Stand on issues of Equality and Social Inclusion?

Sep3

Where do the 37 Donegal County Councillors stand on issues relating to Childcare, Cuts to Carers, Domestic Abuse + Violence Against Women, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT), Travellers, Women’s Political Representation and Equality within our society?

In early 2014, The National Women’s Collective- Donegal Women’s Network held a number of meetings to hear and collect what are the main issues locally and nationally for women in Donegal. Some of the issues discussed and debated were the lack of women’s representation, lack of local training and employment issues, cuts to home helps and services for the older person and people with disabilities, domestic abuse, lack of transport and accessible affordable community child-care. These meetings were supported by Longford Women’s Manifesto Project.

Following on from these meetings a questionnaire was designed by Network and an “Open Invitation” was sent out to the Donegal Councillors.

To-date the responses we have received have been insightful and we are delighted that all of the councillors who responded stated that they would work towards upholding and promoting the ethos of social inclusion, equality and human rights. Those who responded all agreed that gender equality is a fundamental principle underpinning the concept of social justice, and human and civil rights in Ireland. And they further All pledged to sign up to the MAN UP campaign and to undertake a half day workshop on domestic violence in 2014 that would be delivered by Donegal Women’s Domestic Violence Service.

To read your local councillors full responses to our questions please click on their picture and you will be taken to their individual response.

Donegal Electoral Area

Respondents

As of 03/09/14 STILL WAITING to hear from these Councillors

Glenties Electoral Area

Respondents

As of 03/09/14 STILL WAITING to hear from these Councillors

Inishowen Electoral Area

Respondents

As of 03/09/14 STILL WAITING to hear from these Councillors

Letterkenny Electoral Area

Respondents

As of 03/09/14 STILL WAITING to hear from these Councillors

Stranorlar Electoral Area

Respondents

As of 03/09/14 STILL WAITING to hear from these Councillors

Brought to you by the Donegal team at The National Women’s Collective Donegal Women’s Network.

Don’t Silence Women’s Voices

Aug13

NCCWN-Donegal Women’s Network and the other 16 NCCWN are under threat of closure. We truly need the support of the community to prevent this closure and we are therefore asking people to join us in lobbying the government to secure future funding for our valuable work in the community.

We have put together this online petition and asking people across Ireland to please sign it. The petition will be presented to Alan Kelly TD, Irish Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, who is overseeing the changes which affect our funding.

Why you should support NCCWN

The “National Collective of Community-based Women’s Network’s” (NCCWN) is an organisation made up of 17 women’s networks, its work includes the advocacy of equality and human rights for all women in Ireland. With a working mission to “empower and support community-based women who experience disadvantage and marginalisation as a result of barriers to participation and lack of opportunities”.

Working within a limited budget in 2013 the NCCWN Projects engaged with 36,589 women from communities who do not engage with state agencies. NCCWN have demonstrated that this represents excellent value for money. Funding enables the NCCWN across its 17 projects to not only employ core staff but to also lever in additional funding to coordinate and run development programmes including equality, health & wellbeing, active citizenship, community education, domestic abuse support, employment pathways. Services provided include childcare centres, drop-in/information centres and counselling. In the 17 Projects, this has resulted in the additional employment of approximately 200 people, managed and coordinated by NCCWN staff.

One of the main reasons it is possible to deliver this level of work within a limited budget is that the work is and always has been volunteer managed and led. Work with women from the most disadvantaged communities in the country is happening only because it is underpinned by thousands of volunteer hours and decades of commitment and voluntary effort. NCCWN development programmes encompass equality, education, health, employment paths and supports including childcare provision.

However funding to this project is to end December 2014. NCCWN is extremely concerned that its work in removing barriers to disadvantaged women’s full and equal participation in society and in local and national decision-making and policy arenas will be lost. NCCWN now finds itself lobbying the government to safeguard the funding of the organisations work which is why we are asking for your support today to help secure the future of NCCWN and its local Women’s Projects beyond 2014.