Help Us Empower More Women in Donegal – Nominate Us for the AIB Community Fund 2025
At Women’s Collective Ireland – Donegal, we’re here to support women. We bring women together to learn, build confidence, and feel part of a community — and we want to keep growing that work across Donegal.
That’s why we’re asking for your support.
We’ve Been Nominated for the 2025 AIB Community Fund – and We Need Your Help
The AIB Community Fund supports local charities making a real impact. With your nomination, we could receive vital funding that would allow us to expand the range of programmes and supports we offer — from community wellbeing events to personal development workshops, from upskilling courses to social inclusion initiatives.
What We Do
In the past year alone, Women’s Collective Ireland – Donegal has: * Delivered a range of courses and training to women across the county * Created safe spaces for conversation, creativity, and connection * Advocated for women’s voices to be heard in their communities * Built a strong network where every woman is welcome
We know from the feedback we receive just how meaningful these opportunities are — they help women return to education, find employment, build friendships, and rediscover their sense of purpose and power.
But demand for our services is growing. With additional funding, we can reach more women in more communities, with more diverse and inclusive programmes.
How You Can Help
AIB is asking the public to nominate local charities they’d like to support. If we receive enough nominations, we’ll be in with a chance of securing a share of the fund.
It only takes a minute to submit a nomination — and every single one counts!
Charity Name: Womens Collective Ireland Donegal (Note: please enter this exactly as shown — no apostrophes or hyphens)
Charity Number: 20060688 (Make sure there’s no space at the end when you copy/paste it!)
Charity Location: Ulster
Social Theme: Education & Opportunities
Your own Name and Email Address
🗓 Deadline: 25th June 2025
Why Your Nomination Matters
Every nomination tells AIB that the work we do matters — and that people in Donegal believe in it. If you’ve ever taken part in one of our programmes, come along to an event, or simply believe in the power of community-led women’s support, this is your chance to make a real impact.
This women’s lives, women’s voices feature delve’s into the power of getting creative, looking at the many ways this is achieved and the benefits associated. Written by Rhona Hannigan Development Worker for the Women’s Collective Ireland- Donegal
“Creativity is Intelligence Having Fun” Albert Einstein.
Einstein believes that we were all born with intelligence, with this intelligence we should have fun and be creative with it! Creativity engages the mind. It helps a person to absorb knowledge more easily making learning more efficient and enables alternative ways of thinking. Most importantly though it connects us to ourselves. In a fast paced world it is increasingly vital that we spend time recharging the batteries and dare I say having some “Me Time”
Crafting is for everyone, regardless of age or gender. Research shows that any crafting activity can prove therapeutic. It improves mood and reduces stress levels, while also improving self-confidence. Studies have shown that crafting reduces many health disorders from chronic pain to PTSD, depression, insomnia and anxiety. It is beneficial for older people in improving motor skills and helps prevent cognitive decline, but importantly, crafting is fun and sociable. Social connectedness is a key component of good mental wellness.
Crafting is an excellent way to relax and unwind. The repetitive motions of activities like knitting, painting, or woodworking can have a meditative effect, reducing stress and promoting a sense of calm. This “flow state” can help distract from daily worries, offering a break from the fast-paced world and allowing your mind to focus on something creative.
Engaging in crafting encourages creative expression. Whether you’re painting a picture, sewing a piece of clothing, or building something with your hands, crafting stimulates your imagination. It allows you to experiment with colors, materials, and design, which can also improve problem-solving skills and foster innovation.
Creating something with your hands provides a deep sense of accomplishment. Whether it’s finishing a quilt, a model, or a piece of pottery, seeing your project come to life gives you a tangible sense of achievement. This can boost self-esteem and provide motivation to take on new challenges.
Crafting often requires concentration and attention to detail. Whether you’re following a pattern or figuring out how to complete a project, crafting improves your ability to focus and be patient. These skills can carry over into other areas of life, helping you stay engaged in tasks and challenges.
Arts and crafts are a way of expressing emotions in a creative way, when immersed in an activity nothing else seems to matter. Your worries are suspended, time is a concept, you forget yourself. The act of crafting encourages mindfulness—a focused, present mindset. As you work with your hands, you become more attuned to the moment, which can help improve overall well-being. It’s an opportunity to take a break from digital screens and engage in an activity that fosters a deep connection to the process.
Crafting can stimulate brain function, particularly in areas like problem-solving and spatial awareness. Projects that require designing, measuring, and visualizing end results engage the brain in ways that help maintain cognitive flexibility and memory
According to therapist Victoria Schindler, creative benefits are similar to those of meditation, which have proven to reduce stress and fight inflammation. Our bodies are in a constant state of stress, causing the “fight or flight” response which causes the many symptoms of stress. Stress is often flippantly dismissed or expected in a busy life but if not addressed it can lead to feeling overwhelmed, being irritable and lacking concentration. It can cause anxiety or wanting to avoid people or places. Many peoples experience an increase or decrease in appetite, sleep disruption or fatigue. Sometimes we use drugs, food, alcohol or smoking as a way of coping. Constant stress can weaken our immune system slowing the body’s ability to heal, making us more susceptible to illnesses and infections. Long term stress often results in aches and pain, headaches or debilitating migraines.
Our lives become a vicious circle, no motivation to exercise, socialise or embrace life, and this can lead to social isolation and loneliness. Imagine if there was a simple, fun even engaging way of breaking the cycle. Creative responses activate the parasympathetic nervous system, this brings the “fight or flight” response right down, instilling a sense of calm within.
Crafting can also be a social activity. Whether you’re attending a craft class, joining a local crafting group, or sharing your work online, crafting provides opportunities for connection. Sharing your creations and learning new techniques can foster a sense of community and belonging.
However, many feels that they are not creative and lack the confidence to try a new craft or even something that they may have enjoyed before. And often participants will say “I’m not crafty or I don’t think I can do that”. As a creative facilitator the most important part of a workshop is helping participants with the confidence to succeed and feel less anxious or isolated.
Here at the Women’s Collective Ireland-Donegal we run a variety of crafting programmes from one off classes like jewellery making or soap making to a series of workshops incorporating a variety of crafts. We work throughout Donegal and collaborate with other organisations. One of which is the HSE and their “Connecting for Life” programme, a National strategy to create awareness around suicide by helping to improve mental health and wellbeing in the community.
Through this funding we have been able to offer four creative wellness programmes, in different areas of the county addressing issues around peri-menopause and menopause. Women in this category are at an increased risk of suicidal behaviours especially in areas of social deprivation. The programmes we have run already have been very beneficial to participants, along with a weekly workshop we provided online webinars with a menopause coach who provided expert advice on many aspects associated with peri-menopause/menopause.
Below are some of the feedback from participants who benefited from the programme.
“We are on our lass class and oh my God it has been a beautiful course, talking while crafting was amazing and the bonus, we took home something that we handmade, we were actually like kids coming out of playschool so proud of our crafts.”
“If I had known that the course was crafting, I would not have joined, as I would have felt that I couldn’t do it, but anyone can do crafting and I did find the course very relaxing”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the past 8-week course. The crafting provided a lovey distraction when talking about the menopause.”
Tap into your crafty side with Women’s Collective Ireland-Donegal
Crafting is not only fun and rewarding, but it also offers a wide array of benefits for your mental, emotional, and physical health. Whether you’re picking up a new hobby or returning to an old one, crafting provides a fulfilling, therapeutic outlet for creativity, mindfulness, and self-expression. We know we have done our job if at the end of each workshop women leave with a sense of pride at the amazing things that they created and with the added confidence to try different skills.
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.
Sheila Clancy O’Donnell has always believed in the motto “what comes around, goes around.” This belief resonates deeply with her career and the crossroads she finds herself at today. Since she was five years old, she dreamed of a role with the American womenswear brand Liz Claiborne, a dream that came true when she was plucked from college by this icon. Travelling the world, trend shopping on Fifth Avenue in New York City, and dressing millions of American women for decades was a fortunate adventure. Watching her designs progress from sketches to the sales floor was a thrill that was never undervalued.
However, the life of raising children while jetting around the globe for months didn’t blend well. Leaving behind such a cherished career led to a positive turn when she relocated to picturesque Donegal. It was here that her creativity was reignited, inspired by fresh air, a kind community, and the stunning colours that surround her. With a newfound passion for storytelling and nurturing others, Sheila wrote a children’s book and developed a fashion course at both secondary and third levels, celebrating Donegal’s exquisite fabrics and the circular environment they create. Having collaborated in New York on collections that incorporated Donegal tweed, she felt it essential to keep the fabric’s heritage alive.
It was Sheila’s 19-year tenure as a manager for Marks & Spencer, Homestore and More, and TJX Europe that allowed her space to advocate and deliver on these aspirations. Her dedication to sustainable fashion in schools earned her the title of “Face of Corporate and Social Responsibility.” She was also recognised for notable charitable involvement in “Denim vs. Cancer,” a design event organised with her fashion students, and “Friends of the Elderly,” her cherished workmates.
Inspired to contribute further to a sustainable future, Sheila enrolled in an online Master of Science in Sustainability Leadership at the University of Galway in 2023. A field trip to Bologna, Italy, in 2024 sparked the inspiration for Circular Dress Collaborative. Visiting Eta Beta, a social enterprise aiding marginalised individuals through art and agriculture, Sheila realised she could channel her fashion knowledge into a model that could benefit Letterkenny, Donegal, and the environment. Learning about the climate crisis exacerbated by excessive clothing consumption motivated her to act, creating a project that maximises benefits for the community. The first stop was the Donegal Local Development Company (DLDC) in Letterkenny to understand the steps needed to make this social enterprise thrive.
With that help, the Circular Dress Collaborative was born, embodying the principles of “Resale, Repair, Repurpose, Rebuild, and Remember.” Its clothing collection is carefully curated and sourced from women both locally and beyond, ensuring a diverse range from luxury to high-street. When items are sold, the majority of the proceeds go to the women who originally owned them—this being the “Resale” aspect. “Repairs” extend the life of garments, “Repurpose” encourages creativity through arts and crafts, and “Rebuild” involves training volunteers and social welfare recipients in a supportive business setting. Classes teach new skills, which is the “Remember” aspect of this movement. The mission is to keep clothing and fabrics circulating, ensuring that people and opportunities are also not forgotten.
Sheila’s endeavour to empower women who might otherwise feel marginalised was awarded Best Sustainable Practice at the 2024 DLDC Community Recognition Awards, after only three months of opening.
There’s no denying this is an example of a career coming full circle, reconnecting a designer with her passions for fashion and community. Ironically, just a week ago, a customer brought in a handbag to sell—and it was from… Liz Claiborne! Signs like this make Sheila believe “what comes around is meant to go around again.”
The Circular Dress Collaborative is located at Unit 1 Thorn Road, Letterkenny, F92 X8PP (directly next to the Kube Building)
Women's Collective Donegal 