Rediscovering New Ideas

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Leading The Change

On 22 July, the Judges visited the Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun in Dublin.  The Rediscovery Centre is about leading change from waste to resource through Reuse, Redesign, Research and Education. Their goals are to:

  • Prevent waste going to landfill
  • Provide employment and training
  • Inspire sustainable living

How The Rediscovery Centre Came About

The original idea for the Rediscovery Centre came from the community consultation process for the regeneration in Ballymun. One of the key ideas arising from the consultation process was to develop a recycling centre in the area that could create jobs and training opportunities locally, for example by housing workshops that reused or recycled materials on site. From this idea the Rediscovery Centre concept was developed.

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The Good China!

The judges were given a warm welcome from Operations Manager, Roger Warburton who joked:

We were delighted to throw the kettle on and whip out the good china for the judges!

They heard how jobs have been created from the very beginning.  There are currently twenty employees working at the Rediscovery Centre. This is a mix of:

  • Full time staff
  • Part time staff
  • Community employment workers
  • TUS workers

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Wide Variety Of Workshops On Offer

  • Employing people who have been long-term unemployed through Community Employment and offering the chance for people to re-skill and undertake personal development training.
  • Teaching practical workplace skills in furniture restoration, upholstery, woodwork, fashion design, sewing skills, IT/Computer skills, reuse and recycling skills and more.
  • Running public courses and workshops for a variety of skill levels in furniture restoration and fashion skills.
  • Running primary and secondary level educational workshops.
  • Working with third level research institutions on research projects, and in providing internships and structured work placement.

Judges left assured that the ever growing community of Ballymun had a bright future.

For more information about the Rediscovery Centre, visit the Rediscovery Centre website or check out the Rediscovery Centre Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Associations, One Cause!

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On 24 July, Judges Visited Ledwidge Terrace And Marian Terrace To A Warm Welcome.

Both Ledwidge Terrace and Marian Terrace,  Co. Meath gave a short history on why they got together as a joint Residents Association.  Both associations have worked very hard down through the years to create an awareness of the local environs, which makes for a very friendly and peaceful place to live here in county Meath.

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Residents from both areas met with the judges and told of how they all work together voluntarily. Not only did it show the wonderful work they do to promote a safe and healthy environment, it showed their willingness to pursue these surroundings out of their own time and resources.

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The Judge’s visit ended with light refreshments being served and a friendly chat about the future of the project.  Everyone had a very enjoyable day.  Also in attendance on the day were Peter Brady and James Sheridan of Meath County Council.

 

Community Wellness, Empowerment, Leadership and Life Skills

Judges Visit To St Mary’s Community, King’s Island, Limerick.

The CWELL Programme stands for Community Wellness, Empowerment, Leadership and Life Skills. It was developed by local community groups, community activists, and University of Limerick staff to meet the needs of people in St. Mary’s Community.  The needs, identified by local people in focus groups:

  • Positive mental health
  • Physical health
  • Personal development

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The CWELL Programme aims to bring together St Mary’s community, university staff and students through practice-based, educational activities that promote well-being and lifestyle education. 

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It’s Not Only Students Who Learn

On the day of the judging visit, judges were introduced to University of Limerick students who spoke about the positive impact that CWELL has had on their lives to date and will have on the community in the future.

The students have finished their first semester and, although many challenges have arisen, the students and the project management group have worked hard to overcome them.

For more information about the CWELL project, check out the University of Limerick website.

The students took part in a promotional video last year showing the aims and goals of the programme.