NWCN E-bulletin 25 April 2018

 

1 Acorn Legacy Grants Programme

2 Comic Relief: Tackling Violence against Women and Girls

3 CFNI - Pressure Group Fund

4 The People's Projects voting has opened

5 Free Training/Workshops GDPR

6 North West Club Support Programme

7 Money for Life Train the Trainers

8 Resilience and Forgiveness

9 Calling all singers... We want to hear from you!

10 Creativity and Cake - The Big Lunch Networking and Prep

11 Latest Offer from Salto Youth

12 Are you interested in volunteering? and have a few hours to spare?

13 Job opportunity with Listen Share Change - A Peace IV Project

14 Tender Opportunities with Derry Well Women

15 Free Meditation sessions

16 Golf Club Planning Application

17  “Hard Border Walking through a Century of Irish Partition” a new book

18  SEN Pony Riding Sessions at Faughanvale Stables

19  Friday Night is Disco Night - ENERGY OF LIGHT DISCOS - AGE 15+

20  Jazz with a Twist

 

 

 

 

1 Acorn Legacy Grants Programme

 

Applications are now open for the Acorn Fund’s City of Culture Legacy Grants Fund, where community and voluntary groups from across County Derry~Londonderry can benefit from grants of up to £3,000, to support innovative arts and cultural projects in their local areas.

Funded by the Big Lottery Fund thanks to National Lottery players, and delivered by the Community Foundation, the grants are available to projects that will have a positive impact on health and wellbeing, the environment, support residents or bring communities together. 

Applications for the Legacy Grant are now open and will close Friday 11 May at 1pm. 
More information is available 
here. 

 

http://www.communityfoundationni.org/single-post/2018/04/20/Acorn-Legacy-Grants-Programme-Now-Open-For-Applications  

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2 Comic Relief: Tackling Violence against Women and Girls

 

Comic Relief have announced the launch of a £4 million grant initiative to support organisations that are working to end violence and abuse experienced by women and girls across the UK. The application phase will run from 17 April to midday, 2 July 2018.

The initiative is co-funded by Comic Relief and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with the Devolved Administration. Government funds were raised through the Tampon Tax. The funds will be fully focused on work that supports women and girls who are at risk of violence and have multiple and complex needs. This includes those who have poor mental health, who use drugs, and/or those who are homeless, as well as less well-served communities or groups, such as BAMER, migrant and LBTI communities, and/or women who are older and/or disabled, among other groups.

Applications are invited for grants of £60,000 - £120,000 across 1 to 3 years and are also open to current grantees.

The fund aims to:

  • Enable organisations to better support women within the target group.
  • Showcase how women’s lived experience can inform the design and delivery of services, practice and policy.
  • Provide opportunities for projects to try out new ways and models of working, for example by acting earlier, building community assets or using digital approaches. 
  • Enable cross sector partnerships to work together to provide high quality support.
  • Support approaches that can provide learning for other organisations and stakeholders across the sector.
  • Improve access to support for women with complex needs in less well-served communities, such as BAMER, older women, LBTI, disabled women.

To apply or find out more about the fund criteria and process, including detailed guidelines for applying, please visit the Comic Relief initiative page.  Further questions can be emailed to Comic Relief via its contact page.

 

The call will be open until July 2nd

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3   CFNI - Pressure Group Fund

 

The Pressure Group Fund has been established in recognition of the contribution groups and people in our society, who are working towards supporting social change, can make through direct civic action, lobbying and engagement, particularly to support those most marginalised who perhaps cannot directly support themselves.  It is one way in which the Foundation can be responsive to needs and issues facing communities.

 

Fund Criteria:

  • Applications are invited for projects that can demonstrate how they are trying to address social injustice and what the impact of their work will be. In particular how they will encourage civic action, working with groups and individuals who cannot represent themselves.
  • Examples of projects where we can offer some support include groups who wish to promote discussion and debate on key issues, educating local people on specific issues, enhancing democratic participation and diversity where it is not currently happening, articulating on issues that local politicians are not currently addressing.
  • Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate that they are representing minorities who cannot represent themselves.

Grants available: Up to £500 of initial investment with the possibility of a further £500 being made available within the financial year, if appropriate.

The Process for applications:
The fund will be open to applications on a rolling call basis, promoted through the Foundation’s website 
www.communityfoundationni.org

We anticipate that the applications will have the potential to fit within any Vital Signs themes and applicants will need to demonstrate which ‘theme’ the cause best fits under and how it will help address the issues.

If groups or a group of individuals are thinking about a project and need access to a small amount of funding support, as quickly as possible, to enable the project to progress, they can contact theGrants Team on 028 9024 5927 or email applications@communityfoundationni.org

 

http://www.communityfoundationni.org/pressure-group-fund

 

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4 The People's Projects voting has opened

 

£150,000 of National Lottery funding is up for grabs across Northern Ireland in the People's Projects. Big Lottery Fund, UTV and the National Lottery have teamed up to give the public a chance to decide where the money goes.

The five projects in the running are:

  • The Book Buddies project by Pawzitive in Co. Down
  • Erne Craftie Women project by Fermanagh Rural Community Initiative
  • The Get up and Go Green project from Longstone Special School PSA in Dundonald
  • The Huddle Project from uHub Therapy Centre in North Down and Ards
  • The Multi-sport for Multi-abilities project from Superstars Club in Cookstown

The three projects with the most public votes across the campaign period will receive grants of up to £50,000 each.  Voting closes at midday on Monday 30 April 2018 and the results will be announced Thursday 3 May 2018. People can vote once per region and will need an email address to vote.

For more information, full Ts and Cs and to vote visit thepeoplesprojects.org.uk

 

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5 Free Training/Workshops GDPR

 

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) Workshop for the Voluntary and Community Sector

From 10 – 1 pm (Registration from 9.45 am)

Followed by the opportunity for a One-to-one session on Quality Standards for Promoting Mental

and Emotional Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention

 

Who / Why?

  • The CLEAR Project, in conjunction with the Public Health Agency (PHA) invite community and voluntary groups to attend a WORKSHOP on ‘General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
  • General Data Protection Regulations is the new EU data protection legislation that comes into force on 25th May 2018. Under this law there is a need for greater accountability and transparency and the potential for larger fines for breaches. Organisations need to demonstrate how they comply with the new law.

What is it?

Getting GDPR right in relation to your records is essential for all charities. This practical workshop will look at implementing the General Data Protection Regulations, giving an overview of the regulations as well as looking at the direct impact on the information you hold.

 

This workshop will provide clear, practical guidance on ensuring you get GDPR right and help you understand your choices, provide resources and highlight the approaches others have taken.

 

Focusing on issues of consent and legitimate interest, the workshop will illustrate the steps you must take when controlling and processing personal data. The workshop will explore what you need to do with current and archived records to ensure your organisation is compliant.

 

Neil Irwin MInstF (Dip) will provide guidance on the recommendations for applying data projection principles and regulations in your work by drawing upon the best recommendations and helping interpret this for non-experts.

 

Opportunity for one-to-one session on Quality Standards for Promoting Mental and Emotional Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention

 

In the afternoon, there is the opportunity for a one-to-one session which will help increase understanding of the Quality Standards for Promoting Mental and Emotional Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention. This session will help you to reflect on how your organisation has completed the standards worksheets and the evidence provided.  The Standards can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/MHstandards Groups attending the one-to-one sessions are encouraged to download and start to complete the evidence worksheet prior to the session. Booking is essential for one-to-one session to get your time slot.

 

For further information and booking form: GDPR Workshop & Standards Sessions  

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6 North West Club Support Programme

 

This programme is designed to support sports clubs to build capacity and develop their current infrastructure. Support will be provided in the form of 4 club development workshops and a mentoring session for clubs wishing to achieve accreditation. The aim of each workshop is to provide information and guidance on a range of issues which are deemed important by many sports clubs. Club representatives can register for each of the workshops by clicking the links below. Each workshop is free to attend.

 

Workshop 1: Growing Your Club

Wednesday 23rd May. Melvin Sports Complex, Strabane, 7-9pm

People are the key to the success of any club. Whether helping to run the club, taking part in the sporting activities or any number of other tasks, having the right people in place generally means a happier and healthier club.

This seminar covers:

  • What makes a successful club?
  • Attracting new members and retaining current membership
  • Attracting, retaining and rewarding volunteers
  • Raising your club profile
  • Promoting your club though social media

Link: https://growingyourclub.eventbrite.co.uk

 

Workshop 2: Developing a Club Coaching Philosophy

Monday 11th June. Waterfoot Hotel, Derry, 7-9pm

Creating a holistic coaching philosophy can provide a clear vision to guide the development of a clubs’ participants and competitors. A club coaching philosophy can assist coaches’ planning and help shape their decision making processes. By communicating an overall philosophy, all club members can begin to gain a deeper understanding of the clubs’ ethos and objectives. This workshop will help clubs identify what their philosophy could look like based on their priorities, principles and overall vision.

Link: https://clubcoachingphilosophy.eventbrite.co.uk

 

Workshop 3: Sport Club Volunteer Management

Monday 24th September: Waterfoot Hotel, Derry, 7-9pm

This workshop designed to help club recruit, develop and recognise committee members more effectively. It covers key areas that are required to build a strong network of volunteers within your club, specifically committee members, as well as the abundance of helpers who sometimes do the small things that make the big difference. It will give you the opportunity to share your own good practice with others and pick up new ideas. The workshop is aimed at sports club representatives who may have a role in the recruitment, support & development and recognition & reward of club volunteers that the club needs to develop, manage, administrate and lead their club.

Link: https://sportsclubvolunteer.eventbrite.co.uk

 

Workshop 4: Generating Club Income

Wednesday 14th November. Melvin Sports Complex, Strabane, 7-9pm

Having a realistic and clear understanding of your clubs’ sustainable income can generate a vital ingredient of good financial management. A great way of ensuring your income is sustainable is to get it from a variety of sources including, membership fees, sponsorship fundraising, commercial partnerships and grant funding.

This seminar covers:
Tips and ideas on how to generate income for your club from a range of sources
Advice on how to create partnerships to increase income generation
Guidance on what sponsors and funders are looking for when complete grant applications.
Link:
https://generatingclubincome.eventbrite.co.uk

 

Club Mentoring

Clubs wishing to avail of the mentoring session can express their interest by emailing Michael Cooke at michaelcooke@sportni.net

*In order to receive the mentoring session clubs must have registered for Clubmark NI and ensure representatives have signed up for each of the 4 workshops.

 

Club Accreditation – Clubmark NI

Sport Northern Ireland works with a range of Governing Bodies of Sport and Local Authorities to deliver this sports club accreditation programme. The programme aims to identify, develop, accredit and recognise high quality sports clubs and the contribution that they make to the development of

To gain Clubmark NI accreditation, clubs are required to evidence compliance with the core Clubmark NI criteria and sport specific criteria. To find out more or register visit: http://www.sportni.net/clubs-coaching/clubmark-ni/  

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 7 Money for Life Train the Trainers 

 

Money for Life Programme

When: Wednesday 2nd May from 10am – 1pm.

Where: North West Regional College – The Conference Room on Level 3 of the Lawrence Building

 

What is it and how does it help young people?

  • Money for Life aims to inspire young people 16 – 25 years to make the most of their money.
  • Empowers young people to feel confident and deal with all money matters e.g tax, making decisions, credit etc
  • Opportunity available through our UK wide network with UK Youth.

 What support/resources are available to deliver it? 

  • Money for Life materials are ready made and easy to use.   
  • The programme is broken down into 4 modules to be completed over 6 – 8 hours.  It can be delivered over a day or broken down over a number of weeks.
  • Member organisations receive £20 per young person completing the programme.
  • In addition, a group of 10 young people can also apply for a grant of up to £400 to complete a Money Challenge community project.
  • Member orgs supporting young people to complete a Money Challenge receive £200 for supporting young people to complete their community project.

 How do I get started?

  • Complete a Training the Trainers programme to access the easy to use Money for Life training pack.
  • Sign a partnership agreement to confirm the numbers of young people completing and resources available.
  • Complete a Training the Trainers programme taking place near you;

Contact Connor on 02871 318854 or email connor@youthaction.org

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8 Resilience and Forgiveness

 

A Valued Voices/Towards Understanding and Healing event
 
Resilience and Forgiveness
 
Stephen Travers, survivor of the Miami Showband Massacre and founding member of the Truth and Reconciliation Platform (TARP), in conversation with Archdeacon Robert Miller (co-author, with Father Paul Farren of: "Forgiveness Remembers" and co-mediator with Michael Doherty MBE in Peacebuilding across Northern Ireland)
Chaired by Paul McFadden 
 
Thursday 17th May 2018,  7.30 pm @ Holywell DiverseCity Community Partnership.
 
To book a place, please contact Amanda Clarke at 028-71261941

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 Calling all singers... We want to hear from you!

 

The "Every Voice Fringe Festival" is a new and vibrant singing event managed and facilitated by local choir, Allegri, in partnership with the City of Derry International Choir Festival and taking place in Derry~Londonderry in September and October 2018.  It will offer performance, workshop and learning opportunities for all vocal ensembles in Derry and Strabane, Donegal and the wider North West region, regardless of background or singing experience.

 

The event will capitalise on the vocal reputation of our city and region, showcasing the enthusiasm and vast wealth of our singing talent on an international stage.

 

Anyone who has an interest in singing and performing is encouraged to come and hear plans for the new event at an open information and discussion evening on Thursday, 26th April 2018 at 7pm in the Hastings Everglades Hotel.

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10 Creativity and Cake - The Big Lunch Networking and Prep

 

Tuesday 08th May 2018, 6pm-8pm @ Holywell Trust, 10-14 Bishop St

 

For our members in the North West....Join us on the 8th of May for an evening of creative preparation ahead of Big Lunch 2018 day for neighbours. (the Big Lunch mass participation date is the 3rd of June) Come along and get creative, share your skills and pick up great ideas to make a community day beautiful on a budget. This will be a day to meet other people who are bringing The Big Lunch to their neighbourhoods, and to network and find out more about Eden Project Communities from existing members.

 

We will share Big Lunch and The Big Walk 2018 plans, and provide some food, advice and activities. Please come along willing to share a skill or an idea and bring props/ingredients to make this happen. At an event last year we had people offering hand massages, coaching, sound baths, yoga, saurkraut making, and new project idea exploration, so anything goes. At Big Lunches people have had music, ceilis, toy swap shops, Bingo, board games and all sorts of fun. We can also share nuts and bolts information and demonstrations if requested, including road closures. Let us know what you would like to sign up to help with here: https://patchworkit.com/18917/cake-and-creativity-derry

 

We will hold more Big Lunch prep events similar to this in other parts of Northern Ireland. Let us know if you would like us to come to your area.

 

The good news is, you are welcome to bring your children along to this event, or a friend who may be interested in bringing the Big Lunch to another street, but you must book a ticket for them for catering numbers.

 

Please be aware we will be taking photos at this event to share with the media and on social media. If for any reason you are unable to be photographed, notify us in advance.

 

Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creativity-and-cake-derry-tickets-45194488933

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11  Latest Offer from Salto Youth

 

Activists against Xenocide
14 - 21 June 2018 | Krzyzowa, Poland

Activists against Xenocide is an international training on migration for professionals of non-formal education who are interested in the topic and want to learn methods (film and photography) on how to work on migration with young people.

Organizer: Kreisau-Initiative e.V. (NGO/Others)

This activity is for participants from: Estonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Poland, Serbia, United Kingdom

Application deadline (24h CET): 11 May 2018

See details

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12 Are you interested in volunteering? and have a few hours to spare?

 

If the answer is YES then Zest would be delighted to hear from you. Zest, Healing the Hurt, is a local Charity working in the area of Self-harm and Suicide Prevention.
 
Zest would be delighted to welcome you onboard to help support the work of Zest.  There is so many ways your individual contribution would be so valuable in supporting vulnerable individuals and families in our community in the prevention of self-harm and suicide.  We would love to hear from you if you would be interested in offering a few hours. We also would want to invest in you as a volunteer by supporting you avail of training opportunities to meet your needs as a volunteer.
 
Options for Volunteering.  Our office is open Monday to Friday.  You can choose a time that best suits you for example you can choose between:-
 
MORNINGS               9am – 1pm
or
AFTERNOONS          2pm – 5pm
 
For further information please contact Joe Donaghey, Volunteer Co-ordinator, on 028 7126 6999. Or email Joe on
joe@zestni.co.uk  to obtain a volunteer registration pack. 

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13   Job opportunity with Listen Share Change - A Peace IV Project

 

Listen Share Change is being delivered in partnership with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. It is a volunteer-led, innovative, shared reading programme based in the community that uses poetry and prose to engage with a range of constituent groups from young people who are hard to reach and at risk to older people.

 

Listen Share Change utilises the existing infrastructure within the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as well as Community and Youth centres, healthcare settings and other local venues to deliver a fully accessible, customised programme of reading activities tailored to meet the needs of all participants.

 

The purpose of Listen Share Change is to create an inclusive, safe and nurturing environment for participants to engage, flourish and develop by listening to stories and to poems read aloud specifically selected to address diversity, cultural identity and build community cohesion.

 

We invite applications for the following position:

Volunteer Coordinator Belfast (Part Time – 27 hours per week)

This is a Fixed-term contract to August 2021. Please contact us for an application pack:

  • Contact: Sinead McLaughlin
  • Email: sinead.mclaughlin@theverbal.co
  • Tel: 028 7126 6946
    Closing date for applications is: 12 noon on Friday, 4th May 2018.
    It should be noted that the criteria for this post may be enhanced to facilitate shortlisting.
    Interviews are due to be held week of 14th May 2018.
    The Verbal Arts Centre operates a Child Protection Policy. The Verbal Arts Centre is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
    This project has been supported by the EU’s Peace IV Programme, managed by SEUPB

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14  Tender Opportunities with Derry Well Women

 

Derry Well Women, funded by the Victims Survivors Service (VSS), will deliver counselling, supervision, complementary therapies and a range of support programmes to women victims / survivors of the Troubles to 31st March 2020 and invites competitive Tender Applications for the following:

  • Counsellors - Qualified / Accredited (or pursuing Accreditation)
  • Counselling Supervisor
  • Complementary Therapists for Reflexology, Aromatherapy Massage and Indian Head Massage.

If you are interested in providing one or more of the above services please email your declaration of interest detailing which role(s) you are interested in to:
 

counselling@derrywellwoman.org and we will forward you the Tender Application pack to be completed and returned, hard copy, with copies of relevant Certificates and CV in a sealed envelope with the role(s) clearly marked on the envelope to:
 
 Ann McDonald, Counselling Co-Ordinator, Derry Well Women, 17 Queen Street, Derry, BT48 7EQ.

To be returned by Friday 11th May 2018 at 12noon.


Derry Well Women invites competitive Tender Applications for the following:

  • Cancer Counsellors - Qualified / Accredited (or pursuing Accreditation)

If you are interested in providing the above service please email your declaration of interest to:
 

counselling@derrywellwoman.org and we will forward you the Tender Application pack to be completed and returned, hard copy, with copies of relevant Certificates and CV in a sealed envelope with the role(s) clearly marked on the envelope to:
 
 Ann McDonald, Counselling Co-Ordinator, Derry Well Women, 17 Queen Street, Derry, BT48 7EQ.
 
To be returned by Friday 11th May 2018 at 12noon.

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15 Free Meditation sessions

A Two Day Retreat...Meditation; The aim of this retreat is to attempt to grasp the higher consciousness.

The retreat will include understanding the sub-conscious mind as well as guided meditation experiences. There will be an opportunity for discussion and questions.

Facilitator: Dr Prashant Kakoday; Prashant has spoken on these subjects in many countries and institutions, including the W.H.O. and the Medical Teaching Program within the U.S.A.

Organised by Dr Mukesh Chugh on behalf of Brahma Kumaris
Registered Charity no. 269971

 

1 - 6pm Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th May

Venue: Whittaker Suite, Guildhall, Guildhall street, Derry BT48 6DQ

For further details t: +44(0)1223 464616

e: derryretreat@outlook.com

Admission Free - Booking Essential

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16 Golf Club Planning Application

 

Forwarding info re an application by City of Derry Golf Club to Build 16 up-market dwellings alongside the Victoria Road at Prehen.

As you will see from the document below this proposal is not in keeping with the requirements of the Derry Area Plan and many Planning Policies.

 

To state your concerns and objections to this application you need to write urgently to:

Mr John Kelpie, Chief Executive, Derry and Strabane District Council.
email =
john.kelpie@derrystrabane.com

or by letter to:

John Kelpie, Chief Executive, Derry City and Strabane District Council, 98 Strand Road, BT48 7NN

Kind regards

George Mc Laughlin and Damian Martin

02871311910 and 02871347830

PREHEN HISTORICAL and ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY
16.04.18
For the attention of Mr John Kelpie, Chief Executive, Derry City and Strabane District Council Reference: Planning application LA11/2018/0260/O
Development of sixteen large luxury dwellings and associated services alongside the Victoria Road at Prehen.

Dear Sir
We are writing to express our concerns/objections regarding this proposed housing development.
The site of this housing proposal is not in a zoned area for development.
It is outside the City Limits for development.
It is within an area which is Green Belt and is designated as an Area of High Scenic Value.
It is located within the last area of green space/green lungs between the City of Derry and the Village of Newbuildings. Building here would constitute a change of land use i.e. from designated golf course/sports facility land to housing. This scheme could very much be regarded as adding to the already large amount of ribbon development that exists along this section of roadway.
It is alongside the A5 Victoria Road at Prehen which is classified as a Protected Route that is bordered by a large area of mixed woodland trees. It is unlikely that this development could proceed without impacting on this environmentally sensitive wildlife corridor. It is very well recognised that in this time of climate change, where every leaf of every tree is beneficial to the well-being of our community, every tree of every age shape and size should be given the ultimate protection.
This development of sixteen up-market dwellings could not be recognised as a project/proposal that would be in the general public interest where-as the absence of the Prehen nine hole course would be detrimental to the public interest/common good of the community, especially the young people of the local and wider area. A nine hole course is usually an essential part of any club as it provides a facility for various categories of players, especially youthful beginners who form the life blood and the very future of any club.                                                                                It is claimed that it is essential that this development is proceeded with in order to pay off the expenses of the club. This is not a material planning consideration.
Whilst we sympathise with the problems and difficulties being encountered by the Golf Club we do not think that the one off net income from this proposed development project will serve to secure the sustainable/permanent future of the Club. Surely there are many other creative options for the club rather than engaging in a scheme which is fraught with problems and difficulties that will only provide a very short term solution to the general problems being experienced at our beloved City of Derry Club.(Derry City and Strabane DC are presently offering advice and assistance to local clubs)
This Prehen section of the approach to the City of Derry has long attracted comments from famous personalities. One such remark, “The southern approach to the City of Derry is one of the most beautiful in Ireland” is attributed to writers in the category of W.M. Thackeray. Surely it is important that we preserve what is left of our much praised unique beauty on this approach to our historic City.
George Mc Laughlin and Damian Martin

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17 “Hard Border Walking through a Century of Irish Partition” a new book

By Darach MacDonald, published by New Island, will be launched by journalist and broadcaster, Mary Harte at Holywell DiverseCity Community Partnership on Wednesday May 2nd at 12.30
 
“My maternal grandmother’s house is divided by the border, and that proud County Clare woman relished my dad’s cheeky observation that she slept “with her head in the Free State and her backside in the North.”

Award-winning Derry based journalist Darach MacDonald’s timely new book Hard Border traces the roots of our century-old, hotly contested border that, after Brexit, will be the only land frontier between the United Kingdom and the European Union. After decades of conflict and division, the current almost invisible interface between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland may now revert to a full-blown customs and immigration frontier.

Hard Border traces the route of the abandoned Ulster Canal from Lough Erne to Lough Neagh – 46 miles – revealing what happened during the decades of Irish partition. Hard Border describes the disruption of lives entwined with a Border that very few ever wanted; vibrant towns reduced to desolate backwaters; and strong minorities on both sides who were cut off from their own. Moving through the historic Ulster counties of Cavan, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Armagh and Tyrone, Hard Border mixes memoir, history, sociology, current affairs and investigative journalism.  Darach  charts the historical facts of partition; the border's devastating impact on cultural identity; long-standing neglect by administrations on both sides; and the area’s pivotal role as the cockpit of the Troubles. He also examines how EU-funded efforts to build peace since the Good Friday Agreement are now jeopardised by Brexit.

Darach’s journey introduces a roll-call of fascinating local characters: Colonel Edward Saunderson, father of Ulster Unionism; the Stronges of Tynan Abbey (father and son, murdered); Eamon Donnelly, strategist behind Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil victories who despaired of Dublin; Billy Fox, the only southern politician killed in the conflict; IRA leaders Seamus McElwaine and Jim Lynagh, who terrorised First Minister Arlene Foster’s family and other border Protestants; and Kevin McKenna, the IRA’s longest-serving and most elusive chief of Staff.

Darach MacDonald has been a professional writer since 1976, as a staff journalist for Hibernia magazine, Independent Newspapers, the Sunday Tribune and Irish Press in Dublin, as well as for several newspapers in Canada.
 
He served as editor of the Ulster Herald newspaper group until 2009. Over the course of his extensive career, he has written for many other newspapers including the Irish Times, Irish Voice, Washington Times, Independent on Sunday and Belfast Telegraph.
 
He is the author of four previous books, Tóchar: Walking Ireland’s ancient pilgrim paths; Blood & Thunder: Inside an Ulster Protestant Band; The Chosen Fews: Exploding myths in South Armagh and a novel, The Sons of Levi.

Little Acorns Bookstore will be at hand selling signed copies of Hard Border at the Holywell launch on May 2nd.

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18 SEN Pony Riding Sessions at Faughanvale Stables

 

Horse Therapy Sessions at Faughanvale Stables
Sundays at 10am, 11.30am and 2.30pm

Perfect for children and young people with Autism, ADHD or other SEN who would benefit from quieter sessions with more staff and volunteer support and attention

Benefits: 

  • Make friends while developing an emotional bond with our horses and ponies
  • Sensory benefits from being on horseback and helping groom our ponies
  • Develop concentration, motor skills and improve fitness
  • Learn more about how we care for our ponies as well as developing your horse riding skills

All while having fun!!

(Lessons will be laid out in a similar routine each week as we are aware of the issues disruption to routine can cause)

Feel free to check out what we offer on our FB page, you can message us on our Facebook Page Faughanvale Stables or call Patricia on 07710985335 for more information or enquiries.
As always booking will be essential

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19 Friday Night is Disco Night - ENERGY OF LIGHT DISCOS - AGE 15+

 

Exciting new Energy of Light monthly discos in the Studio at the Millennium Forum.  The next disco will be held on Friday 27 April.

 

Friday 27 April

Times: 8.30pm - 10.30pm/11pm

 

These are monthly discos for young people age 15+ who are experiencing limited physical, sensory and or learning disability.

 

Come along to the monthly Energy of Light Disco's, a monthly disco Age 15+ who are experiencing limited physical, sensory and or learning ability.  DJ Oliver will have you have you dancing to a range of music including pop, country and the very best of dance hits.  So come along and enjoy the music, dance and have fun!  Carers and Parents Go Free

Cost is £3.

Tickets are on sale now.  Carers will be entitled to a free ticket  if registered on our Access Membership Scheme.

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20  Jazz with a Twist
 
Anne Tracey & Band
David Bell, Frank Cassidy, Brendan Harley, Sean McCarron, Peter McDonald & Eddie O'Donnell
 
Special Guests:
Roy Arbuckle, Michael Corey, Oonagh Derby, Felix Healy, Sarah Hughes, Maura Johnston, Joel Tracey & introducing Eve Corey
 
Friday 4th and Saturday 5th May
Starting at 8.00 on the dot!
 
Holywell DCCP
10-14 Bishop Street
 
028 7126 1941 for details/bookings
 
Bring your own drink/refreshments
 
Admission: £10

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