SECAD Noticeboard 17

Time to Change !

South and East Cork Development (SECAD) will be running its innovative Time to Change programme again in Ballincollig, Cobh and Youghal and for the first time in Midleton this autumn.

The programme is designed to help people who are currently unemployed or who want to return to the workplace to evaluate where they are now and to develop new skills to reach their full potential.  The 10 week programme is funded by SECAD and free to participants and focuses on the following:

• Self-esteem and personal strengths
• Self-confidence and encouragement
• Information on supports and entitlements
• Creatively visualising our future
• Creating opportunities and possibilities
• Identifying our vision, mission and goals
• Setting goals and creating plans for the future
• Moving forward on our goals
• Managing Change
• CV preparation and Interviews

Inputs by specialists on adult education, career development, CV preparation and social welfare advice forms an important part of the programme.  There is one to one support for each participant and confidentiality is assured at all times.

CEO of SECAD Ryan Howard speaking at the 'Cobh Opportunities Morning' at the Sirus Centre earlier this year

A number of events will be held throughout the SECAD area to publicise the programme starting with the Opportunities Mornings.  The Opportunities Morning in Cobh is taking place on Monday, 17th September and the event in Ballincollig is taking place on Tuesday, 18th September.  The speaker at both events will be former Olympian, Gillian O’Sullivan.  The Opportunities Morning in Youghal will be held on Wednesday, 19th September and the speaker will be Dr Michael Ryan from the Centre for Education and Developing Human Potential at LIT-Tipperary.  They will talk about how self-motivation, resilience and positive thinking can enable us to become fulfilled and happy human beings.

Agencies that can provide support to people who are out of work have been invited to come along to meet people.  These include the Department of Social Protection, VEC, FÁS, Volunteer Centre, etc.  Each event starts at 10.00am to give visitors the opportunity talk to  people from the agencies.  At 11.00am the guest speaker will be invited to talk and  participants from previous courses will also speak about how the course has helped them.  The Opportunities Morning is open to the whole community to come along to get information from the agencies and others present, and maybe to sign up for the next course.

Coffee mornings in each centre will also be held before each course begins to give potential participants the opportunity to come in to meet the tutor and to discuss whether the course would be suitable for them.  Courses will start in each centre during the first week  of October.  For further information please contact SECAD on 021-4613432 or info@secad.ie

‘Time to Change’ Autumn 2012 Schedule

Cobh

Monday, 17th September, Showcase event – Sirius Arts Centre

Monday, 24th September, Information morning – Cobh FRC

1st October, Course start date – Cobh FRC

29th October – 2nd November, Midterm

10th December, Course completion

Ballincollig

Tuesday, 18th September, Showcase event – Ballincollig FRC

Tuesday, 25th September, Information morning – Ballincollig FRC

2ndOctober. Course start date – Ballincollig FRC

29th October – 2nd November, Midterm

11th December, Course completion

Youghal

Wednesday, 19th September, Showcase event – Cumann na Daoine, Youghal

Wednesday, 26th September, Information morning – Cumann na Daoine

3rd/4th October, Course start date – Cumann na Daoine

29th October – 2nd November, Midterm

12th/13th December, Course completion

Midleton – SECAD Office (Midleton Community Enterprise Centre)

Friday, 21st September, Information morning – Midleton Community Forum

Friday, 28th September, Information morning – Midleton Community Forum

4th October, Course start date – SECAD Office

29th October – 2nd November, Midterm

13th December, Course completion

SECAD Tús participants showing initiative at Whites Cross GAA Club

Using your imagination and working with limited resources is no problem to SECAD Tús Participant Anthony Martin who has used all his skills and ability to help the Whites Cross club in any way that he can.

Anthony has used re-cycled material to make picnic benches and timber flower pots and various other items for the club.

The workers at Whites Cross have completed painting, repair work and various other improvements to the club.

SECAD Tús Participant Anthony Martin takes a well-earned break on the bench that he built at Whites Cross GAA Club (Picture PJ Dennehy)

The South and East Cork Area Development Tús Initiative is working well and over 90 groups, which are non-profit, members owned or registered charity organisations are now availing of the Tús Initiative.

If you area community / voluntary group   and are based in any of the electoral areas including the Carrigaline Electoral area, Midleton Electoral Area , Youghal Electoral Area  or part of Blarney Electoral Area, including Douglas, Togher, Ballincollig and as far south as Crosshaven, you may be eligible to fill in a ‘Tús Initiative Expression of Community Interest Form’.

For more information contact  SECAD on 021-4613432.

Knocknamanagh Old School and the Tracton Community get the National Pride of Place competition nomination from Cork County Council

Members of the Tracton Community Council, the Pride of Place Judging Panel, Administration and Knocknamanagh Old School Committee Members at the recent presentation in the Pride of Place National Competition

Tracton Community Council Members, the judging panel and Knocknamanagh Old School Administrator Lisa Rauch (3^rd from the left) pictured at the recently at the Old School in Tracton for the judging day of the National ‘Pride of Place’ competition

(Picture Joe Dilworth)

When Cork County Council nominated the Tracton area to represent Cork County in the All Ireland ‘Pride of Place’ competition they really knew what they were doing at the idyllic Minane Valley there are so many fantastic elements of community on show.

From an area that is almost completely surrounded by water it also has fantastic walks, beach areas and various repaired and reclaimed areas for everyone to enjoy and one of the most striking refurbishments to the area is the Knocknamanagh Old School, where a presentation by Victor Richardson on behalf of the  Tracton Community was held last Friday afternoon.

Needless to say the judging panel were extremely complimentary and obviously impressed by the refurbishment of the building and the impressive new extension added on to the old school house.

The visiting judging panel were then treated to a guided bus tour of the entire area to show the very best that the Minane Valley has to offer.

In fundraising to achieve all the very impressive improvements at the Knocknamanagh Old School came to a staggering total of €900,000 and SECAD has made a significant contribution to that total through funding from the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013.

For all information on South and East Cork Area Development, see  www.secad.ie