https://youtu.be/TRliG6Je2b8
Gaisce is delighted to be involved in the Charity Impact Awards 2018 for medium sized organisations. This award celebrates the work of community & voluntary and charitable organisations, clubs or groups that have brought about positive change. Shortlists will be announced next Monday, 12th November.
The positive impact of Gaisce’s work is twofold, in that it occurs at both an individual and community level.
On an individual level, according to research published in 2015, the programme has a positive effect on lives of young people who participate in a number of areas. 11 common themes were identified across all participant groups: enhanced positive relationships, increased empathy and altruism, greater mental fortitude, increased positive emotions, self-efficacy, personal growth and positive thought.
Gaisce also has an impact at community level through work such as Gaisce’s Irish Life funded project in North Dublin where our team trained 27 new PALs in 12 organisations to deliver the programme. One such organisation was the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), who provide a range of services and supports for people who experience disability.
Speaking about undertaking Gaisce, Noel Carroll, Community, Employment and Education Coordinator at CRC said, “Being involved in Gaisce and being out in the community gives people that sense of pride and drive to complete the projects that they started and to make them more visible within their own community”.
Conor Dillon, Member of the CRC Transition Programme took part in organising an accessible Fairy Garden, took cooking lessons and worked on his literacy skills weekly. Conor said that the programme helped him with his upper body exercises, “and it’s also helped me to learn how to be part of a team, which is very important for the future”.
Yvonne Currivan who works as part of the Transition Programme in the CRC added, “On Monday afternoons we do a baking class. Some of our guys when they started working with us found simple things– like cracking eggs, measuring things into bowls– they found the ability to do that a little bit more difficult, but because we’re doing it every week and we’re practising every week they’re ability is definitely improving and their confidence is growing every week.”
You can learn more about our entry in the Charity Impact Awards 2018 here.