28 January 2016 DUN LAOGHAIRE Gazette 3
community | success for family project based in loughlinstown
theatre
Mollser’s story at the Pavilion
Scholarship win for parent support duo emma nolan
A COMMUNITY-based family support project in Ballybrack and Loughlinstown, Springboard, won a Parents Plus programme scholarship this month. Parents Plus is an Irish charity that develops practical, evidence-based parenting and mental health programmes and has recently awarded eight scholarships to professionals working with children and families throughout Ireland. Among the scholarship recipients are social workers Caroline Jordan and Rachel Fitzmaurice from Springboard Family Support Project (TUSLA), Loughlinstown who will train to deliver the Parents Plus Parenting When
Separated programme. Speaking about their win, Jordan said: “We are absolutely delighted to win the Parents Plus scholarship. We identified a need to support parents who have separated and are finding it difficult to communicate with each other. “By training in and running the ... programme, we hope to provide parents with the support they need to be in tune with how their children are feeling; improve communication between parents and offer practical advice regarding care arrangements and consistent routines.” The scholarship includes facilitator training on a Parents Plus programme; materials and
parent booklets, and a full post-training supervision package over 18 months aiming towards the successful applicant gaining Parents Plus accreditation Dr John Sharry, chief executive, Parents Plus said: “Caroline and Rachel stood out for their obvious enthusiasm and dedication to improving the outcomes for the families they work with. “For more than 15 years, Parents Plus has developed evidencebased programmes that reduce parental stress and increase parental satisfaction. Every year, we train more than 400 professionals working with families to deliver parenting programmes in their communities.”
emma nolan
happy to launch his run
WITH the upcoming general election lurking somewhere nearby on the horizon, local politicians are to be spotted out and about, meeting constituents and launching their campaigns to run for a set. Cllr Cormac Devlin (FF) was one of the latest local politicians to throw his hat in the ring, where he had a little help at the launch of his general election campaign at the Royal Marine Hotel. He was joined by party stalwarts David Andrews and Mary O’Rourke, with the two figures happy to wish the councillor all the best with his launch. As the race for the general election heats up, and especially once the highly anticipated date is announced, citizens from Dun Laoghaire and surrounding areas can expect to see a lot more of all of their elected representatives out and about, and taking in the coastal air. Picture: Justin Farrelly
TICKETS are on sale for Me, Mollser – an adaptation of The Plough and the Stars by Sean O’Casey, as told through the eyes of its youngest character, Mollser. The play will run in The Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire on Tuesday, February 9, and is aimed at ages 10-plus. It introduces children to a strong-willed and passionate young woman coping with consumption against the backdrop of the 1913 Lock-Out and The Easter Rising, and is a compelling, funny and poignant monologue. Tickets are €6.50 and teachers can contact The Pavilion Theatre at 01 231 2929 to book for a school group.