Invitation to Join the Regional Advisory Council

Many thanks to everyone who attended the Information Evening on the Regional Advisory Council last week. A special thanks to our guests, Eileen Dunne(former Chairperson of the National Advisory Council) and Helena Connors(Adult Advocacy Officer, DSI) who shared their experience and advice with us.

We are now delighted to formally extend our:

Invitation to join the new Regional Advisory Council in the Louth/Meath Branch of Down Syndrome Ireland
What is a Regional Advisory Council?
• The Regional Advisory Council (RAC) gives adults with Down syndrome a chance to talk about the local issues that are important to them
• The Louth/Meath Branch of Down Syndrome Ireland listens to what the council has to say
• The RAC will decide what projects to work on
• In 2020, the RAC will vote for 1-3 members to join the National Advisory Council
The RAC supports council members to become more confident and to learn new skills like:

• Respectful listening
• Giving opinions
• Travel to Council meetings independently
• Know your Rights
• How to speak at meetings
• How to be in charge of a meeting
• How to be an officer of the Regional Advisory Council
• Talking to others about what you do in the RAC
How does the Regional Advisory Council work?

• The RAC meets monthly. There are no meetings in July and August
• RAC members sit on the council for three years; the first year is primarily training in advocacy and communication skills
• Two facilitators will support the work of the RAC
If you are an adult(18+) with Down syndrome and interested in joining the Regional Advisory Council, please submit your name and contact details to:
Mike Egan, Regional Resource Officer, Louth Meath Branch DSI.
Phone: 085.8618866 Email: mike@downsyndrome.ie

TREDAGH SINGERS SUMMER CONCERT

TREDAGH SINGERS SUMMER CONCERT on Friday 31st May at 8 pm  in the Augustinian Church, Shop Street, Drogheda.

 

This is the fourth year that the Tredagh Singers have very kindly  donated ALL the proceeds of their Summer Concert to our branch.  In return they would like to see as many people there as possible, so even if you can’t make it, is there any member of your family or a friend who would like to come?  It is always a lovely evening and this year they have the Celtic Choir Berlin visiting and they specialise in traditional songs from Ireland and the United Kingdom. There will also be a raffle on the night with some very good prizes.  As we all know the branch is in urgent need of funds, so any support you can give us would be really great.  With many thanks in advance and best wishes.

 

Tickets are on sale at the door on the night, in the Augustinian Church Shop and in Sage & Stone in Duleek or from me, Clare, on 087 6383477 or clareleonard45@gmail.com

Reminder: Information Evening

On Thursday evening next, the Louth Meath branch are delighted to welcome Eileen Dunne from the Cavan branch to the information evening on our new Regional Advisory Council initiative. Eileen is the current Chairperson of the National Advisory Council(NAC) in DSI and will speak about her own experience of being involved in the NAC and how it works.

The Information Evening takes place on Thursday next, May 30th, at 7.30pm in the Conyngham Arms, Slane and all are welcome

Invitation to Join Louth Meath Branch Committee

We are looking for new people or former committee members to join our committee for the upcoming year. We are looking for people with new ideas and enthusiasm to bring to our committee.

It would involve attending about 9 meetings per year for about 2 – 3 hours for each meeting. It would not involve taking on a role unless you wish to.

We are also looking for a new Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer if your skills would be suitable to these roles.

If you would like more information or want to talk about joining the committee, please come back to me Brendan on 083 8972044 or secretarydslm@gmail.com

Our next Louth Meath Branch Committee meeting will be held this Monday, 13th May 2019 in The Conyngham Arms Hotel Slane at 7.30pm.

Looking forward to seeing new faces on the night.

Golf Classic Greenore Golf Club Friday 31st May 2019

One of our members Darren Kirwan is organising a Golf Classic in aid of our Branch in Greenore Golf Club Friday 31st May 2019.

Are you a Golfer and want a great day out come and join us.

Friday 31st May 2019 Greenore Golf Club

€200 per team of 4 includes meal

Presentation afterwards in the Club House

Music by Leah & Cian

Raffle on night for various prizes

To Book a Tee Time or sponsor the event Contact
Darren 086 8282941 or
Ciaran 087 6772827

Annual General Meeting Monday April 29th Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk

The 2019 Annual General Meeting of the Louth Meath Branch of Down Syndrome Ireland will be held Next Monday, April 29th, 2019 at 8.00pm in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk, Co Louth.

Louth/Meath Branch Sponsorship Cards and Branch T Shirts will be available at the AGM for those of you who are kindly doing the Women’s Mini Marathon to raise funds for our Branch.

Gary Owens DSI’s Chief Executive Officer will address the meeting where he will outline what is going on in DSI and you will get a chance to meet Gary and ask any questions that you have.

Mike Egan our Regional Resource Officer will also address our meeting to update our members about his role.

All are Welcome.

ADULT EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION EVENING

Reminder: Wednesday 3rd April @ 7pm.

Hi All

Aoife Gaffney, National Employment & Projects Officer and Rosalind Walsh, Adult Education Officer from Head Office are visiting the Branch.

They will visit on Wednesday 3rd April @ 7pm in the Conyngham Arms Hotel Slane to give a talk to interested members.  They will present on the entire Ability Programme (Latch On, MOTE, Work Skills) and talk in more detail then about Work Skills and employment links.

ADULT EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT

 

Down Syndrome Ireland’s Ability programme was launched in September 2018 and is aimed at providing further education and preparation for employment for our over 18s. The programme has been developed in conjunction with Accenture, a global management consultancy firm and with the support of funding from Pobal.

In its complete format, the programme runs for 4 days per week from September to June for 2 years with modules in Practical Literacy and Technology; Decision Making, Rights and Responsibilities; Work Skills and preparation for employment.

Louth/Meath branch will run and subsidise the programme from September 2019 if there is sufficient interest. Location will depend on the level of interest. It is an option to run just parts of the programme and this may suit members who have already completed Latch on and Mote programmes who would prefer to do the only Work Skills module. Again, it will depend on demand.

Planning for a class in September 2019 must begin NOW. If you are interested in any way or would like more details, please contact;

Geraldine Regan, 087 8157542, foleyregan246@gmail.com or

Audrey O’Dowd, 086 0537177, audrey.odowd@gmail.com

Expression of interest is not a commitment to enrolling in the programme.

Further details in the attached flyer and also in the current Down Syndrome Ireland magazine.

Adult Education & Employment Scheme 2018 3 (1)

“…more than medical” A booklet for parents with a pre or postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome for their baby.

To celebrate this year’s World Down Syndrome Day 2019 – Down Syndrome Ireland has launched some resources which challenge outdated ideas about Down syndrome and instead provide an insight into the realities of family life with a baby, child, teenager or adult with Down syndrome in Ireland today. 
 
“…more than medical” was launched on World Down Syndrome Day (Thursday, March 21st 2019).
 
The booklet includes a combination of experiences from our family and adult members from around the country and will be distributed free-of-charge to our nationwide network of 25 branches, to maternity and children’s hospitals across the country and HSE Early Intervention Teams.
 
The booklet is a resource for parents with a pre or postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome for their baby. It will also be an essential tool for professionals and healthcare workers to ensure complete and balanced information is provided to all parents.
 
Download more than medical here:
 
To complement the launch of “..more than medical” DSI have launched a video for new parents – ‘Having a child with Down syndrome’.
 

If The Shoe was on the other foot

If The Shoe was on the other foot

Marking World Down Syndrome Day, this is the official release of Prosper Meath’s new powerful and thought provoking video highlighting the day to day challenges faced by people living with a disability.
#WDSD19

 

 

Prosper Meath, formerly named MIDWAY, became part of the Prosper Group in 2016.

Prosper Meath provides Day Services to adults with an intellectual disability across County Meath. It is a ‘not-for-profit’ community organisation with charitable status, committed to improving the lives of people with disabilities and their place in society.

In keeping with national disability policy, Prosper Meath operates from local centres in the towns of Navan, Trim, Kells and Ashbourne. Its primary funding comes from the Health Service Executive (HSE), through an annual Service Arrangement (Contract of Service).

Prosper Group today supports almost 500 individuals and their carers from 22 locations across its catchment areas of County Meath and County Fingal.

You can see that all that Prosper Meath do here