Providing educational projects, through fun,

for children in disadvantaged areas

The Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire very kindly sponsored our Women’s Networking morning on Friday, November 18 in the Media Cube at IADT in Dun Laoghaire.

The purpose of the morning was to for all attendees to share in the experience and knowledge from our guest speakers, who were:

• Dr. Annie Donna, President Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design & Technology
• Deputy Mary Mitchell O Connor, TD
• Monica Barnes, former TD

They shared some funny, inspiring and enlightening experiences with the audience of women from the Voluntary, Community, Political, Business, Entertainment & Diplomatic Sectors together.

They illustrated how their involvement in organisations was of benefit to them and their work, and how important the support of one another is. We are very grateful to them for coming along.

Paddy Casey played a special charity show on November 6th at the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire, in aid of Children’s Hope.  Paddy Casey is a two-time Meteor Irish Music Awards winner and was on stage for one night only. He was Joined by Fiona Melady and the brilliant recording artist Declan O’Rourke.

He opened the show with the fabulous Under 10's Sallynoggin Community Group, who are part of the After School Irish Club. They raised the roof helping Paddy to sing his hit Saints & Sinners and then treated us all to Óró, Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile as Gaelige. The After School Irish Club is sponsored by Foras na Gaeilge.

The concert was attended by An Cathaoirleach, Councillor John Bailey, Children’s Hope supporters and Paddy’s local fans. It was a great night, and the children will remember their night on stage with Paddy forever.

Photos show Paddy and the Under 10's in rehearsal in Sallynoggin and the children with Paddy, Declan and An Cathaoirleach on the night itself. 

Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko and close to 100 school children and dignitaries attended a special event held on Friday April 15^th, in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Hall. The event, jointly organised by the Children’s Hope charity and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council with the assistance of The Russian Alliance and the Russian Embassy, is one of a series of events held with Mr Kornienko who this week travelled to Ireland to help celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first manned space flight.

Mr Kornienko, who works as an engineer with the International Space Station, told a rapt audience of his adventures in space having spent 6 months onboard the International Space Station between April and September 2010. Children from the Patrician Centre for children with disabilities in Holy Child Sallynoggin were amongst the attendees invited by Children’s Hope, a Dublin based charity helping children from disadvantaged areas have fun through the use of the internet and other new technologies.

Councillor Lettie McCarthy, An Cathaoirleach Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said, “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Mr Kornienko here today and I would also like to extend a special welcome to the assembled children and dignitaries. The 50^th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first space flight is an occasion worthy of a celebration and having a modern day Cosmonaut with us gives everyone here a wonderful insight into the wonders of space travel.”

Alison McNamara, founder of the Children’s Hope charity said “Having so many children here today is very special. For them to be able to listen to and ask questions of a Cosmonaut is something they won’t forget in a long time. The aim of Children’s Hope is to give kids that don’t have access to the latest technologies the support and access they may not normally receive. I can think of no better example as to how far we can go when we fix our minds to pushing the boundaries than exploring the wonders of space.” 

November 2010: Childrens-Hope.TV  is an online educational resource for young people and youth workers, developed by Children's Hope.

The website, www.childrens-hope.tv features short, curriculum-adhering educational programmes available to be played by young people in after-school projects geared to Youth & Community Leaders.  

At the launch in IADT, the Minister for Children, Mr. Barry Andrews TD, was joined by eight children from Sallynoggin who completed the Children’s Hope Bio-diversity programme, An Cathaoirleach Cllr Lettie McCarthy and many Children’s Hope patrons, sponsors and supporters.