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Irish

Belinda Connolly 

 

Every three months, each CDW provides a report on what they have been doing in each of these communities, and what they plan on doing next. The last reports were delivered in April 2010, describing the work completed between the beginning of January and the end of March 2010.

  

Progress/Achievements 

  • Began partnership planning with Extended Services, local schools, LIHH, Irish Arts; the Irish Centre and Burmantofts Senior Action to organise an intergenerational Irish community day planned for April 2010. Obtained funding from various sources to do this.
  • Engaged with the St Patricks Day Planning Committee supporting meetings to plan the St Patricks Day Parade promoting positive mental health through a celebration of Irish Culture in Leeds.
  • Held an interactive stall to promote positive mental health and mental health services at the Leeds St Patricks Day Parade
  • Held an interactive stall to promote health, dementia care and mental health services at the Tuesday Club at the Irish Centre.
  • Attended partnership meetings with LIHH and the Irish Centre to promote opportunities for consultation with older people
  • Networked with Leeds Adult Social Care to provide information on the computer based info store for Irish Elders.
  • Supported volunteer engagement at a family arts event for Irish History month organised by the Irish Arts Foundation.
  • Chaired a meeting  of the Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Forum, networking with other agencies that provide support for the Irish Traveller, Gypsy and Roma communities in Leeds.
  • Organised and attended a meeting with interested partner agencies at the Cottingley Springs Traveller Site to look at expanding opportunities for on site mental health support for gypsies and travellers. Spoke to women and children prior to this at the Cottingley Children’s Centre and again on the site about their needs with partners from Leeds Gate. 
  • Promoted network opportunities for Touchstones IAPT service to deliver a presentation at the GT forum.
  • Partnership work with LPFT chaplains and other CDWs to facilitate a Faith and Healing Forum meeting at the Makkah Mosque looking at the Muslim Faith, Spirituality and Mental Health.
  • Attended a community development workers regional forum.

 

Training Attended

  • Equality and Diversity.
  • Social Inclusion.
  • Liberating Leadership.
  • Participatory Appraisal.
  • Whistle Blowing Policy.

 

Difficulties Encountered

  • The Burmantofts Irish Cultural celebration was postponed to pool resources with the Intergenerational Community Day in April. This was a partnership decision but was partly due to family circumstances. Ongoing contact with the community has helped inform this.

 

Lessons Learned

  • Be realistic with time management and allow extra time for the unexpected

  

Irish CDW Priorities for Next Quarter

  • Co-ordinating a community event to promote positive mental health through cultural diversity between different intergenerational community groups
  • Begin work on introducing pacesetters training to enable community activists to  promote mental health in the Irish, traveller and other BME communities.

 

Case Study

Each quarter, each CDW provides a “case study” – describing a piece of work they have done. Click here to read the most recent case study by this worker: Running a Health and Wellbeing Stall at St Patrick's Day Parade