September 2015 Newsletter
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Transcript of September 2015 Newsletter
G a t e w a y N e w s l e t t e r
Unit 1, 2 Parker Hill, Rathmines Road, Dublin 6 ( opposite the swimming pool )
E-mail: [email protected] Blog: www.projectgateway.blogspot.ie
Phone: 085 752 1220 / 01 4977005
Drop In Hours: Monday and Thursday 1.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.
SEPT 2015
T he evenings are shortening. The leaves are
changing colour, Autumn is upon us again,
and the swallows are heading south, leaving
us for another year.
Traditionally, we looked at the onset of Autumn, with
a cold eye, like back to school, the Rose of Tralee, and
the All Ireland finals, however we at Gateway will be
philosophical, and look upon the arrival of Autumn as
a time of harvesting the fruits of our summers labour.
Some of these labours include our new offices here in
Gateway and some new staff. Ali also has completed a
10 week WRAP with 11 people and hopefully this
will stand to their good in the future. Also Kevin,
Shan and Maura organised a great day out in Kilkenny
and again this is what peer-led groups do. We make
things happen for ourselves.
The Newsletter Team
Now what is Richard shouting about?
Gateway volunteers, including Richard M, were at Leinster House on Tuesday 25th August with other Mental Health
Reform activists for the launch of their pre-budget campaign seeking additional funding in Budget 2016. The
campaign ’Invest In My Mental Health’ is calling on the Government to provide a minimum of 35 million in extra
funding for community based services and groups like Gateway. Yvonne D, Richard M, Paul J, Tom O’B, Mary Q,
Maura F, Ali R, Fionn F, John K, and Tom M also supported the event. We also had
a chance to get our voices on the radio with RTE’s Drivetime—Yvonne and Fionn
spoke about the importance of community based peer support, as well as the need for
funding it. Check RTE Drivetime playback and listen online: http://www.rte.ie/
radio/utils/radioplayer. The interview starts at 2hr 12 min into the show but you can
just fast forward. We even got into the papers the next day...
C’mon Department of Health…
A Trip to Kilkenny
On
Tuesday
morning,
11th August
saw 11
Gateway
members
Kilkenny
bound. At
only one
and a half hours train journey it is easily accessible
from Dublin. Kilkenny doesn’t disappoint, it really is a
jewel in the South-East, and is brimming with energy
with an Arts Festival on going while we were there,
and off the back of the cats semi-final win in the
hurling recently and all roads lead to Croker next
month! As the group walked up to the centre of the
town even the window displays of the shops were
lovingly displayed with all sorts of trinkets from down
the years. It is not hard to see that Kilkenny won the
Tidy Towns competition last year, and they are
keeping up the high standards with flower baskets up
everywhere and of course the amber and black flags
blowing
proudly. At the
medieval castle,
which is the epic
centre of the
town, we
arranged to all
meet up an hour
later, with some
of the group
interested in seeing the
castle. There is a lovely rose
garden and a lovely park
behind the castle. There was
a bit of debate as to where to
have lunch, and in the end
we had a lovely lunch in The
Courtyard Restaurant in the
shopping centre near the
train station. Michael, Kevin
and Samo decided to get the 3.30pm train back, the
rest electing to stay on till the 7pm train, as there really
was so much to see and discover. Madeline met up
with friends and was going to stay overnight. Tommy
and Ian decided to do the river walk and made time for
a drink! Mary, Dee and Olwyn had a walk out to the
countryside which they enjoyed. Myself and Catherine
were intent on soaking up more of
the culture up the town.
I bought a 99 cone and ate it siting
on a seat above the river Nore and
it was very relaxing. Up near the
castle artists had their paintings on
show and a few musicians played
their musical instruments adding to a very nice
atmosphere. Kilkenny has beautiful Churches and
Cathedrals. On the streets there were so many different
nationalities and lots of children still on their holidays
til September. It was all conducive to a nice
atmosphere. On the train back we were a happy group,
some were a bit tired but everyone agreed it was a
successful trip and enjoyed it! Thanks to Shan, Maura
and Kevin for arranging it. Hopefully there can be
more trips like this in the future! ~ Ann Marie
TOTO BOOK
CLUB…….
The Toto Book club is
going from strength to
strength with a lovely
gang meeting up 1.30 till
3.30 every Friday
afternoons in Moda café,
and last weekend we
discussed things from
Celtic Spirituality to
Buddhism.
The following week we
talked about Dublin
name places and
anything that had caught
our fancy since the last
meeting. So don’t forget,
every Friday to come
along and have a chat
about anything that you
found interesting that
you might like to share.
HARVEST AND
HERITAGE WHILE WE
ARE ARTLESS IN
GATEWAY…
On Thursday the 27th of
August we had a Harvest
Festival at Gateway in the
back room. Fair play to
Kevin for bringing in
delicious home made
jams and fluffy berry
scones for us all to enjoy.
We all sat around the
table and devoured the
fruits of his kindness.
Thanks Kevin we really
enjoyed them!
W ell guess who called into Gateway
last month?!? Yes, it was Anne O’
Connor, the National Director of
Mental Health. And what a welcome
she got. Firstly Anne got a tour around our beloved drop
-in and facilities. Then Anne sat around our table and
listened attentively to what we had to say about
Gateway. Members spoke about the importance of
Gateway in their lives and we hope that we got the
message across very clearly to Anne because it means
so much to each and everyone of us.
Gateway is a life saver to many of us and has such
an important role in the community—most of us
would be lost if Gateway did not exist, this we believe is down to the way Gateway works i.e. that Gateway is
a member led and peer run organisation where people choose to come for themselves, help and support each
other without prejudice or judgement and make decisions about what goes on here. We are very grateful to
Anne for her visitation and the interest she is showing in Gateway and we hope we gave her some positive
ideas to mull over as well as the lovely biscuits on offer with her cuppa that afternoon. Thanks also to Orla
Barry for her support in the background on the day!
D10 Be Well – ‘Our Service Our Say Workshop’
Myself, Phyllis, Eilish and John K went to this
workshop in Ballyfermot recently. There were
representatives from the D10 Be Well committee,
including reps from the local Mental Health team and
the Irish National Organisation for the unemployed.
The workshop invited participants to explore and
inform a new 10 week programme in development
called ‘Our Service our say.’
We all had an interesting and informative discussion
about how we all though the ‘Our Service Our Say,’
course could best work. Basically the idea of the
course would be to give Mental Health Service users
and supporters, the skills and confidence to represent
themselves and their peers on decision making bodies
that affect them.
The aim of the ‘Our service Our Say,’ course is to
build the capacity of participants to practice as
effective advocates and sit on decision making bodies
that affect them, such as local mental health
committees and community groups. The decision to
develop this programme was taken after the need was
identified among research with 30 peers in Dublin 10.
We represented Gateway at this interesting workshop,
which was held in the library in Ballyfermot. The
library is a great civic space with useful meeting
rooms. One suggestion made here was that maybe the
course should include a personal effectiveness course.
It is important to remember that financial support for
this project has been secured funding Genio Funding.
At the workshop it was recommended that service
users should be central not only to taking part in
course work but also and most importantly in the
design, so as to fully inform the programme of service
user needs.
All in all the D10 Be Well, Our Service, Our Say
Workshop was very positive to be a part of. We hope
our input will be taken on board and wish the initiative
every success. Applications for those interested in
participating in this programme are now open, up until
September 10th.
If you are interested in this course please call Susan
Kehoe on 087 7472364. Alternatively speak to John K
in Gateway for an application form.
This article was written by Oliver Duffy and edited by
Phyllis C and John K.
“Gateway helps you to get back
into society”
“ I am treated with respect and as an
adult - we are all equal here”
“Coming here keeps me well and
out of hospital”
Thanks and appreciation to all our funders! As well as
those mentioned elsewhere in this issue, thank you to...
MY MIND in Ranelagh provides discounted counselling
services. Vouchers are available to Gateway members at
€10 per session for 5 sessions. Contact
Gateway in confidence on 01-4977005. Thank
you to the ESB for supporting this service.
These are a few of my
favourite things
Helen
Pastime: Movies
Smell: Fresh laundry
Food: Spaghetti
Bolognaise
Person: Mankind in
general
Season: Winter
Clothes: Coats
Colour: Green
Song: Big Yellow Taxi
Sound: A crackling fire.
Hi to all you good people!
Many of ye will know me as a
member bouncing from one room to
another in Gateway. Others know
me from the WRAP course I
participated in, which was
completed last month with a day
visit to the Botanical Gardens. (A
glorious day to be repeated).
I have been a member since the
days in Harold Cross and I have
been busy with other activities
outside Gateway. To all those who
know me and to those I will have
the honour to know I am pleased to
inform ye I have joined the
Gateway Team as a Project Worker.
Note to all those who have
completed C.E in the past, you may
do so again if you have come across
a scheme you are passionate about
and would like be involved in.
I have worked within the
community throughout my life in
the areas of Advocacy in C.I.C., a
volunteer worker with Focus
Ireland and Vincent De Paul and a
Gardener with M.S. Ireland. I’ve
been a member of Gateway for a
number of years now so when the
opportunity came up to apply for a
C.E position I leaped at the chance.
I have been awarded a position
where I can help empower peers
with mental health issues and
continue to work on my own
wellness.
I am only a small number of weeks
in my position and already I’m
going home at the end of my day
with a fresh skip in my step and a
proud smile on my face. I’ve the
privilege of being part of a
wonderfully supportive team.
I’m looking forward to being part of
many new projects within Gateway,
working with members and workers
alike, to continue to build Gateway
and keep it as a safe place for
members to grow and continue to
fulfil their lives. I have the
opportunity to learn more about all
aspects of mental health and how I
can assist others (and myself) to
have a contented and fulfilling life
while living with mental illness.
Each and everyone of ye helped me
make the transition from member to
worker. Thank you very much from
my heart.
If ye have any ideas on the
progression of Gateway or the
growth of your own wellness or
anything else at all, chat to me in
drop in.
With a new spring in my step and a
proud smile of contentment resting
easily on my face, I say...
onwards and upwards my
friends ~ Dee H.
PEER SUPPORT AT ITS BEST
We had our August Bank Holiday meet up in Café
Moda from 1pm to 5pm. A great crowd of about 15
people from Gateway turned up. We had teas and
coffees and lively conversation and craic. It was great
for members to get out, meet each other and have
good company for the few hours and all enjoyed it.
Thanks Gateway for funding the teas and coffees and
thanks to all the members for being there.
So thank you Phyllis for making this
happen.
And did you know this? Earth – Since the earth is not a perfect sphere, the pull of gravity varies slightly at different points on its surface. A person who
weighs 150lb at the equator would weigh 151lb at the North Pole. (So if you want to lose weight head south!!)
Now you do.
Learn at Gateway: Creative Writing with Maria returns this month as well as Arts &
Crafts with Tim. These classes are free for members because they are funded by the CDETB—
thanks! These classes are a lovely way to connect with others and build confidence with your
creative side. Arts & Crafts run every Thursday 2.30-4.30pm to December—just drop in. For
Creative Writing—you need to register for a place in advance as these classes are not drop in
and places are limited. Talk to a project worker today!