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Visit from Minister for State for Disabilities, Anne Rabbitte T.D. and Christopher O'Sullivan T.D. on 20/07/2021. The ministers also met with Kristen Cavanagh, one of our Youth Advisory Panel members and peer supporter to discuss the benefits of the Ability Programme.

https://twitter.com/AnneRabbitte/status/1417759891444445184/photo/4

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Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Ireland has spent the last 5 years endeavouring to bring Mental Health First Aid training to communities and workplaces around Ireland. To date over 7,500 people in Ireland have joined a growing communnity of the approximately 4 million worldwide trained in Mental Health First Aid. We have been using education and learning to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health. In doing so we are creating more supportive communities and workplaces, with a greater willingness to offer a compassionate listening ear to someone in distress, and signpost that person to effective help.

In these difficult times, looking to the past can inform us going forward. The ancient concept of Meitheal, the application of community cooperation and support is one such way that we can support ourselves and those around us. This can be achieved by reaching out and offering support to those we care about or to those more vulnerable in our society and also being conscious of our own self-care. Our MHFA Meitheal series aims to provide guidance and support to you and your loved ones during these unprecedented times. So we invite you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Youtube and share our content using the hashtag

Mental health first aid is the help offered to a person who is developing a mental health problem or who is experiencing a mental health crisis, until appropriate professional treatment is received or until the crisis resolves. It follows the model that has been successful with conventional first aid.

Developed originally in Australia, Mental Health First Aid is now internationally recognised in over 27 countries and over 1 million people worldwide have been trained in Mental Health First Aid skills.

We also offer in-house training directly to large organisations through MHFA Workplace and can consult with you directly to help meet your individual organisations needs.

The Standard Mental Health First Aid Ireland course teaches people how to provide MHFA. Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of mental health problems and what sort of help has been shown by research to be effective. They will learn a framework for communication, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person towards appropriate treatments and other supportive help.

A key strength of the programme is the strong evidence base. Mental Health First Aid is included in the American National Registry of Evidence-Based Programmes and Practices.

Mental Health First Aid training has been shown to improve attitudes towards people with mental health difficulties, reduce stigma, improve knowledge, and improve people's confidence in providing help and likelihood to advise people to seek professional help. It has also been shown to improve participants own mental health.

For more information on current MHFA research click here

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Mental Health First Aid Ireland - Mental Health First Aid Ireland homepage

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Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Ireland has spent the last 5 years endeavouring to bring Mental Health First Aid training to communities and workplaces around Ireland. To date over 7,500 people in Ireland have joined a growing communnity of the approximately 4 million worldwide trained in Mental Health First Aid.

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Ability Programme Progress Report March 2021

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Ability Programme/ West Cork Development Partnership Progress Report 2021

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The Ability Programme has been so beneficial to me and I've enjoyed this programme so much. The Ability Programme helped me with my mental health and gave me hope for the future. Being a part of this amazing programme helped me to discover new abilities and talents I have, as well as getting to connect with other people on the programme too. I got to work with an occupational therapist who was very kind and encouraging. She helped me a lot with finding a structure and routine, as well as helping me to set goals and to achieve those goals.

The Personal Development Officers were very kind and helpful too. They were so friendly and they encouraged me a lot and would always find workshops and courses that were of interest to me. They also helped me to get involved with groups of people doing a variety of activities like yoga, baking, knitting and doing virtual quizzes.

I also enjoyed working with the Youth Engagement Officer who organised outdoor activities for me to do with other people. Jerome has such a positive uplifting energy, it's contagious! You always felt great after working  with him.  I enjoyed the different walk routes he had organised and I also really liked the personal development, mindfulness, visualisation exercises he did with me.

The Ability Programme has improved my mental health and wellbeing so much ever since I joined and in strange times like a global pandemic, it has helped with the virtual connections.

I have loved being a part of this fantastic programme and connecting with others along the way.

S.

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“My journey with ability was brilliant from start to finish, nothing was too much trouble for them. The employees were so lovely to me and was there for me night and day. I enjoyed so many new challenges I know I wouldn’t have been able to achieve on my own.”
F.

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The Ability programme has been of great benefit to me and my family. From the beginning, when I first met the team, I was welcomed into a supportive and understanding environment. I had regular meetings with the staff. Each person brought something new and exciting to the table. I took part in Surfing and  Soccer. It was very helpful in dealing with my anxiety and depression. I was in a very isolated place and afraid to be away from home. With these activities I grew more confident and I found that my world was expanding with each day I took part. It was great that the team took a hands on approach. Meeting YEO at surfing and soccer as well as playing soccer with PDO's and the other participants helped me to connect and build friendships. I gained a new understanding of coping techniques when I took part in the Sort It programme. I learned about ways of dealing with anxiety. Again, I met new people and enjoyed the other participants. The Occupational therapist, had many meetings with me and together we discussed my needs , strengths and opportunities. This was also of  benefit to me. I had regular contact with PDO's and they kept contact and  supported me  throughout the programme. We had great chats and friendly meetings.

The Youth Engagement Officer,  provided me with great  encouragement and support as well as sharing  great personal development techniques and resources.  He too was also great at getting you involved  and towards the end of my time on the Ability programme, he invited me to take part in his Informal / Non Formal Outdoor education group. This too was a fantastic group, being part of this again further grew my ability to venture out from home and meet new people. It was a very relaxed , helpful and supportive  atmosphere. We discussed how anxiety effected our lives and he thought us strategies and techniques  to help ease these struggles. Jerome used nature and the Outdoors  as an anchor to bring us back to who we really are and how we cope with stressful situations. He also shared valuable awareness, mindfulness, meditation and visualisation exercise which I still use.  Jerome also introduced  us to valuable outdoor education and psychological   theories such as experiential learning, pedagogical approaches, personality development which was very interesting.

Overall, I am a stronger individual who is now more confident about myself and able to deal with the external environment a lot better than I was before the Ability programme.

With great Thanks,

D.

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Map Reading, Compass Work, Trails Of West Cork, Mountain Climbs Ireland & Europe, Map Symbols, Navigation Techniques e.t.c.

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Preists Leap Trail

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Online WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)  Support

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Online WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)  Support

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Vision Board

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Lowland Trail Outdoor Education and Personal Development group

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Lowland Trail Outdoor Education and Personal Development group

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Hiking For Wellness participant photo of Hiking Trail 

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Hiking For Wellness participant photo of Hiking Trail 

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The kindness and generously of the Ability teamMade me realise how much i have to giveThis gives me confidence  in choosing my path Over the years in my life, I have gained  skills Skills are a great gift  to have and they can come into use with supportOver the years i was slow in communicating but having  the chance to work with ability over the last while has been great in improving mysocial skills, communication  and self esteemOver the last time I have worked with YEO on WRAP, Outdoor education and hiking group, it has really helped Me to see my gifts and build relationships with other participantsWith wrap I now see other things I can do by writing & drawing upMy maintenance plan and vision board  it really helped meFor the moment I am working in supervalu But down the line I now may Decide to become an Artist or outdoor guideI am now more  skilled in Photography and Drawing again as I started again I hope to develop and improve in these areas as well as look at Outdoor work in natureI will work with  what I have and see where the future brings me. Ability is great for meAgain many thanks to the Ability team for their support and kindnessI have been doing alot of sketches recently this is something I had put on my Wrap vision and now I am doing it more often againThis is a still life drawing that i have done as an image for the vision board. YEO always says Do what you Love doing and what your  doing  will send Love back its true

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The kindness and generously of the Ability teamMade me realise how much i have to giveThis gives me confidence  in choosing my path Over the years in my life, I have gained  skills Skills are a great gift  to have and they can come into use with supportOver the years i was slow in communicating but having  the chance to work with ability over the last while has been great in improving mysocial skills, communication  and self esteemOver the last time I have worked with YEO on WRAP, Outdoor education and hiking group, it has really helped Me to see my gifts and build relationships with other participantsWith wrap I now see other things I can do by writing & drawing upMy maintenance plan and vision board  it really helped meFor the moment I am working in supervalu But down the line I now may Decide to become an Artist or outdoor guideI am now more  skilled in Photography and Drawing again as I started again I hope to develop and improve in these areas as well as look at Outdoor work in natureI will work with  what I have and see where the future brings me. Ability is great for meAgain many thanks to the Ability team for their support and kindnessI have been doing alot of sketches recently this is something I had put on my Wrap vision and now I am doing it more often againThis is a still life drawing that i have done as an image for the vision board. YEO always says Do what you Love doing and what your  doing  will send Love back its true

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D.

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The Ability Programme is really great, because it is able to help you in a lot of different ways. I personally feel myself, that I have learned a lot from the Ability Programme; and it has made me a better person as well. With YEO side of work, you get to do a lot of exercise and outdoor activities. I have gotten to play a lot of soccer with YEO and other participants in Clonakilty. I have found this to be very enjoyable, not just with all the exercise, but also with the socialising that you get to do with the other people there. I have also gotten to do surfing and mountain hiking with Hiking for Wellness and  YEO too. I found these activities to be very enjoyable as well. I got to go out in the fresh air and see the beautiful landscape that we have in Ireland. The surfing was a good outdoor activity because I got to be around some really nice people; and we got to surf some great waves on a gorgeous beach. I also got to meet some very nice people on the mountain hiking. But what I really liked about the mountain hiking is that you got really achieve something great when you got to the top of the mountain. That was a big inspiration for me when I got to achieve something good like that in the great outdoors. With YEO side of work, he also did a lot of mental work with you; and he would also help you plan out your future with a vision board. YEO has helped me to build up my confidence within myself and he has helped me to get past certain negative thoughts in my head, that were keeping me behind in life. Another great part that YEO has done with me is that he has helped me to plan out my future by looking at potential jobs that I would be interested in. I am very interested in the tourism industry and I would like to work as a tour guide in Cork city or in the town of Kinsale. YEO has helped me to put up and do my vision board that has important points written down and good pictures of Cork and Kinsale put on it too. YEO has helped me to realise  what type of job that I want in my life; and he has also shown me the best ways to achieve the goals that I want in order to get the right job for me.Yours Sincerely, J.

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The Ability Programme is really great, because it is able to help you in a lot of different ways. I personally feel myself, that I have learned a lot from the Ability Programme; and it has made me a better person as well. With YEO side of work, you get to do a lot of exercise and outdoor activities. I have gotten to play a lot of soccer with YEO and other participants in Clonakilty. I have found this to be very enjoyable, not just with all the exercise, but also with the socialising that you get to do with the other people there. I have also gotten to do surfing and mountain hiking with Hiking for Wellness and  YEO too. I found these activities to be very enjoyable as well. I got to go out in the fresh air and see the beautiful landscape that we have in Ireland. The surfing was a good outdoor activity because I got to be around some really nice people; and we got to surf some great waves on a gorgeous beach. I also got to meet some very nice people on the mountain hiking. But what I really liked about the mountain hiking is that you got really achieve something great when you got to the top of the mountain. That was a big inspiration for me when I got to achieve something good like that in the great outdoors. With YEO side of work, he also did a lot of mental work with you; and he would also help you plan out your future with a vision board. YEO has helped me to build up my confidence within myself and he has helped me to get past certain negative thoughts in my head, that were keeping me behind in life. Another great part that YEO has done with me is that he has helped me to plan out my future by looking at potential jobs that I would be interested in. I am very interested in the tourism industry and I would like to work as a tour guide in Cork city or in the town of Kinsale. YEO has helped me to put up and do my vision board that has important points written down and good pictures of Cork and Kinsale put on it too. YEO has helped me to realise  what type of job that I want in my life; and he has also shown me the best ways to achieve the goals that I want in order to get the right job for me.Yours Sincerely, J.

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The Ability Programs is a great program as a stepping stone to so many different paths and opportunities, It helps me  with individual problems and shows guides and helps the person example being like the WRAP program. I have use tools and resources from the Wrap Course I am learning with YEO during the lockdown and it has helped me stay calmer and also focused on my future plans and goals by doing my Vison plan board. With Wrap I also have done up a plan for work , courses and career opportunities I would like. I look forward to our connection each week. The outdoor activities have a huge part on this too with helping the person physically and mentally by connecting with the outdoors and nature. I look forward to doing this again with G. and J. when things open up. The program concentrates on the individual and develops an action plan for what the individual needs, what goals they have and future ideas/plans. Also all the Ability  staff are fantastic support and give great encouragement with everything , R

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The Ability Programs is a great program as a stepping stone to so many different paths and opportunities, It helps me  with individual problems and shows guides and helps the person example being like the WRAP program. I have use tools and resources from the Wrap Course I am learning with YEO during the lockdown and it has helped me stay calmer and also focused on my future plans and goals by doing my Vison plan board. With Wrap I also have done up a plan for work , courses and career opportunities I would like. I look forward to our connection each week. The outdoor activities have a huge part on this too with helping the person physically and mentally by connecting with the outdoors and nature. I look forward to doing this again with G. and J. when things open up. The program concentrates on the individual and develops an action plan for what the individual needs, what goals they have and future ideas/plans. Also all the Ability  staff are fantastic support and give great encouragement with everything , R

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Mental Woolness Project

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Awarded €4,500 from the BOI and Community Foundation of Ireland 'Begin Together' fund to roll out an outdoor education programme.

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Skip to content

The Begin Together Fund is supporting 116 project-based activities across the island of Ireland, with grants of up to €5,000 given to local, not for profit groups working to improve the financial, physical and mental wellbeing of the communities they serve.

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Skip to content The Begin Together Fund is supporting 116 project-based activities across the island of Ireland, with grants of up to €5,000 given to local, not for profit groups working to improve the financial, physical and mental wellbeing of the communities they serve.

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West Cork Development Partnership will launch its new 'Ability' programme on Wednesday, February 13 in Fernhill House Hotel, Clonakilty at 5.30pm. Funding has been granted to 27 organisations around Ireland in order to support young people between the ages of 15-29 years of age with disabilities and is designed to assist in their transition from school to further education, training and employment. A new initiative, the programme is co-financed by the Irish Government and European Social Fund as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014- 2020.

While all Ability programmes have the same ethos, West Cork Development Partnership has identified a target group of young people aged between 19-29 years of age that may be living with a mental health condition in the West Cork region.

For many reasons, young people are faced with challenges that can sometimes prevent them from moving forward in their lives. The Ability team aim to support, build skills and empower participants so that they may eventually take part in social activities such as accessing transportation, education, voluntary work or even employment. Through person-centred planning and one-to-one support, it is hoped that participants will gain the confidence and skills needed in order to access opportunities that they may otherwise find difficult to attain.

A specialised team consisting of two personal development officers, an occupational therapist and a youth engagement officer will work with participants to bring them closer to their goals. The Ability team will also work with employers in order to empower them to support employees with mental health difficulties, as well as create an awareness of issues that may arise within the workplace. The team will collaborate with regional HSE mental health services, educational bodies, rural support services and relevant community organisations.

Expressions of interest are now being taken in the programme and registration forms can be accessed via the website: wcdp.ie/programmes/the-ability-programme/

The launch will be attended by Minister for Disabilities, Finian McGrath TD, as well as the HSE mental health services, educational bodies, disability services, employment supports and other relevant agencies. Members of the community thst may know someone who would benefit from joining this programme are very welcome to come along to the launch in Fernhill House Hotel. For further enquiries please contact the Ability team on ability@wcdp.ie or please ring 023 8834035. Online invitations can be found at: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ability-launch-tickets-55014450703.

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New 'Ability' programme to support young people with disabilities

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West Cork Development Partnership will launch its new 'Ability' programme on Wednesday, February 13 in Fernhill House Hotel, Clonakilty at 5.30pm. Funding has been granted to 27 organisations around Ireland in order to support young people between the ages of 15-29 years of age with disabilities and

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Ability West Cork's Twitter Feed

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Something went wrong, but don’t fret — let’s give it another shot.

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"The Ability Programme reminds me of the great music from Alanis Morissette. It helps you a lot in your life, and it will also fill you with a lot of joy and happiness"

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Covid 19 response for Third Level

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Happy faces receiving Begin Together fund cheque!

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A MULTI-million euro programme designed to bring young people struggling with mental health issues, closer to employment is being launched in West Cork.

Called the Ability Programme, it's an initiative of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and will be officially launched in the area by Minister Finian McGrath on Wednesday, February 13th.

Ability is designed to help young people, who are living with depression, anxiety, stress or low self esteem, to gain confidence, motivation and personal development with the ultimate goal of ensuring they can achieve what they want to in life.

It will be available through the West Cork Development Partnership (WCDP) with offices in Bantry, Clonakilty and Bandon and is open to young people who live anywhere in the region.

Arran O'Driscoll of the WCDP told The Southern Star that the programme, which is co-funded by the European Social Fund and the government, and administered by Pobal, is designed to help young people enhance the skills they need to make the most of what they want to achieve and the aim is to bring young people between the ages of 19 and 25, who need support, closer to the labour market.

But it's more than that, she said. 'It will also include community involvement, volunteering, building confidence and motivation.'

The overall national budget for the programme is €16m and the programme will run from 2018-2021 and is now supported by 27 other development groups across the country. In West Cork the Ability Programme team includes two dedicated personal development officers, a youth engagement specialist and an occupational therapist.

Personal development officer Elaine Murphy said: 'The programme is all about one-to-one support and will be tailor made to the individual. Here in West Cork there are a lot of people who feel isolated and excluded, the programme can help provide the support they need to gain in confidence and to improve their skills.'

Practically it will work by supporting the young person in accessing training or exploring relevant courses and college places, or by helping the participant gain work experience and placements.

Youth engagement officer Fern Higgins-Atkinson explained: 'The Ability Programme can help young people who are living with anxiety depression, stress or lack of focus and low self esteem, to develop and to explore their own personal skills.

'We can help you to access, not only training for work or college, but just as importantly, to develop your self-awareness, confidence and positive mental health skills.'

Personal development officer Moira McCarthy added: 'We will work with the young person to design a tailored plan and facilitate them to make this plan work for them. This is a continual engagement programme that can last weeks or years, depending on the needs of the person involved. We encourage community engagement with volunteer groups and other community organisations. The programme is all about getting out there and moving forward to achieve what you want to achieve, be that training for employment or personal development, not everyone is the same and the plan will be designed for the individual.'

Arran described it as a process 'of discovery'.

'The programme is designed for those who need a helping hand to perhaps rediscover the skills they have, or to access the supports they need to achieve what they want in life.

'It is a service that we are delighted to bring to West Cork.

'We are here to help the people who wish to take part in the programme to develop their skills in the form of training and personal development and volunteering, while assisting them to assess their own skills and develop their own unique abilities.'

* For more, and to register, contact the WCDP on 023 8834035 or see www.wcdp.ie.

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Helping all our young people to have faith in their own Ability | The Southern Star

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A MULTI-million euro programme designed to bring young people struggling with mental health issues, closer to employment is being launched in West Cork. Called the Ability Programme, it's an initiative of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and will be officially launched in the area by Minister Finian McGrath on Wednesday, February 13th.

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Ability West Cork's Facebook page

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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"I was doing very badly when I was first introduced to the ability programme, and I was pessimistic as to weather anything would really help me. However, I found the programme, and the people involved, invaluable to me, and to my mental health. Now, I have more confidence, more stability, better capabilities, and, not least of all, more hobbies. I feel that the ability programme could be benificial to countless numbers of people who are struggling with their lives and mental health."

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Ability West Cork and Covid 19

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"What the programme means to me is a stepping stone to be opportunities and paths, to experience new experiences, to help me on my struggles and difficult, something to work towards and finding the right path for me, guides and advice on life skills, to better myself and to make contacts and connections :) "

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"Thank you for all your help, your positive attitude and the soccer in Clonakilty"

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Ability West Corks Instagram page

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Participant digital art :)

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Nothing found for Programmes The Ability Programme

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Top Floor Credit Union Building,
Kent Street,
Clonakilty,
Co. Cork, Ireland.
P85CD93

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A YEAR down the line and West Cork's Ability programme is proving a major success as the first participants look forward to a brighter future.

The multi-million euro Ability Programme supports and enables people between the ages of 19 to 25 and is designed to help those who are living with depression, anxiety, stress and low self esteem.

It is facilitated by the West Cork Development Partnership (WCDP) and was rolled out at the beginning of 2019.

'The programme is designed to help young people gain confidence, motivation and personal development, with the ultimate goal of ensuring they can achieve what they want to in life,' Ability's youth development officer Fern Higgins-Atkinson said.

'This is a unique programme that is designed and tailor-made to the needs of the participants. This is a person-centred approach and this is the key.'

Kristen Cavanagh (20) from Bandon, who was one of the first young people to avail of the programme, felt that her life was stuck and that she needed help to find where she wanted to go and what she wanted to achieve.

'I really wanted a direction and the Ability Programme was perfect for me,' Kristen said.

'I had dropped out of secondary school, but I really wanted to get back into education and the programme helped me to achieve this by giving me the confidence to go out and get going.'

Kristen said the variety of courses available enabled her to focus on her goals, while the personalised guidance she received from the youth officers was just what she needed.

Personal development officer Moira McCarthy said: 'This is a continual engagement programme that can last weeks or years, depending on the needs of the person involved.

'We encourage community engagement with volunteer groups and other community organisations. The programme is all about getting out there and moving forward to achieve what you want to achieve, be that training for employment or personal development not everyone is the same and the plan will be designed for the individual.'

Another Ability Programme success story is Florin Corcoran, who has recently set up his own business.

'The programme really helped me to gain the confidence I needed to be able get on with what I wanted to do,' Florin said.

'I was very nervous about taking the risk, I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't feel I had the ability to get there. The programme, which was like a family, gave me so much and now my business is up and running. Now, it's all about "take the risk or lose the chance''.'

There are now 45 young people taking part in the programme in West Cork.

If you would like to learn more about the programme, you can contact the WCDP on 023 8834035 or log on to www.wcdp.ie.

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Programme has been building the self-esteem of our young people | The Southern Star

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A YEAR down the line and West Cork's Ability programme is proving a major success as the first participants look forward to a brighter future.The multi-million euro Ability Programme supports and enables people between the ages of 19 to 25 and is designed to help those who are