One Family would like to expand its Parent Mentoring Service and is looking for qualified Parent Mentors who would be interested in volunteering, or people who have completed their training and are looking for placements. For further information please contact Sherie at 01 6629212 or email info@onefamily.ie See http://bit.ly/h9rYYgu
The McCann family
Originally uploaded by One Family Ireland
The Ark in Dublin are offering one-parent families free tickets to a concert on Sunday 7 August. There are 25 places and if you parent alone or share parenting and want to go you need to call Sarah at One Family, 01 6629212, as soon as possible. The Grant/ Kelly Family concert features RTÉ Lyric fm presenter Evelyn Grant who met her husband Gerard Kelly (Cork Pops Orchestra) when they were teenagers on the very first day the Irish Youth Orchestra began. She played the flute and he played the cello. They married and lived happily… well, they lived in a noisy house with their four children who played all kinds of instruments – lots of banging, plucking, scraping and blowing! They are looking forward to coming together from Cork, New York, Dublin and London to perform some of their favourite music in The Ark – and getting the audience involved too. (more…)
If you are looking for some entertainment for the kids this weekend, The Ark in Dublin are offereing one-parent families free tickets to a concert this Saturday 23 July. There are 25 places and if you parent alone or share parenting and want to go you need to call Sarah at One Family, 01 6629212, by Friday. (more…)
Congratulations to Sinead Dullaghan who has won the draw for the Family Day 2011 Photo Competition. Here she is with her mother Kathleen and her daughter Rosa at Family Day in Dubln’s Iveagh Gardens. Well done Sinead and a big thank you to EBS who will be sending her out a cheque for €1000. We’d also like to thank everyone who took part in, or showed an interest in, the competition and Family Day itself. By sharing your photos, and by celebrating Family Day with us, you contribute to creating a reflection of Family Day across Ireland – a day for celebrating families, big or small, in all their diversity – so thank you and remember – there’s always next year!
One Family Training Manager Paula Lonergan is just back from a very successful trip to Sofia, where she delivered parenting training to Bulgarian experts working with families. His Excellency John Rowan, Irish Ambassador to Bulgaria, handed certificates to the 20 experts from Bulgarian NGO’s who completed the training, during a special reception in the Irish embassy in Sofia. His Excellency Emil Yalmazov, Bulgarian Ambassador to Ireland, also attended the event. One Family delivered the training free of charge as a gesture of goodwill as we approach our 40th anniversary year.

Firebrand Productions and Clinical Psychologist, David Coleman is currently developing a three part series examining bullying in Ireland.
The producers are looking for parents and teenagers who have been affected by bullying to take part in the series. David hopes to spread the message throughout Ireland amongst parents and their children, that they can stand up to bullies and that there are solutions to this very distressing problem.
David will offer counselling and teach practical steps to help pre-teens and teens gain perspective on their experience and find ways to build their self esteem. David will work with the participants over a six month period to help them move on from this negative period. (more…)
Media Release 7 July 2011
Irish experts on parenting for one-parent families bring those skills to Bulgarian families at risk, free of charge
One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, will train 20 Bulgarian NGO’s in Positive Parenting in Sofia from 11-13 July. The training will prepare trainers to better support Bulgarian families in caring for their children.
‘Our Positive Parenting Training for Trainers is designed to support Bulgarian mothers and fathers to become even better parents,’ says Paula Lonergan, One Family Training Manager, ‘We are helping to reverse the sometimes challenging attitudes to parenting that previously existed in Bulgaria. Our training is all about encouraging parents’ strengths, rather than introducing a system of punishments or labeling those who have struggled to parent well in the past as irresponsible or weak. The training has extra support for people parenting alone or sharing parenting and families in transition. This is why it is so suitable and relevant to families needing support in Bulgaria.’ (more…)
One Family is committed to supporting lone parents wishing to return to work and/or education and we are excited about all the new opportunities and courses we have no offer.
We are now recruiting for:
- The New Futures Programme (FETAC Level 4 Career Planning)
- The New Futures Programme (FETAC Level 5 Personal and Professional Development)
- The Options Programme – in conjunction with Ballsbridge College of Further Education we are now offering the opportunity to take additional FETAC level 4 modules as part of One Family Options programme.
Contact Helen or Aisling on 01 6629212 or hconway@onefamily.ie and adunlea@onefamily.ie (more…)
Are you a lone parent looking for change, support and inspiration in your life? If so, our ‘New Futures’ could be just what you need. It’s a six month training and support programme, certified by FETAC, that will help you become more confident and find out about returning to work or education. Call or email Helen or Aisling 01 6629212, hconway@onefamily.ie adunlea@onefamily.ie or see http://bit.ly/nlcBdc
Looking for something fun for the kids to do this summer? One Family is holding a Summer Camp for children aged 3-5, five days a week, at a cost of €50. The dates are either 25 to 29 July or 8 to 12 August. Places are limited so please call Ailbhe on 01 6629212 or email asutton@onefamily.ie to book your place. It’s going to be fun – lots of arts and crafts, games, picnics…. and much more.

At the launch of One Family’s Strategy 2010-2012 and Annual Report 2010 at Dublin Castle, Breffny Morgan, Star of TV3’s Apprentice, spoke about his own positive experiences being brought up in a one-parent family, ‘I consider myself the proud product of a single-parent family. My hope is that others raised in similar circumstances can relate to that sense of pride.’ Breffny went on to give a speech to the many grauduates of One Family’s innovative Welfare to Work Programmes, who were receiving the certificates of completion of Fetac and other courses.
Following a HSE report which found that over a third of women describe their pregnancy as a crisis pregnancy, One Family announced a 10% increase in demand for its Welfare to Work services. ‘These Welfare to Work services support lone parents, some of whom have experienced a crisis pregnancy, into sustainable employment, ‘explained Karen Kiernan, Director of One Family, ‘Access to education and careers are vital gateways to move families out of poverty. Our courses show parents what is possible in their lives – and then support them to make the necessary changes to get there.’