Family Day 2011 photo prize draw winner

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!

RTE look for participants for bullying TV series.

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. Read more

Breffny Morgan, TV’s Apprentice Star, launches One Family Annual Report

TV Star Breffny Morgan, John O'Connell Chair and Karen Kiernan Director - One Family

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.’

10% increase in demand for Welfare to Work services for lone parents announced in One Family Annual Report

Media Release 30 June 2011

Following a HSE report earlier this week which found that over a third of women describe their pregnancy as a crisis pregnancy, One Family, the national organisation for one-parent families, announces a 10% increase in demand for its Welfare to Work services. The announcement is made in its 2010 Annual Report and Strategy, to be launched at The Coach House, Dublin Castle at 12 noon on Friday 1 July.

‘These Welfare to Work services support lone parents, some of whom have experienced a crisis pregnancy, into sustainable employment, ‘explains 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.’ Read more

Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance 2011

The administrative arrangements for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance in 2011 are different from the arrangements in previous years. This year most of the process will be automated. This means that you may not need to fill out an application form for the payment. If you qualify you will get a letter from the Department of Social Protection in mid-June telling you how and when the payment will be made. The Department expects that over 80% will get the Allowance automatically.  These payments will issue from the end of June 2011. If you do not qualify automatically you must apply in the normal way (see below). Read more

Family Day a huge success – thanks to everyone who took part

Today is UN International Day of the Family, an annual celebration of the diversity of families and family life across the    world. To mark the day One Family and EBS Building Society came together to celebrate Irish families and family diversity by hosting The Family Day picnic in Iveagh Gardens, a free event with entertainment for all the family. Hundreds of families joined the fun for Family Day by either attending the picnic in Iveagh Gardens or by hosting their own event with their family to mark the day. All families who registered for Family Day are still in with a chance to win €1,000 by simply submitting a photograph from their ‘Family Day’ to www.familyday.ie. Pictured enjoying the fun today were Hunzah Alraqi(5) and Shafeeq Alraqui taking part in the wheelbarrow race, Jamie Duffy (2) with Twinkle Toes the owl from Dublin Zoo and Rocio & Belen Gonzalez (3) enjoying the face painters. Thanks to everyone who has helped to make Family Day such a huge success.

 

Family Day is getting loads of media…don’t forget to join us on Sunday

Thanks to Bonnie Brady and Brian O’Connell for talking about parenting alone and Family Day and the need for acceptance of family diversity on TV3’s This Morning, starts 24 mins in Weds 11 May.

http://bit.ly/lj1MZJ

And – here’s a good piece with One Family Director Karen Kiernan on Family Day in Metro Herald – page 18/19 http://e-edition.metroherald.ie/2011/05/11/

 

Are you ready for Family Day 2011?

Hope you are all set for Family Day, Sunday 15 May? There’s a good piece in today’s Herald about it and about family diversity and the need to embrace all types of families. Dont forget to join us from 1pm to 5pm in the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin 2 for a Family Picnic or why not organise your own event and be in with the chance to win €1000*? More information about Family Day 2011 can be found here or to read the article in the Herald, click here

Visit from US Cultural Ambassador to Cherish House – May 5th

One Family Director Karen Kiernan and US Cultural Ambassador, Dr. Brenda Flanagan at Cherish House

Thanks to everyone who came along to hear Dr Brenda Flanagan’s inspiring talk at One Family. Brenda is one of the US’s premier women writers, and a cultural ambassador, she talked about Accomplishing your Goals as a Single Parent. Everyone was touched, moved and inspired by her story – how she achieved her own success, both as a writer and as a parent, and her secret advice for would-be writers or anyone who needs to juggle life’s demands with their own dreams – get up at 4am! See here for more information.

One Family Director to judge Chambers Ireland Awards

We are proud to say that One Family Director, Karen Kiernan, is a judge for the 2011 Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards. These awards aim to recognise the work being carried out by companies in Ireland in helping to improve the lives of their employees and enhance the civic environment in which they operate. If you think that your company or a company you are familiar with should enter, invite them to apply here on or before 12pm, Thursday May 5th