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Press Release | 7th Annual Family Day Festival Fills Smithfield Square with Free Fun Tomorrow

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Press Release

All Families to be Celebrated Tomorrow as 7th Annual Family Day Festival Fills Dublin’s Smithfield Square with Free Fun

Magic, music, circus, games, arts and more from 1-5pm.

Family Day Festival | Saturday 27 May 2017 | www.familyday.ie

(Dublin, Friday 26th May 2017) One Family – Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating – celebrates the wonderful diversity of families in Ireland with its seventh annual Family Day Festival taking place tomorrow, Saturday 27 May, from 1-5pm in Smithfield Square, Dublin 7. Inspired by UN International Day of Families, the Family Day Festival invites all families to enjoy free fun and festivities including animation workshops with Brown Bag Films, magic and comedy with Brian Daly, toe-tapping and sing-songing with the Dublin Ukulele Collective, exciting circus skills with Dublin Circus Project, and Jitterbug Jackson with a thrilling mix of all.

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, comments: “Family Day is a day to celebrate your family, and to celebrate all families. It’s a day to recognise and acknowledge that all different kinds of families contribute to our society today, that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that this brings positives for us all. We still have a lot of work to do as our Constitution does not yet acknowledge this reality, and many of the families we work with are struggling more than ever.  When parents and children know they are valued, they are enabled to build brighter futures.”

Karen further comments:  “Family Day is one day we can all get together, celebrate all family forms and simply have fun! It’s a highlight of the year for thousands of families, with almost 6,000 people in attendance last year. This year, we are especially delighted to present Family Day in Smithfield Square for the first time as, after over 40 years in our Lower Pembroke Street offices and as we celebrate 45 years of Cherish/One Family since we were founded in 1972, we will be moving office to the Smithfield area in August.”

Following on from last’s years Biggest Family Tree when over 500 children decorated our specially crafted wooden tree, children are again invited to part of creating Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree.  Children can draw a portrait of their own family on our leaf template which can be downloaded from www.familyday.ie or at the event. These leaves will form Biggest Family Tree at Family Day on Saturday 27 May.

One Family gratefully acknowledges Dublin City Council for their support of Family Day 2017. Full event information is on www.familyday.ie.

IRELAND’S BIGGEST FAMILY TREE

Be part of Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree!

Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree will be created on Saturday 27 in Smithfield Square. Children nationwide can be part of it. Families come in all shapes and sizes and everyone should have pride in their family form. All families matter and all families are equal.

Download the Biggest Family Tree Leaf here:

http://www.familyday.ie/wp-content/uploads/family_day_leaf_2016.pdf

TICKETS

Pre-booked tickets for Brown Bag Film workshops are no longer available. There may be very limited availability on the day, dependent on returns. No other workshops or activities require booking or tickets.

LISTINGS

Saturday 27 May | Family Day Festival presented by One Family in celebration of family diversity | Family-friendly fun for all ages: workshops, magic, music, games, comedy, story-telling, arts & crafts, and lots more! | Smithfield Square | 1-5pm | FREE | www.familyday.ie / 01 662 9212.

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About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day and presents the Family Day Festival every May, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

 

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191

Further Information and Images

Shirley Chance, Director of Communications | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 414 8511

Jane Farrell, Communications & Marketing Officer | t: 01 662 9096 or 087 623 0166

 

Press Release | Creative Fun at Smithfield Square on 27 May with our Free Family Day Fest

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Press Release

Creative Family Fun at Smithfield Square

Annual Family Day Festival celebrates family diversity in Ireland today.

Family Day Festival | Saturday 27 May 2017 | www.familyday.ie

(Dublin, Monday 8th May 2017) One Family – Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating – celebrates the wonderful diversity of families in Ireland with its seventh annual Family Day Festival taking place on Saturday 27 May from 1-5pm in Smithfield Square, Dublin 7. From our new location, in the historic hub of Smithfield, we welcome all families to join us for a host of free fun and festivities including workshops, magic, comedy, art, games, storytelling and lots more besides.

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, comments: “We want Family Day to be as well recognised and celebrated as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, in this, One Family’s 45th year since we were founded as Cherish in 1972. We want children to look forward to Family Day as a time when they feel beloved, understood and respected. Family Day is for all children – whether living in a one-parent family; married family; with unmarried parents; with same-sex parents; a foster family; extended family or friends; or any of the myriad family forms in society – so they can know that their family is valued and included.”

This year One Family has teamed up with world-famous animation studio, Brown Bag Films, best known for Doc McStuffins and the Oscar nominated Give Up Yer Aul Sins, for a series of workshops at their headquarters in Smithfield Square. Elsewhere, up-top on the vintage bus, there will be film screenings, puppet shows and music workshops. After a jam-packed day of fun, the 50-member Dublin Ukulele Collective will play us out with their rhythmic take on classic hits with audience participation encouraged.

Karen further comments: “We created Family Day nearly a decade ago to help raise awareness of how family diversity is a positive thing for society. We still have a lot of work to do as our Constitution does not yet acknowledge this reality, and many of the families we work with are struggling more than ever.  But Family Day is one day we can all get together, celebrate all family forms and simply have fun.”

Following on from last’s years Biggest Family Tree, in which over 500 children decorated our specially crafted wooden tree, this year we once again invite children to create Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree.  Children can draw a portrait of their own family on our leaf template which can be downloaded from www.familyday.ie.  These leaves will be combined and displayed on our Biggest Family Tree at Family Day on Saturday 27 May.

One Family gratefully acknowledges Dublin City Council for their support of Family Day 2017. Full event information is on www.familyday.ie

 

IRELAND’S BIGGEST FAMILY TREE

Be part of Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree!

Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree will be created on Saturday 27 in Smithfield Square. Children nationwide can be part of it. Families come in all shapes and sizes and everyone should have pride in their family form. All families matter and all families are equal.

 

Download the Biggest Family Tree Leaf here:

http://www.familyday.ie/wp-content/uploads/family_day_leaf_2016.pdf

 

TICKETS

Limited places available for Brown Bag Film workshops. Pre-booking required. Available from Thursday 11 May at www.familyday.ie.

 

LISTINGS

Saturday 27 May | Family Day Festival presented by One Family in celebration of family diversity | Family-friendly fun for all ages: workshops, magic, music, games, comedy, story-telling, arts & crafts, and lots more! | Smithfield Square | 1-5pm | FREE | www.familyday.ie / 01 662 9212

 

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About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day and presents the Family Day Festival every May, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

 

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191

 

Further Information and Images

Shirley Chance, Director of Communications | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 414 8511

Jane Farrell, Communications & Marketing Officer | t: 01 662 9096 or 087 623 0166

 

Press Release | Family Day Festival Launches with Leafy Fun in Wolfe Tone Square

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Press Release

Pics released today by Photocall Ireland

Family Day Festival Launches with Leafy Fun in Wolfe Tone Square

Annual Festival celebrates family diversity in Ireland today

Family Day Festival | Sunday 15 May 2016 | FREE | www.familyday.ie

(Dublin, Saturday 7 May 2016) One Family – Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating – celebrates the wonderful diversity of families in Ireland with its sixth annual free Family Day Festival taking place on Sunday 15 May from 11am-5pm in Wolfe Tone Square, Dublin 1. Family Day, inspired by UN International Day of the Family, celebrates all families. All family forms are equal and all families should have pride in their family. Fantastic family-friendly fun on Sunday 15 May features side-splitting comedian Joe Rooney (Father Ted, Storyland, Killinaskully), and magician Brian Daly who amazes all ages.

Other event highlights:

  • Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree | Children are invited to draw their family portrait to add to Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree. A beautiful 8 foot high model tree will be decorated in their pictures to create Ireland’s Biggest Ever Family Tree. A leaf template for drawings can be downloaded here: http://www.familyday.ie/be-part-of-irelands-biggest-family-tree/
  • Professor Plunger | Interactive street show, a non-verbal comedy clown show. The Professor is ready to show off his greatest invention; his amazing hair! An inventive and original show featuring dancing, hair, plungers and a bell-playing finale. The Professor is a charming old world rogue with a little cheeky grin and a very large head of hair.  “TALENTED AND HILARIOUS” – The Irish Times
  • Caterpillar | Presented by Happenings and Upon a Tree, the half labyrinth/half Chinese dragon Caterpillar will bend and wind its way across Wolfe Tone Square. Starting life as two parallel lines of rope, the caterpillar will emerge when many coloured cloth layers are pegged by the children along the rope to create a moving, swaying, tunnel-like effect. As the cloth tunnel extends around them, the children will be able to move up and down the Caterpillar, seen from the gap in the cloth above their heads.
  • Other highlights include the Library Learning Bus with an Edwardian experience, the beautiful Little Handprint Banner, the National Print Museum with an antique printing press for children to print their own posters, traditional street games and play, facepainters, balloon modellers, and a toddler’s play area complete with sand pits and more. Parents can relax in the new Vintage Tram Café, and also avail of the opportunity to find out about parenting services and supports from One Family and TUSLA.

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, comments: “This year, we are further raising awareness of family diversity with our vibrant banners along Lower Ormond Quay in Dublin to promote the importance of taking pride in one’s family and celebrating it, whatever form it may take. What’s different about Family Day is that it’s inclusive of all families. Many people acknowledge Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and of course these are important, but not all families can celebrate them, whereas Family Day is for all families to celebrate. One Family has been working for equality for all families in Ireland since 1972. We founded Family Day so that all families, whatever form they take, have a day that’s theirs to celebrate. Family Day is for all children – whether living in a one-parent family; married family; with unmarried parents; with same-sex parents; a foster family; extended family or friends; or any of the myriad family forms in society – so they can know that their family is valued and included.”

Karen further comments: “We’ve worked with diverse families for nearly 45 years and our evidence reflects what reputable research also shows: what matters for children’s outcomes is not the form their family takes, but the quality of relationships they have at home. We created Family Day a decade ago to help raise awareness of how family diversity is a positive thing for society. We still have a lot of work to do as our Constitution does not yet acknowledge this reality, and many of the families we work with are struggling more than ever. But Family Day is one day we can all get together, celebrate all family forms and simply have fun!”

One Family gratefully acknowledges the support of Dublin Town and Dublin City Council in presenting Family Day. Full event information is on www.familyday.ie.

TICKETS

This is an un-ticketed, free event.

LISTINGS

Sunday 15 May | Family Day Festival presented by One Family in celebration of family diversity | Free family-friendly fun for all ages: magic, music, games, comedy, story-telling, arts & crafts, and lots more! | Wolfe Tone Square, beside Jervis Centre, Dublin 1 | 11am-5pm | FREE | www.familyday.ie / 01 662 9212

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About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day and presents the Family Day Festival every May, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191

 

Further Information and Images

Shirley Chance, Director of Communications | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 414 8511

Jane Farrell, Communications & Marketing Officer | t: 01 662 9096 or 087 623 0166

Event | Celebrating UN International Day of Families with the Family Day Festival on Sunday

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Today, 15 May, is United Nations International Day of Families. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993.

Ten years ago, inspired by International Day of Families, One Family founded Family Day in Ireland. It takes place on the first Sunday following 15 May annually and is a day when we celebrate the family diversity that exists in Ireland. As an organisation which has worked with one-parent, shared parenting and many other diverse families for over 40 years, we know how important it is that all families have a day where they can celebrate and know that they are included. Family Day is for all children – whether living in a one-parent family; married family; with unmarried parents; with same sex parents; a foster family; extended family or friends; or any of the myriad family forms in society – so they can know that their family is valued and included.

In recent years, we have also celebrated this wonderful diversity with our annual Family Day Festival. In 2015, for the fifth year, the Family Day Festival takes place on Sunday 17 May from 11am-5pm in Dublin’s Wolfe Tone Square. It is a free, family-friendly day out with something for every member of the family to enjoy.

FDF_Brochure Cover_LRKaren Kiernan, One Family CEO, comments: “We are encouraging everyone to enjoy Family Day on Sunday 17 May. Although this is the fifth time we will run a big event in Dublin to mark Family Day, we know that it has special significance for many this year as we are hearing from parents in one-parent and other diverse families who feel judged and hurt by many ‘No’ campaign materials and media commentators in recent weeks. We are really encouraging families to take a break on Sunday and to come and relax with their family at our Family Day Festival.

We believe that families should be really proud of the hard work they do to raise the next generation of children in Ireland, and we would love to have as many people as possible come to celebrate their family and celebrate all families. If you cannot make it to Dublin city centre, then think about celebrating Family Day in your own home or locally with family and friends.”

The Family Day Festival offers lots of entertainment, music, magic, sports, Safefood‘s ‘Bring Back Play’, arts and culture for families with children of all ages. It’s great fun. It takes place on Sunday in the new location of Wolfe Tone Square in the heart of Dublin city centre beside the Jervis Centre, from 11am-5pm.

You can read or download the programme here. We hope to see you on the day and wish everyone a Happy Family Day!

One Family gratefully acknowledges DublinTown and Dublin City Council for their support of Family Day 2015. Full event information is on www.familyday.ie.

 

Press Release | Dublin’s Wolfe Tone Square Hosts Free Festival Celebrating Family Diversity

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Press Release

Dublin’s Wolfe Tone Square Hosts Free Festival Celebrating Family Diversity

Celebrate your family, celebrate all families.

Family Day Festival | Sunday 17 May 2015 | www.familyday.ie

(Dublin, Friday 8 May 2015) One Family – Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating – celebrates the wonderful diversity of families in Ireland with its fifth annual Family Day Festival taking place on Sunday 17 May from 11am-5pm. Brimming over with free fun and festivities, family-friendly performances, games, workshops, story-telling and lots more, it takes place this year in the new location of Wolfe Tone Square in the heart of Dublin city centre.

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO, comments: “Many people celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and of course these are important, but what’s different about Family Day is that it’s inclusive of all families. One Family has been working for equality for all families in Ireland since 1972. We founded Family Day, inspired by the UN International Day of Families on 15 May annually, so that all families whatever form they take have a day where they can celebrate. Family Day is for all children – whether living in a one-parent family; married family; with unmarried parents; with same sex parents; a foster family; extended family or friends; or any of the myriad family forms in society – so they can know that their family is valued and included.”

 This is a landmark year for families in Ireland.  With the groundbreaking, though not perfect, Children & Family Relationships Act passed and the upcoming Marriage Equality Referendum, there has been much recent media discussion about what the ‘best’ or ‘right’ kind of family is for children.

Karen responds: “We’ve worked with diverse families for over 40 years and our evidence reflects what reputable research also shows: what matters for children’s outcomes is not the form their family takes, but the quality of relationships they have at home. We created Family Day a decade ago to help raise awareness of how family diversity is a positive thing for society. We still have a lot of work to do as our Constitution does not yet acknowledge this reality, and many of the families we work with are struggling more than ever, especially now with the misguided reform of the One-Parent Family Payment being pushed through.  But Family Day is one day we can all get together and have fun. We invite all families to come along to Wolfe Tone Square beside the Jervis Centre in Dublin 1 to join in the festivities, or to get together at home, to celebrate their family and all families on Sunday 17 May.”

One Family gratefully acknowledges Dublin Town and Dublin City Council for their support of Family Day 2015. Full event information is on www.familyday.ie.

TICKETS

This is an un-ticketed, free event.

LISTINGS

Sunday 17 May | Family Day Festival presented by One Family in celebration of family diversity | Family-friendly fun for all ages: magic, music, games, story-telling, arts & crafts, and lots more! | Wolfe Tone Square, beside Jervis Centre, Dublin 1 | 11am-5pm | FREE | www.familyday.ie / 01 662 9212

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About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families and people sharing parenting or separating, offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those sharing parenting, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to professionals working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 66 22 12, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day and presents the Family Day Festival every May, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

Available for Interview

Karen Kiernan, CEO | t: 01 662 9212 or 086 850 9191

Further Information and Images

Shirley Chance, Director of Communications | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 414 8511

Photos released by Paul Sherwood on 07.05.2015.

 

Better Together video still

Vote for One Family in the Better Together Video Competition

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One Family has entered the Better Together video competition. With your help, we could win €1,000 towards our work with and for one-parent families, people sharing parenting and families in transition. Our video was filmed at our annual Family Day Festival this year. We founded and promote Family Day, inspired by UN International Day of Families, to raise awareness of family diversity in Ireland today and to celebrate all families. We believe that society is better when all its members feel valued and included.

It’s easy for you to help and takes just two minutes. Simply watch and vote for our video on this link. If we receive enough votes, One Family’s video will be among 70 shortlisted for assessment by a panel of judges.

Please vote every day until 21 November.

Better Together video still

If you wish, you can also make a donation towards our work on the same link.

Thank you for your support. We are also grateful to talented videographer Gerard O’Donnell.

 

 

 

Enjoy our Happy Family Day Video

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Our annual Family Day Festival took place on Sunday 18 May in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens. Despite the heavy rain, we had a brilliant day with wonderful singers, musicians, poets, performers, sports, storytelling and puppet shows to entertain us, excellent workshops, and information from a variety of family focused and cultural organisations.

View this short Family Day Festival video for a real flavour of the day. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face and get your toes tapping.

Thank you to videographer Ger O’Donnell; and thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers, performers, participating organisations, staff and production crew for making the Family Day Festival 2014 such an enjoyable and positive celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today. Thank you also to the Community Foundation for Ireland and Dublin City Council for their support; to Today FM; and to the OPW for kindly providing the Iveagh Gardens. We are already looking forward to Family Day Festival 2015.

There are many ways to get involved in the Festival including sponsorship opportunities. If you or your organisation would like to find out more, please email us or call 01 662 9212.

Family Day Fest sign

All Families Celebrated at Family Day Festival 2014

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One Family’s fourth Family Day Festival took place yesterday and was enjoyed by thousands of happy people, children and adults alike, in Dublin’s beautiful Iveagh Gardens – despite the rain.

The annual free Festival is the highlight of One Family’s ongoing campaign for a nationally celebrated Family Day, similar to Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, but which would include all children irrespective of their family make-up. We have been celebrating Family Day for a decade. The Festival, which takes place every year on the Sunday following UN International Day of Families on 15 May, presented a fun, jam-packed programme of workshops from acting to yoga, and butter making to boxing with Olympian Michael Carruth; main stage entertainment with MC Aidan Bishop including magician Brian Daly, Musicantia Roma Children’s Choir, the Nepalese Cultural Group (NCG) and singer Sinéad White; pop-up play opportunities and traditional sports and games; and many of Ireland’s leading cultural organisations for children with fun activities such as puppet shows, arts and crafts, storytelling and more.

The Family Day Festival is a fantastic day out but as the Irish Times noted this week, it also ‘carries a subtle message‘. This message is that all families should be cherished. We know that it is the quality of relationships in the home, not family make-up, that is most important for children’s well-being and Family Day celebrates all the different types of families that make up today’s Irish society. One Family, GLEN, Marriage Equality, Treoir, BeLong To, New Communities Partnership, ISPCC and Children’s Rights Alliance were among the organisations working with and for families who were on hand in the Information Village to have fun and engage with families about their services.

A favourite of this year’s event was the new One Family Talking Tent which presented parenting talks by One Family, Marriage Equality, GLEN and BeLonG To. The Talking Tent line-up also featured powerful spoken word performances from Colm Keegan and John Cummins, and comic verse for children with Paul Tubb. We were delighted to host the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Oisín Quinn. Minister John Hayes TD and Senator Averil Power also attended and joined in the fun.

Ireland’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of UN International Year of the Family 2014 was a great success.

View the Family Day Festival 2014 photo album for lots of fun photos!

If you were there, please take a short anonymous survey by clicking here to help us make next year’s Family Day Festival even better.

Thank you to all the performers and entertainers who created magical memories for so many families throughout the day. Thank you to the participating organisations, to the production staff, and to all of the incredible Family Day Festival volunteers.

The Family Day Festival is kindly supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland, Dublin City Council (DCC) and Today FM. The Iveagh Gardens is provided courtesy of the Office of Public Works (OPW). One Family is grateful to all.

If your organisation would like to get involved in 2015, we’d love to hear from you. Email familyday@onefamily.ie or call us on 01 662 9212 to find out more.

 

Leading Ireland’s Celebration of 20th Anniversary of UN International Year of the Family

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Press Release

Ireland’s Celebration of 20th Anniversary of UN International Year of the Family

Family Day Festival | Sunday, 18 May 2014 | Iveagh Gardens, Dublin 2 | Free

www.familyday.ie

(Dublin, 16 May 2014) One Family – Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families in Ireland – leads the Irish celebrations of the 20th anniversary of UN International Year of the Family which is being acknowledged worldwide with a series of high profile events.

One Family’s annual Family Day Festival is inspired by UN International Day of Families which is marked every year on 15 May. The Family Day Festival takes place on Sunday 18 May in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens with a packed programme of free entertainment, workshops, talks, information and more for all ages. On hand too are a variety of key organisations working for and with families and children in Ireland today, sharing information about their services and with fun activities to enjoy. These include One Family, GLEN, Marriage Equality, Treoir, BeLong To, New Communities Partnership, ISPCC and Children’s Rights Alliance.

The annual Festival is the highlight of One Family’s ongoing campaign for a nationally celebrated Family Day, similar to Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, but which would include all children irrespective of their family make-up. In this 20th anniversary year of International Year of the Family, we can take the opportunity to refocus on the role of families, to take stock of recent trends in family policy development and share good practices, and review challenges faced by families in Ireland, one-parent and other families, and continue to recommend and pursue solutions.

One Family is also the founding member of the All Families Matter coalition of Irish NGOs campaigning for a Constitutional review of how family is defined. Currently hundreds of thousands of families in Ireland are excluded. All Families Matter has released the viral video Not A Real Family which can be viewed on YouTube.

The Family Day Festival is kindly supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland, Dublin City Council (DCC) and Today FM. The Iveagh Gardens is provided courtesy of the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Further information on www.familyday.ie where the full programme of events is available to read or download.

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About One Family
One Family was founded in 1972 as Cherish and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, providing services to people parenting alone, sharing parenting and going through family transitions. Its policy work is rooted in its extensive family support work over the past four decades. Children are at the centre of this work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 622 212, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

Listings
Family Day Festival | A celebration of the diversity of the family with free entertainment, games, workshops and fun for all ages | Sunday, 18 May 2014 | Iveagh Gardens, Dublin 2 | 11am – 5 pm | Free | 01 662 9212 | www.familyday.ie

Social Media
Facebook: @OneFamilyIreland / Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1401257896821836/
Twitter: #FamilyDay @1FamilyIre / #AllFamiliesMatter

Available for Interview

• One Family CEO Karen Kiernan | t: 086 850 9191

For Images or Further Information
Shirley Chance, Director of Communications, One Family | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 414 8511 | e: schance@onefamily.ie

Family on Swing

10 Ways to Be More Socially Engaged

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It’s not always easy for parents, especially those parenting alone and/or with little expendable income, to feel they can establish or maintain a level of social engagement but as parents who are socially engaged generally have higher levels of self esteem, it is crucial to maintain a high level of self esteem and feel comfortable in social situations. This enables parents to support this development in their children. Read on for some of our tips.

10 Ways to Be More Socially Engaged

  1. Visit the play park regularly and talk to other parents
  2. Make play dates with your friends and their children
  3. Make play dates with friends of your children and their parents
  4. Join a club, hobby group or walking group
  5. Join a playgroup
  6. Volunteer in your community or local school etc. (if you are interested, One Family often has volunteer roles available)
  7. Join professional groups: for example, One Family organises a monthly social group outing for lone parents and their children. Call 01 662 9212 or follow our Facebook page for details of the next outing
  8. Engage in community activities and events: free events regularly take place in most communities
  9. Spend time with family when possible
  10. Use social media, wisely, to keep connected. As well as your own social media profiles, there are many online communities established for parents, and you might also like to connect with One Family on Facebook and Twitter

Our next event is our annual Family Day Festival on Sunday 18 May in the Iveagh Gardens, off Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 from 11am to 5pm. It is free and packed full of great activities, entertainment and workshops. Everyone is welcome to attend.

This week’s ’10 Ways to …’ is adapted by One Family’s Director of Children and Parenting Services, Geraldine Kelly, from our Family Communications training programme.

Coming soon: 10 Ways to Positively Maintaining Contact, 10 Ways to Effective Toilet Training and 10 Ways to Understand How Your Child May Feel.

One Family offers a suite of training opportunities for parents and for professionals on an on-going basis. To find out more, click here or call 01 662 9212.

 

(Photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net/photostock)