Summer Newsletter 2022
From June through to September, we have invested our energy in a lot of collective, creative and collaborative sports and artistic work. We needed to do this following a terrible spate of unacceptable and unbelievable anti-social behaviour, which impacted greatly on the safety of the community of which we, the Family Resource Centre work and serve. It was so important to change the narrative and to lift the rhythm, mood and spirit of each one of the small communities; Tyrone Place, Emmet Crescent, Emmet Court, Thornton Heights, Bulfin Court and the surrounding communities.
Bloomsday
We began this work in June, with an outdoor event to mark ‘Bloomsday’ which we held in the stunning surrounding of Goldenbridge Cemetery. We celebrated Nora Barnacle and her relationship with James Joyce. We decided to make this a women only event. We used nature, place, imagination and the gift of creativity. We wish to convey our thanks to the Glasnevin Trust and Common Ground Arts Agency for allowing us create this beautiful event.
Men’s Programme
Our Men’s Group, having completed a long few months of physical exercise and their Men’s Shed activities. Our Men’s SICAP Development worker, arranged for them to go out to partake in a morning of Clay Pigeon Shooting down in Kildare followed by lunch in Friels of Straffan. They really enjoyed this outing and thought they were such sharp shooters! It was a morning of fun and time away from the tense living environment which they live in.
In July, we contacted our friends from the Ballyfermot Men’s Shed whom we have built strong relationships down through the years. All these groups were greatly impacted by Covid-19. We took our Summer Trip as an opportunity to reconnect with these men and overall, 25 men, from Inchicore, Drimnagh and Ballyfermot came on our trip to Glendalough Historical site and centre. It was like a step back in time, a walk in the beautiful nature there. We had a lovely dinner and a great sing song and of course lots of laughter, connection, kindness and care. This work is funded by the HSE Older Persons Fund.
Core Family Resource Centre Programmes:
Our Community Work at the Family Resource Centre, St. Michaels Estate, as we always highlight, includes all age groups. We work at meeting the critical needs and nourishing the spirits of children in our After-school and Creche, our adult groups of men, women, seniors and families, as you can see and read. We do this through our education, sports, wellness programmes, including art, cultural and celebratory events. Their small neighbourhoods are our work places and spaces. We have no collective space building to work from since DCC closed the St. Michaels Parish Community Centre, which never reopened after it closed for Covid in March 2020. We have felt deeply the loss of this building, Covid masked this loss. This non-profit Community Building should not have been closed. It has been left abandoned to wither away while awaiting the long, promised Regeneration. The wider community also grieves the loss of St. Michaels Parish Community Centre. Due to this, and because we are a resilient organisation, we have had to navigate spaces that meet our need to serve the community. A lot of our work is carried out in the open air. We do hire the De Mazonad Centre to provide our Seniors Breakfast. Our Seniors Chair Aerobics takes place in the dinner hall in Bulfin Court Senior complex. This work is supported by DCC Sports Dept and Leisure team and SICAP through the Dublin South Central Partnership. Our Women’s exercise programme takes place on the football pitch.
High Tea Party
With a small LCDC grant from Dublin City Council, we were enabled to organise a high standard Tea Party which reached out to all of our Senior Sisters across Dublin 8. We hired the kitchen of Richmond Barracks and used their public gardens to create a 50s/60s atmosphere and environment. The space and the added large marquee allowed for cover from the elements. The garden, which is beautifully kept, became the catwalk for our 50s/60s Fashion Show and wonderful singers from the ‘Sing and Tonics’ group. Our own, ‘Flames Not Flowers’ became the models by dressing in a collection of fashion gathered from the many second hand charity shops throughout Dublin. The Dublin 8 sisters who attended the Tea Party came from the Liberties, Theresa Gardens, Donore Avenue, Oliver Bond, the surrounding areas of Pimlico, Inchicore and Bluebell. Thanks to the LCDC and Richmond Barracks for the opportunity to make this very successful event. All the women who attended, raved about the event and were very happy to be invited.
Bulfin Court Seniors
Our local, Bulfin Court Summer Programme event for Seniors took place with the support of ‘Go For Life’ and some donations. It was a smaller Tea Dance with a visit from the Ice Cream man. He played music and came inside the seniors complex connecting to memory. They all loved their ice creams, and for those who cannot leave their homes, we brought cones to them.
Collective Family Fun Day
On Thursday, 15th of July, with the financial support of SICAP (Dublin South City Partnership) and donations from the Trade Unions and some Religious Orders, the Family Resource Centre led out the St. Michaels Estate Family Fun Day. We did this in collaboration with the DCC Sports and Leisure Dept, DCC Dog Show organisers Core Youth Service and St. Patricks Athletic FC, and also a great team of committed friends and volunteers of the FRC.
This collaborative collective community, multicultural gathering was a fantastic spirit lifting event with 400 participants from the direct local and wider community, including children from Basin Lane Flats. Making connections brings us all back to our core essence of interconnection; talking, laughing, playing, sports and enjoying music together, strengthening the bonds between our communities and frontline organisations. All of the expertise of Youth, Community and sports development. Our volunteers showed great solidarity and the financial support of friends of our service allowed it to be a day to remember for families, children, men and women. This was a really important Family Fun Day, renewing the area of lower Inchicore’s spirit following a period of heightened and severe anti-social behaviour causing trauma and pain for many.
We also provided a ‘Friday Football’ tournament for the local children to get involved in over the summer, from which some of the participants had a private tour of the St. Patricks Athletic FC ground which is on their doorsteps. This was a great experience for all of the children involved and they made connections with the club.
Palestinian Cultural Visit
Continuing our local to global solidarity work, we welcomed the Lajee Centre’s Dabka Dancers and Musicians from the Aida Camp, Bethlehem, Palestine to the historical building of Richmond Barracks, a sacred and honoured space in our Irish culture and history. We had some Irish musicians who warmed up the audience while we awaited these young fabulous dancers and musicians. Their traditional costumes along with their music and dance was beautifully tender and they told their stories of their daily lives. The manager of the Lajee Centre spoke to the audience about life under an occupying force and how restrictive to their civil liberties it is. There was such a warm connection between the visitors. We followed their performance and talk with refreshments in the Tearooms. Following this, we proceeded to the oppressed, long awaited regeneration land of St. Michaels Estate. Holding a large Palestinian Flag, which we all held together and sent love and solidarity to the people back in the Aida Camp and the whole of Palestine. This was a great, collective action, from one land to another of true solidarity.
At a different level, the Family Resource Centre’s work from January to September has continued to support large numbers of women experiencing violence and abuse. Our Inchicore Domestic Violence Outreach Centre meets women whose stories are very harsh, women from many different cultures. The Domestic Violence Team ensure a listening ear, devise safety plans, support through the court system and all of the other issues relating to domestic violence. Through the support of Women’s Aid and Safe Ireland, we were able to support women and families experiencing financial control and hardship. In September, Tesco Inchicore included the Domestic Violence Outreach Centre in their Community Fund, and donated €627.00, to support our Community Response to violence against women. This Service is core funded under Tusla Sexual Violence Services and the Canal Communities Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force.
Our Family Support Worker, support by the Community Foundation of Ireland and the Srs. of Mercy, has been meeting a lot of families struggling with housing, eviction and hardship issues. Those coming through our ‘Open Door’ finding us through word of mouth, through the schools and other organisations. People don’t have very many choices as poverty is a place of hardship and powerlessness. Its consequences is poor health, energy deprivation, mental strain and family breakdown. Through the support of the Community Foundation, Women’s Aid and Safe Ireland, the Family Resource Centre was enabled to help families choosing between heating their homes and eating, really vital support for families and individuals, truly struggling.
Our Community Safety work, funded under the Canal Communities Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force dealt with a sever landscape relating to the growing dangerous drugs culture and its shocking consequences. These communities have had to put up and suffer a lot of scary anti-social behaviour which culminated into an extremely serious incident that overwhelmed us all here, both residents and workers. To ensure the safety of the community, we worked with all of the appropriate structures needed to address this issue. We also organised a community fundraiser morning which raised; €1150.00. This was given to the victim as an act of community compassion and solidarity. The individual was so appreciative of this gesture and very moved. Thanks to all of the organisations and individuals who contributed.
We want to remember Jamesy Grant, a long-time member of the St. Michaels Estate Community. He moved to Emmet Crescent and was a loved neighbour. He was a member of our Men’s Group and loved going on trips with them. He was the salt of the earth, a true blue Dub and a committed father, Rest in Peace.
Conclusion
This is a small insight into a moment of the Family Resource Centre’s Community Work in St. Michaels Estate. It is a unique reflection of contrast, skill and commitment to the work and mission of the overall organisation. A sincere commitment to our small communities by our valuable staff, management, volunteers and the various funders. It takes more than one to make this rich work possible. Much appreciation and gratitude for the solidarity and belief that allows the Family Resource Centre to thrive and flourish.
Thanks to all of those who donated and also those who fund the work who make this possible.
“The Arts, quite simply nourish the soul. They sustain, comfort, inspire. There is nothing like that exquisite moment when you first discover the beauty of connecting with others in celebration of larger ideals and shared wisdom”.
Gordan Gee
Rita Fagan
Manager
Family Resource Centre