The strategic plan for the organisation includes
Key Areas of Work
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Strategy 1. Development of a needs based response to children aged ten and younger in the local community.
Strategy 1.2 Identify and meet the needs of young people and to promote socially responsible behavior in the community
Strategy 1.3 Work with senior citizens and relevant groups in the local community to identify and address needs through building on existing services such as meals on wheels, social events and special functions.
Strategy 1.4 Our Lady of Lourdes CSG Ltd to proactively work with Solas, theVEC, the LES and other services to assist in delivering initiatives that provide improved training, educational and employment opportunities for unemployed people
Strategy 1.5 Our Lady of Lourdes CSG Ltd to work with relevant organisations in assessing how it can expand and re-vitalise the spirit of volunteering within the community. Consider initiatives, such as a “volunteer bank”, which would offer the opportunity for people to become involved in special events/ functions that the Centre would be involved
A selection of Current key areas of work
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We are committed to providing local and accessible facilities and services across the lifecycle
of our community. We work with the local community in identifying the needs of families and individuals and where possible will meet those needs through the delivery of quality focused services. We currently provide a wide range of service for children and adults including
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Adult Education
We provide services for 200+ adult part-time learners on a variety of courses including, taster courses, community Education, and FETAC accredited classes up to level 6.We are a registered and quality approved FETAC Centre. We are active members of the Limerick Community Education network and employ a dedicated Adult Education worker.
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Our Lady of Lourdes Childworld Crèche
This centre is a purpose built childcare facility catering for up to 80 children from 3 months to 5 years. Our service offers a stimulating environment in which children will be cared for, nurtured and developed. Our centre provides age appropriate programmes with a mix of activities planned by the adult and the child. Our centre provides an affordable high quality childcare and education service in which children can play and develop as individuals socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. We have a strong commitment to working in partnership with parent’s families and the community.
Our service has developed strong links with other agencies over time providing a more holistic approach to child development and helping to link children and parents with other services available to them. These agencies include; speech and language services, early intervention services, public health nurses, community mothers, traveller health programme, social work teams etc.
Creative Kids Club
This project is a programme run on Saturday afternoons for children aged from 4 to 7 years. It is funded under the Out of Schools Activity Programme making the service free to children living in a regeneration area. The overall aim of this project is to improve outcomes for children by offering them as safe place to play and socialise with friends through participation in workshop based activities. To date the programme has been highly successful and is widely recognised by the community as a support to parents and families living in the area. Clients that use this service are a mix of people that have applied for the places and those that have been targeted as children and families in most need of this support.
Youth programmes
Our West End Youth Centre has considerable experience working with young people at all levels of Hartiker’s scale, including levels three and four. The staff are highly training in all areas pertaining to youth work, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI). Challenging behaviour amongst young people is, without question, one of the barriers that will present itself in at-risk families. Our Youth workers adopt a strengths-based approach to their work incorporating restorative justice practises when addressing conflict.
Estate Management Project
The aim of our Estate Management project is to progress Estate Management measures for the community of Our Lady of Lourdes parish, Limerick city, and thereafter to ensure that the project is managed and sustained, as a resource pertaining to Estate management issues Such as housing and Environmental issues in and for the local Community.
Services to Older People
We provide a range of services to senior citizens including meals on wheels, social clubs and most appropriate to this application we provide a home visitation service, where we work with senior citizens to ensure quality of life and independence in remaining in their homes for as long as viable.
Service s to the unemployed
We provide a Local Employment service to those in the parish area along with an Adult Guidance Service. We sponsor a Community Employment Scheme and host participants from a variety of programmes including TUS Job Initiative, Jobsbridge, and provide work placement for those on Local training Initiatives.