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Golf Classic Launch
Group attending the launch of the CoAction West Cork Golf Classic
which will take place in Bantry Bay Golf Club
from 18th to 21st of August 2005
Back L - R: Micheal O' Grady, CoAction, Mary Hegarty, Organising Committee, Joe Keane, Rowa/Rowex Pharmaceuticals - Sponsor, Gwen O' Leary, CoAction, Brigette Wagner-Halswick, Rowa/Rowex Pharmaceuticals - Sponsor, Ray O' Callaghan, Chairperson, Graham Keadie, Bantry Bay Golf Club, Anne Riordan, Fundraising Manager, CoAction.
Front L - R: Con Lucey, CoAction, Derek Maguire, Organising Committee, Julie Collins, Mary Nolan, CoAction, John O' Sullivan, Bantry Bay Golf Club, Noel O' Mahony, Director, CoAction
CoAction West Cork have launched their forthcoming Golf Classic which is to take place from the 19th to the 21st August and is being sponsored by Rowa / Rowex Pharmaceuticals.
Dr Denis Cotter, GP, author and sportsman is Patron of the event and he highlighted some of the special attraction of the forthcoming classic. Including a very special challenge match by Pat Spillanes Kerry Football All-Stars and Thomas Mulcahy's Hurling All-Stars.
Former GAA Stars Dr Cotter and Dentist Mark Foley are managing the teams respectively. This challenge match will take place on Friday the 19th and it is expected that it will attract much attention from GAA supporters from near and far.
There is also a special night of entertainment planned for the Saturday night and some valuable sports memorabilia will be auctioned in the Club House. Top-seeded Golfer Padraig Harrington who is supporting the event has donated a number of autographed personal belongings and there is also a framed signed Munster Jersey with such illustrious names as Mick Galway, Ronan O' Gara an Paul O' Connell featuring on it.
Everyone is looking forward to another very successful event and of course it would not be possible without the cooperation of Bantry Bay Golf Club, Dr Cotter, Golf Classic Sponsor Rowa / Rowex Pharmaceutical and friends of CoAction.
Anne Riordan, Fundraising & Marketing Manager of CoAction West Cork explained "Fundraising is an essential part of CoAction West Cork activities in order to provide the high levels of service to clients, parents and families that are necessary throughout West Cork. We are delighted that Dr Denis Cotter, Ms Brigette Wagner and their associates continue their tradition of supporting CoAction. We are looking forward to meeting friends at the Golf Classic in what promises to be an exciting and entertaining weekend of fun for the West Cork community."
She concluded by saying a very special word of thanks to Guinness and Bantry Bay Golf Club for hosting the launch.
To Book your place on the timesheet please phone 087 2473199
Launch of the 027 Directory
CoAction West Cork has again produced a comprehensive directory to business and residential listings in the
027 area. This invaluable guide is in a new improved format that makes navigation easier and the quality of the
production ensures it's long life.
This is the fourth such directory that CoAction has produced over the last 12 years and the production, sales
and delivery has provided meaningful employment for adults attending the training and employment centre in
CoAction, Bantry. CoAction has also raised substantial monies from the sale of advertisements in the directory
and the book itself. All the money raised from this project is directed back into providing a wide range of
services for people with Intellectual Disabilities in West Cork.
Geraldine Bevan, Chairperson of Bantry Branch, CoAction welcomed the support of the local business
community acknowledging that without them "this 027 Directory would not be possible. The businesses in
Bantry not only buy advertisements but also stock copies of the directory in their shops for sale. For
this and your continued support we thank you"
Pictures from the Dinner Dance
by Tony McElihenny
(click for larger image)
30th Anniversary Dinner Dance
CoAction West Cork celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a Dinner Dance in the Eccles Hotel in
Glengarriff on Saturday 15th January. The group provides a wide range of services for people with
Intellectual Disabilities and has centres in Bantry, Beara, Clonakilty, Dunmanway & Skibbereen.
The Guest Speaker for the night was Alan Crosbie, Chairman of the Irish Examiner and President
of Down Syndrome Ireland.
Background & Overview of CoAction
When a group of Bantry parents made a decision to provide local support for their children with intellectual disabilities 30 years ago little did they know where that decision would lead.
The parents including Maurice Healy and Peggy Lynch began fundraising to build a workshop to facilitate a local service. Soon their children would be able to get the care they needed on their own doorstep. The days of travelling over 3 hours to Cork and back were over.
Initially people with intellectual disabilities were able to avail of limited services in the Old Boys Club in the town of Bantry, over the years parents sent their children from Castletownbere and Skibbereen. In the early 80's the site in Slip, Bantry was purchased and St Joseph's workshop for the mentally handicapped was opened.
With growing realisation and understanding of intellectual disabilities the clients and staff of St Joseph's made a joint decision to rename the organisation. Hence CoAction was born. In 1986 the then Minister for Health Dr. Rory O' Hanlon officially opened the work centre in Slip.
Over the years and due to increased support from the community CoAction is now the main service provider for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in West Cork. There are three main work centres in Bantry, Castletownbere and Skibbereen and there are plans to build proper facilities in Clonakilty and Dunmanway beginning later this year.
Community care is provided in all these towns by a team of community nurses who provide a wide range of support services aided by an ever increasing clinical team made up of psychologist, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech & language therapists and occupational therapists.
Every child up to six years of age that is identified with a learning difficulty is referred to the service. Assessments are made and programmes are developed to aid the development of the child. Early intervention is critical especially in terms of overcoming language barriers at this stage this can have a positive impact on the child in later years.
Not only are clinical service provided but also family support including counselling sessions for parents and siblings, we cannot underestimate the challenges faced by the family and providing support and respite is helping them greatly.
Once a child turns six years they revert to the care of NEPS and normally join a mainstream school in a special class environment. As a result of the early intervention more children are able to join mainstream classes, which improves their development. This is also of benefit to other students as it is an education in life and should make them appreciate their own abilities more.
There is a huge backlog in the service that NEPS provides so CoAction delivers services to students in both Primary and Post Primary schools by way of Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Psychology and Occupational Therapy. Specialists in these areas devise individual programmes for the students and advise and support teachers and Special needs assistants on their implementation in the school setting.
Once a child finishes school depending on their abilities and needs they may choose to rejoin CoAction West Cork in one the centres located around West Cork. Here they will undergo Foundation training, a life skills programmes. They may choose to work in the sheltered workshops where they can enjoy meaningful employment.
In Castletownbere CoAction produces Beara Preserves that carry the Fuchsia brand, they also make a wide range of candles. There is also a heritage centre adjoining their work centre. Call of the Sea is a nautical museum, which offers those interested an opportunity to explore through sight, sound and touch the nautical world over the years. The centre is run by clients of CoAction Castletownbere and you are even entertained in the canteen afterwards to freshly made scones accompanied by their own range of jams.
There is a printing operation in CoAction Bantry and this services a lot of businesses in West Cork, there is also a catering kitchen in the centre and produce is sold at the local market each week.
Skibbereen centre is developing their own new product at the moment and details of this will be release very soon. There is a fast building reputation for arts & crafts from the workshop here and again produce is sold locally at craft fairs etc.
CoAction News
Four staff members from CoAction West Cork were awarded F.E.T.A.C. certificates at a conferring ceremony in
The Law Society of Ireland in Black Hall Place, Dublin on Saturday 6th November.
Martin Mc Carthy Area Manger Skibbereen Adult Services was conferred with a Certificate in Supervisory Management. Conor McAtasney Area Manger Castletownbere Adult Services was conferred in absentia with the same.
Caroline O Shea Job Coach Skibbereen and Josephine Collins Houseparent Bantry were both conferred with a Diploma in Social Studies.
The Open Training College specialises in training courses for people working in the disability sector and provides a number of distance learning for staff working in the sector.
Ms Karen Finnerty director of the college recognised the important role family, friends and work colleagues play in supporting the students to achieve their award and she recognised the huge effort played by the students themselves in achieving their qualification and the positive impact such education has on the lives of people with disabilities.
A reception was held at the Law Society after the conferring and the students went on to a Graduation Ball at the Ashling Hotel afterwards.
About CoAction West Cork
CoAction is the main service provider to people with intellectual disabilities in West Cork and currently
provides services to over 330 children and adults with special needs throughout West Cork. CoAction has
branches in Beara, Clonakilty, Dunmanway, Skibbereen and Bantry.
CoAction West Cork was founded in Bantry in 1974 by a group of parents who wanted to ensure that their
children who had learning disabilities would be educated in their own community. The driving vision of the
organisation since then has been to enable people with learning disabilities to reach their full potential
through the provision of local service in their locality, hence the motto of the organisation is
"A Local Service for Local Needs".
Services provided by CoAction West Cork
The organisation has grown from being a purely voluntary organisation to one that is now very much a
partnership between its voluntary and professional components. CoAction's services are delivered by a team of
nearly 120 staff and also volunteers
Services include home-based services (which provide support for families and plan developmental programmes
for children), pre-school groups, home support, weekend breaks for children and adults, summer camps, Sibshops
(workshops for brothers & sisters of children with learning disabilities), psychological services, speech &
language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, supported living, training & employment centres,
supported employment and I.T. projects.
For more information on our services please call 027 50114
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