News & Events

Carmichael, in partnership with a number of Volunteer Centres and Waterford PPN, are organising a series of free workshops for non-profit organisations on “Developing your Annual Report”.

The aim of this practical hands-on workshop is to understand the preparation of the Annual Report from the perspective of the Board Members, Directors, Trustees.

Each workshop covers the basics of what is required in an annual report and then focuses on how to use the annual report as a way of showing the public, your members and funders how good your organisation is. The session will involve presentations and working in groups. These workshops are aimed at smaller charities (annual income of less than €250,000), particularly, at charities with income of less than €50,000.

The workshops are free thanks to the support of Community Foundation Ireland.

For more details and to register, contact the relevant Volunteer Centre or PPN.

The RCNI this week launched their Clinical Innovation Project; a multi-faceted project aimed at working with and for the training of counsellors and therapists in the area of sexual violence with Dr Jessica Taylor.

Working with the renounced Dr Jessica Taylor of Victim Focus, the January 18 event was delivered alongside a fully qualified ISL interpreter, and can be viewed in full here. The aforementioned Dr Taylor is a UK based psychologist, survivor and author of best-selling book Why Women Are Blamed For Everything. Furthermore, Dr Taylor has co—created a ‘pioneering new world-standard training and evidence gathering programme on counselling survivors of sexual violence in a post-pandemic world’.

With everything in the world, Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on how such organisations can help those in need. With that, the Programme, called Counselling Survivors On and Off-Line, has emerged from the experience of the Covid-19 lockdown when Rape Crisis Centres had to be vacated and when trauma counselling services had to move on-line.

The next phase in this project is a Q&A session for mental health professionals, which will be facilitated by RCNI’s own Dr Michelle Walsh, and Dr Jessica Taylor. This event is penned in for January 25 and will be free to register. This will take place over Zoom, and places can be booked here.

According to Cliona Saidlear, Director of RCNI, the change in the provision of RCC counselling services brought about by the Covid-19 lockdown impacted profoundly on the quality and nature of the deep intervention required for survivors, in ways that could not have been predicted and that are still not fully understood.

“While there is some optimism that a vaccine for Covid-19 may mean a return to some normality in 2021, the impact of Covid and dealing with the trauma of sexual violence within a global shared trauma of a pandemic is not going to disappear,” she said.

The latest RCNI press release reveals startling data. For example, RCNI data from the initial lockdown period in 2020 illustrated ‘significant increases and changes in survivor engagement. There was a 23% increase in contacts made to Rape Crisis Centre Helplines. Almost all of those already in counselling in the centres could switch to remote counselling but some could not’.

As mentioned in previous blog posts, the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland (RCNI) are a Carmichael resident organisation. You can read all about their fantastic work here. Finally, you can keep up to date with their social media accounts handily; their Facebook here, and their Twitter here.

Smashing Times are delighted to host two online workshops later this month, a perfect remedy for what can otherwise be a tough time for many.

On January 21 there will be an online workshop focusing on health and well-being, which will be completely free. Then on January 23 there will be an online workshop which looks at the marker of 99 years since the formation of the Irish state. Taking into account progress made, the workshop will delve into the inequalities which remain within society today. This course will cost €15, or €5 for a concession.

The January 21 course will be a great opportunity to ‘learn new skills’, according to Smashing Times. They say it will focus primarily on general theater games which are a great avenue to meet new people, improve language skills, and so much more.

This will be a two hour course held over zoom and no experience is necessary. For more information and to register for the event simply head over to their site here. On January 23 there will be a two hour course which delves deep into history, but always looking for a modern perspective.

As arbiters of equality for Irish society, Smashing Times will examine the formation of the Republic of Ireland from the key focus of equality; where it has been gained, and in some cases, not. Partnering with Dublin Castle, Heritage Services of the Office of Public Works for the event, there will be fun theater games will be used to help illustrate to people themes of equality of diversity.

Smashing Times would like to note that although there is a few for this event (€15/€5) exceptions can be made for those who cannot meet ticket cost. For information they should contact Niamh at info@smashingtimes.ie.

Smashing Times are a resident Carmichael organisation. A theater company which focuses on promoting diversity within Ireland, their work bands the world together in the most positive sense. You can keep up date with all their work here.

Finally, you can follow their social media accounts too; their Facebook here, and their Twitter here.

Mental Health Reform are delighted to host two events as part of the First Fortnight Festival 2021 on January 13 and 14.

There will be one event called ‘Conversation Café’ focusing on conversations with young people on mental health, and another called ‘Dear Diary’, which is an invitation for members of the public to tell their own mental health stories in a short stories.

The First Fortnight Festival is a programme of events set up by First Fortnight which focuses on thought-provoking conversations regarding positive mental health reform and attitude within society. Mental Health Reform are one of the organisations working with First Fortnight to create the catalogue of events which make up the two day festival.

The Conversation Café will look to create conversations among groups of young people about mental health in the strange world of 2021. Focusing primarily with people from Tipperary, Clare and Limerick, this event ‘will explore some of the challenges young people face in maintaining good mental health and will create a space for people to come together to look towards better mental health services and supports.’

Dear Diary hopes to engage the public in a sphere where the very personal meets the very public. Mental Health Reform are looking for the public to send in short stories (aprrox 300 words) with their own mental health stories. Certain themes emerging from these stories will be on display and then discussed by a panel on the day.

Mental Health Reform are a Carmichael resident organisation, and one Ireland’s leading national coalition on mental health. With over 70 member organisations, they work together to drive progressive reform of mental health services and supports in Ireland.

You can keep up to date all news from Mental Health Reform by bookmarking their fantastic website, and also by following their social media accounts; their Facebook here, and their Twitter here to list but a few.

Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) are pleased to kick off the New Year with a social night led by Alan Gardner on January 14. The Carmichael resident organisation are delighted the award winning designer has agreed to be their guest for the night.

Alan Gardner is an award winning garden designer and presenter of two Channel 4 series. On the night Alan will be recounting escapades, challenges and accolades all the while telling it like it really is.

Alan is the design genius and creative powerhouse of 40 Royal Horticultural Society show gardens. He has won numerous awards at Chelsea and Hampton Court not to mention two gold medals at Tatton Park. His work is driven by passion fueled by his love of architecture, conceptual art and the wider landscape around him.

Alan presented The Autistic Gardener on Channel 4, his mentoring and hands on approach led his team of gardening novices to achieve their goals by apprenticing and igniting true design within them. This is Alan’s forte, a designer sensei for the 21st century. Alan also hosted the Channel 4 series The Avant Gardener applying a monumental design discipline to amaze and transform large outdoor spaces across the UK.

ILMI are a group ‘led by disabled people, promoting a rights-based social model of disability, challenging a charity/medical view of disability’. The ILMI state that Independent Living is about ‘having the freedom to have the same choices that everyone else has in housing, transportation, education and employment’.

There are many ways to get involved with the IMNI, and many avenues in which they can help improve the lives of many. The most efficient way to get involved is to sign up to their eBulletin and see how you can become involved, email info@ilmi.ie.

To book in for the January 14 event with Alan Gardner simply email info@ilmi.ie to register your interest. For more information on the ILMI check out their website here. Also, you can find their social media accounts easily; Facebook here, and Twitter here.

ADHD Ireland will end the year on a high note, hosting a comedy night hosted by Karl Spain on December 18. The stage will suitably remain virtual, as has been the case for the majority of 2020, with the show kicking off at 9pm.

Hosted by the brilliant Irish comedian Karl Spain, the night promises a fun-filled show of laughs from start to finish. The Limerick native, Karl Spain will MC the show, with the likes of Paul Marsh, Aka Mr Dead Sound, and Patrick Monahan will be among the tight-knit line-up.

For just one hour the comedy night promises to bring joy to the audience in a year in which we all badly needed a laugh. What’s even more good news about the event, it will be completely free to be part of the audience! To register for the event just visit this link.

The line-up may not be huge given the short show in store, but it is not short in quality! For example, Spain appeared at the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival in 2003, which was later repeated on RTÉ Television. He is a regular at the Kilkenny Cat Laughs comedy festival. Spain later ran a series on RTÉ entitled Karl Spain Wants a Woman. He appeared as master of kung-fu on the fifth series of Killinaskully in October 2008.

Patrick Monahan meanwhile is an Irish-Iranian comedian, who won the television competition series Take the Mike in 2001 and Show Me the Funny in 2011. He has performed regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Paul Marsh is an award winning Comedian from Tipperary. He arrived on the Irish comedy scene in 2011 by winning Ireland’s biggest newcomer award, The Capital Comedy Competition and He followed this impressive start up by supporting some of Ireland’s top comedians like Neil Delamere, PJ Gallagher and Karl Spain.

ADHD Ireland, a resident Carmichael organisation, provide vital supports and research for the ADHD community in Ireland. This event will be a great opportunity for the community to come together let off some steam following a tumultuous and testing 2020.

To follow all news and events from ADHD Ireland make sure to follow them on social media; you can find their Facebook here, their LinkedIn here and their Twitter here. Finally, don’t forget – to be a part of the virtual audience for the event just visit this page.

The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) are having a data launch on December 16, presenting their 2019 data from across their nationwide Rape Crisis Centres (RCCs). Notably, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will be launching this survivor evidence.

There will be several well versed speakers on the day dissecting the data, including Detective Chief Superintendent Declan Daly (Garda National Protective Services Bureau), Dr. Marceline Naudi (President, Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), and Dr. Clíona Saidléar (RCNI Executive Director).

The December 16 event will illuminate what survivors of sexual violence told the RCNI and asked of them in 2019. The data was and collated across a sample of seven Rape Crisis Centres throughout the country.

It is a particularly poignant time for the RCNI, with the government set to ‘radically overhaul how we respond to sexual violence with the Government audit of its infrastructure responding to sexual and domestic violence in April 2021.

RCNI state that ‘their ambition is that survivors’ voices driving this transformation will establish Ireland as best in Europe’ when reviewed under the Istanbul Convention by GREVIO in February 2022.

To register for this free event visit this link. The RCNI are the representative body for RCCs across the nation. The role includes the development and coordination of national projects including expert data collection, supporting RCCs to reach best practice standards, and using their expertise to influence national policy and social change.

The RCNI are a resident Carmichael and as ever we are delighted to promote events like this. To learn more about their work, simply visit their website here. Finally, make sure to follow their social media account: their Facebook here, and their Twitter here.

The Association for Criminal Justice Research and Development (ACJRD) are to hold their 23rd Annual Conference on Friday Dec 11. Titled “Privacy and Personal Space: The Challenges of Technology in Justice” this will be an online event open to both ACJRD members and non-members alike.

The conference will take place over one day, and is particularly aimed at those working in government agencies, and those in the community including policy-makers, academics, and those involved in civil society groups from a wide range of disciplines within or tangential to the Criminal Justice System.

The ACJRD, a resident Carmichael organisation, are hold this this event is free of charge for ACJRD members, while the fee for non-members is just €20. There will be a catalogue of speakers on the day, including national and international representatives from the criminal justice sector.

The ACJRD provide a range of services, including . Ultimately however they seek to promote reform, development and effective operation of the criminal justice system.

The day will consist of eight different workshops which will be presented. Delegates will be given the opportunity to attend two workshops, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. 1st and 2nd choice workshop preferences for the morning and afternoon sessions must be given when completing the booking form.

For students it is worth noting that attendance at the conference may qualify for CPD points. Qualification is determined by the points’ issuer. ACJRD is happy to provide certificates of attendance on request. Please email enquiries@acjrd.ie in advance if you will require a certificate of attendance.

To encourage openness and the sharing of information, the Chatham House Rule will be invoked at this conference. To learn more about the ACJRD you can check out their site here.

The Huntington’s Disease Association of Ireland (HDAI) are proud to tell the world of a new film available for free on Youtube about the condition. The Carmichael resident organisation provide a range of services and supports, with the movie doing an immense job of shedding light on the condition.

The New Film

Dancing At The Vatican, the powerful documentary about Huntington’s disease produced and directed by Irish filmmakers, will be available on YouTube from December 1^st.

Authored by Emmy award winning war reporter Charles Sabine the film follows a brave few South American families who, despite the poverty and isolation of their lives, journey to Rome.

Supported by clinicians, scientists and other HD families from around the world, they call for an end to the fear and stigma surrounding Huntington’s disease. The film comes at a time when the need for HD families to participate in research has never been more important.

“This is a beautifully made, powerful and very emotional film. Please, please watch it.” Professor Niall Pender, Dept. of Psychology, Beaumont Hospital Dublin.

Dublin Screening 

The Huntington’s Disease Association of Ireland was honoured to participate in the Vatican event which became the biggest global gathering of the Huntington’s Disease community ever. HDAI supported a Dublin screening of Dancing at the Vatican at the Lighthouse cinema in May 2019. Please click here  to subscribe and share the film.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurological illness caused by an expanded gene in your DNA. The faulty HD gene causes cells in parts of your brain to gradually malfunction and die. As brain cells die, you will experience changes with your movement, thinking and emotions.

What They Do and How You Can Help

The Huntington’s Disease Assocation centre their work on a range of supports, services, and research. Their website is full of information for those in need of information about the condition, and what supports the healthcare system can offer. Advocacy and awareness is another key tenet of their work, as is often the case with lesser known conditions.

You can donate directly toward their efforts here.

You can follow them on their Twitter and Facebook pages.

View the movie below, or on the movie’s official Youtube page.

The Caring and Sharing Association are calling on their supporters to raise much-needed funds for the organisation in a series of supporter-led events. The Caring and Sharing Association (CASA) are a volunteer-led organisation, with the goal of helping those with disabilities through a wide-variety of supports and events.

As everyone knows, 2020 has been an incredibly tough year for all, including all the non-profit organisations you can think of. In that, CASA are no different. With a goal of €10,000 set for this fundraiser, that have already surpassed the €5,000 mark through the generosity of 92 donors (and counting).

As a Carmichael resident organisation, we are delighted to promote this fundraiser for CASA. Supporters of this fundraising initiative have been encouraged to ‘walk, run or roll’, with a great degree of opportunity to fundraise in whatever manner you see fit.

This fundraiser will provide vital supports for the organisation. Currently, there are 22 nationwide CASA branches, holding weekly and monthly social activities. These include musical events, dancing, bowling and cinema trips, and more. The overall aim here is to provide a base for ‘socialising, friendship and support’.

The mission statement for CASA further illustrates the vast positives from contributing to this initiative. CASA strive to work for the core values of friendship, one-to-one care, spirituality, quality and social inclusion in all that they do.

Formed in 1981 by a group of volunteers, CASA’s key purpose was to ‘enable its members to develop friendship through social events’. Once a small group of volunteers, they now have 22 groups across the country.  You can donate directly to this fundraiser by visiting the Go Fund Me page here.

Make sure to keep up to date with all CASA news by following them on socials; their Facebook can be found here, and their Twitter here.