Changing Perceptions is the biggest ADHD Conference in Europe, and it is going online for 2021. Working with our resident organisation ADHD Ireland, Carmichael are delighted to help promote the virtual conference, taking place over four days from October 6-9.
Over the course of four days Changing Perceptions will cover all key topics for ADHD with world’s greatest speakers on ADHD take the virtual stand. Each day of Changing Perceptions will be centred on key interested parties on ADHD; educators, parents and adults, children and young adults, and medical professionals.
The conference will feature the world’s greatest speakers on the topic, such as Dr Russell Barkley, Prof Amanda Kirby, Dr Ned Hallowell, Thomas E Brown, Prof Sandra Kooij, Dr Ned Hallowell, Prof Barry Carpenter, Shaun Fenton OBE, Rory Bremner, Amjad Ali and Angela Barnes.
Those wishing to attend can decide whether to attend every day of the event, or any specific day they wish. Prices vary depending on which event you attend – day one for Educators is €70, day two for Parents and Adults is €20, day three for medical professionals is €70, Children and Young Adults is free, and finally there is a deal for Educator’s Day for five tickets for €280 – a 20% discount.
Along with our friends from ADHD Ireland, Changing Perceptions is brought to you by The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity. To read about each specific speaker and the topic for each event, you can check out their site here.
ADHD Ireland and Ireland’s national ADHD support dedicated support organisation. They provide a wealth of services to all interested parties, such as support through phone and email, sending out information packs, organising information sessions (such as Changing Perceptions), run Solution Focussed Brief Therapy courses for young people, run parenting courses and so much more.
You can follow ADHD Ireland on social; their Facebook here, Twitter here, and LinkedIn here. Finally, you can donate directly to their efforts here.
The Irish Association for Palliative Care (IAPC) are leading the way in the promotion of Palliative Care Week, coming from September 12-18.
The resident Carmichael member are the national charity promoting palliative care. Palliative Care Week aims to raise awareness of the difference palliative care can make to people with life-limiting conditions, carers and families throughout the island of Ireland.
Key Aims
There are several key aims for Palliative Care Week; one prime aim is dispelling any myths about palliative care. In truth, many people miss out on palliative care because of this misunderstanding, and in creating further clarity, the truth will help more people receive the care they deserve.
It’s More Than You Think is the theme set for Palliative Care Week. The premise is the community want to increase the understanding of what palliative care is and raise awareness of its benefits for people with life-limiting conditions.
Events to Look Out For
There is going to be many events being held throughout Palliative Care Week. Most events will be online due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but there will be some in-person events too. To find out about all the events see here.
To hone in on two events however, there is one event set for this coming Monday September 13 titled Supporting people with an intellectual disability at end-of-life: Making the care conversation meaningful’. This has been organised by –Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability (TCAID) with support from the All-Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC). To check out this event see here.
One in-person event taking place during Palliative Care week is a workshop titled ‘Nuts and bolts of how healthcare teams can support families when a mum or dad of dependent children is at end of life with cancer’. This will take place on Friday 17 September 2021, from 9.30am – 1.00pm at Cancer Fund for Children, Daisy Lodge, 124a Bryansford Road, Newcastle, Co. Down. All key info for the event can be found here.
What the IAPC Do
Established in 1993 as an all island body with the purpose of promoting palliative care nationally and internationally, the Irish Association for Palliative Care (IAPC) is a multi-disciplinary membership non-government organisation. The intention of the founders was that IAPC would be identified by its inclusiveness and would encompass the whole island of Ireland.
The IAPC membership reflects the entire spectrum of all those who work in or have a professional interest in the provision of palliative care, i.e. doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains and pastoral carers, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, as well as executive staff and academics and educationalists.
Membership also includes clinicians and allied health professionals working in related areas such as geriatrics, oncology, psycho-oncology, paediatrics, and pain management. The purpose of IAPC is to address the challenges in meeting the current and future needs of those requiring palliative care and end-of-life care in extended care settings, and also future access to and delivery of palliative care in these settings.
The IAPC is organised around a number of working groups designed to create forums for shared best practice and learning opportunities, and for members to further their professional development, education and research.
The Association pursues its objectives through providing structured opportunities for:
- Networking,
- Sharing and learning,
- Educational offerings,
- Promoting evidence-based research,
- Publications,
- Representation on national bodies and influencing the development of national policy.
Internationally it is strongly aligned with the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC).
The IAPC Working Groups inform the strategic direction and policy decisions of the Board, thereby creating a strong foundation for the IAPC’s position as the primary collective voice for palliative care in Ireland. Current IAPC Working Group is as follows:
IAPC Education and Research Forum
Conclusion
To conclude, palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of people facing the problems associated with life-limiting illness and supports their families. Pertinently, the approach focuses on the prevention and relief of suffering by means of assessing and treating pain and other physical, psychosocial or spiritual problems.
By supporting the IAPC you are supporting their fantastic, selfless work. You can help them through donations, but also by simply promoting their work through social media. You can find the IAPC here.
The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) are hosting a fundraiser Walk While You Can for MND throughout September. As a Carmichael resident member, we are delight to promote this upcoming event.
What’s Happening
The premise is a 5km walk in your community, keeping in line with current Covid-19 guidelines. The inspiration for this walk comes from Fr. Tony Coote’s 550km walk for motor neurone disease in 2018, raising €600,000 for this miraculous feat.
The funds from the 2018 event were spread far and wide; IMNDA were able to hire a much needed fourth outreach nurse to care and support people living with Motor Neurone Disease in Ireland. Furthermore, the outreach nursing service provided by the IMNDA helps over 400 people and families spread across 26 counties. This is the only service of its kind in the country and it is funded entirely from public donations.
Who’s Involved
Claire Byrne, Broadcaster with RTE and this year’s Walk While You Can Ambassador will be joining in and asking you to get involved. Her personal friendship with Fr. Tony means she is continuing his fight.
“I will be walking on September 11th September to remember Fr Tony Coote. We can’t hold our annual event in the Phoenix Park, but that won’t stop us! Instead we are taking to the pathways of our towns and communities to walk while you can, where you can!
There are currently over 400 people living with MND in Ireland. MND is often referred to as the 1,000-day disease as most people die within 1,000 days of first symptoms. 1 person dies every 3 days from MND.
Lillian McGovern, CEO of IMNDA says ‘Without the funds raised from While You Can by Fr Tony Coote and all the incredible people involved, we would not have been able to sustain our nursing service and grow our outreach care further. It’s so important to keep people in their own homes.
All About MND & the IMNDA
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive neurological condition that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting. MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. However, not all symptoms necessarily happen to everyone and it is unlikely they will all develop at the same time, or in any specific order.
The IMNDA is the primary support organisation for those affected by Motor Neurone Disease. The IMNDA provides specialised services for people affected by this debilitating disease such as equipment on loan, financial assistance towards home help, advice and home visits by MND Nurse. In order to provide these vital services the IMNDA depends heavily on the generosity of the public and supporters of the association who generate over 83% of its income.
Where to Find Them
To find out more about the IMNDA you can check out their site here. Also, follow their social media accounts by clicking the following links; Twitter, Facebook, Youtube.
Smashing Times are delighted to announce details of the upcoming Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival for 2021.
The Carmichael resident organisation have worked alongside Front Line Defenders and have been in partnership with Amnesty International, Fighting Words, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, National Women’s Council of Ireland, Trócaire, and Poetry Ireland to bring the 10 day festival to the masses.
This large collaboration intends to shine a light on ‘the extraordinary work of human rights defenders in Ireland and around the world, past and present, and the role of the arts and artists in promoting human rights today’.
Key Details
Running from Friday 15 October to Sunday 24 October 2021, the festival will be curated by Mary Moynihan, Artistic Director of Smashing Times, and the human rights curator is Laura O’Leary, of Front Line Defenders. Keeping in line with the changing societal landscape of Covid-19, this year’s festival will contain both online and in-person events, subject to current government and health advice guidelines.
The theme of this year’s festival is Hope, Courage and Resilience: The Story Continues. Here, the festival will look to celebrate human rights and linking the arts to civil society, active citizenship and politics through a series of art, literature, documentaries, poetry, and so much more.
Highlights
Over 10 days there will be many highlights from the Dublin Arts & Human Rights Festival, but some stand out; State of the Art: Nation State as Both Violator and Protector of Human Rights Visual Art Exhibition, and The Art of W/Rights: A Literary Carnival of Arts and Rights, to name but a few likely highlights.
Presented in the dlr Mill Theatre, Dundrum, State of the Art will be an art exhibition looking to showcase artworks created by artists from across the island of Ireland who have worked together on the State of the Art: Nation State as Both Violator and Protector of Human Rights project.
Meanwhile, The Art of W/Rights: A Literary Carnival of Arts and Rights will be series of new artworks will be presented in Rathfarnham Castle Park. Here, you can expect to see something rather unique, a ‘gathering space’, for the public to come together to highlight stories of care and compassion and to act as a catalyst to generate creative conversations on visions of a better world.
There will be an opportunity for the public to tell who has inspired them, a person from the past or present who has inspired or shaped them in some way and who has promoted equality, compassion and rights in your life and the lives of others. You can submit your answer here.
Contact Notes
For all the most up to date information on the event and the work of our friends from Smashing Times you can check out their website here. You can follow their social media channels by clicking the following links; Facebook, Twitter.
September is chronic pain awareness month and Chronic Pain Ireland are here to inform everyone about the month and their organisation. The World Health Assembly (WHA), a subsection of the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared September as Pain Awareness Month.
Throughout the month of September, many organisations around the globe contribute and raise awareness of chronic pain. This year Chronic Pain Ireland’s theme is Chronic Pain and the importance of connection in addressing social isolation.
Research suggests that social isolation as a result of chronic pain is responsible for a greater reliance of GP services, decreased quality of life and physical function. Reported social issues that accompany life with chronic pain include:
- Stigma – pain is invisible, feelings of being judged, misunderstood, a burden.
- Relationships – challenges and in particular intimacy
- Impact on mental health
Further research on the impact of Covid-19 concludes that the current pandemic has exacerbated existing sources of social threat for people with chronic pain.
CPI Chairperson Martina Phelan states “It is crucial that we devote attention to the assessment, mitigation, and prevention of the sources of social threat for people with chronic pain. It is now more important than ever to develop strategies and evidence based interventions that combat chronic pain and social isolation which will ultimately improve health and well-being”.
Throughout Pain Awareness Month, Chronic Pain Ireland will be holding a number of events, talks and workshops addressing social isolation and for further details see www.chronicpain.ie.
interventions that combat chronic pain and social isolation which will ultimately improve health and well-being”.
Throughout Pain Awareness Month, Chronic Pain Ireland will be holding a number of events, talks and workshops addressing social isolation and for further details see www.chronicpain.ie
More about chronic pain
In Europe 1 in 5 adults suffer with chronic pain. In Ireland that figure is higher. In 2011 Researchers from School of Psychology & Centre of Pain Research, NUIG Galway found that in Ireland 35.5% of adults in Ireland suffer with chronic pain. That’s 2 in 5 people. In those aged between 18 and 24 the proportion was 1 in 5 people, those aged 65 and over it was as many as 3 in 5.
- 42% have chronic pain more than 5 years
- 15% have clinically relevant depression as a result compared to 2.8% living without chronic pain.
- 12% unable to work or reduced work hours and are 3 times more likely to be unemployed due to their chronic pain.
Chronic Pain Ireland services and support
Support can come in a variety of forms be it someone at the end of a support line, advice or help from someone else living with pain, health assistance from your healthcare teams or financial assistance from various government departments. This support can allow you to connect with others and reduces the impact of isolation, stigma etc., and puts you back in the driving seat.
Chronic Pain Ireland are a Carmichael resident organisation, one of the many organisations we help at one of our two locations based in Dublin’s city centre.
At Chronic Pain Ireland they offer nationwide support to people living and learning to live with chronic pain, their friends, and family. They achieve this through their support phone-line, email, online forum, self-management workshops and information talks.
Chronic Pain impacts on every facet of life, including financial, social and psychological implications. Chronic Pain presents substantial increased risk of depression, physical de-conditioning, poor self-esteem, social isolation and relationship breakdown. Yet with education and application of self-management skills people can learn to manage their condition and live life with quality and meaning.
In June of this year, Carmichael worked with TU Dublin to examine the impact of Covid-19 on Irish nonprofits.
The overall findings suggest that the nonprofits surveyed demonstrated huge resilience in terms of coping with increased demand for their services while experiencing a drop in funding, and in the decreased availability of volunteers.
They did this by innovative approaches to service delivery which often involved the increased use of technology.
Read the full report here.
The Neurofibromatosis (NF) Association of Ireland are delighted to tell their supporters about two events taking place this month. Being held in both Dublin and Cork, the meet-ups will take place on August 14 in Cork, and August 15 in Dublin.
As the national charity for those affected by NF, they are hoping to once again provide a safe space for a meet-up and chat in an informal setting. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic such meet-ups have of course not been permissible nor safe, so with restrictions currently lifted, the time for such events is now.
The Cork event, being held on August 14, will take place at Fitzgerald’s Park at 2pm. If you are interested in this event then contact Emma Ní Craith on 087 772 7665. The Dublin event, taking place the following day on August 15, will be held in the Phoenix Park at 2pm. If interested, contact Louise O’Keefe on 089 615 0934.
NF provide friendly peer support groups for families affected by the genetic condition neurofibromatosis. Neurofibromatosis is mainly divided into type 1 and type 2. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic condition that causes tumours to grow along your nerves. The tumours are usually non-cancerous (benign) but may cause a range of symptoms. Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is much less common than NF1.
Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) meanwhile is a hereditary condition most commonly associated with bilateral vestibular schwannomas, also known as acoustic neuromas. People with NF2 are at an increased risk of developing cataracts in the eyes and benign skin tumors. They may have café-au-lait spots, which are light brown pigmentation, the colour of “coffee with milk”.
To fully illustrate the variety of this rare condition, we must also note NF Microdeletiom syndrome, which is a rare severe form of neurofibromatosis. Approximately 5% of NF 1 patients present with his specific strand of NF. A patient with this presentation will be missing genes connected to the NF gene and also genes around it, resulting in many learning difficulties and medical conditions.
NF Ireland relies on the dedicated support of the many individuals and companies who give their money and time on behalf of the charity. They appreciate every bit of help we can get which helps us continue their work. If you feel in the position to donate to them directly you can find all the necessary details here.
If you are interested in attending either of these events then contact the relevant parties seen in the text above. If you want to find out more about the condition, or the NF Association of Ireland, then go to their website here.
Organisations of all sizes enter the Good Governance Awards. All genres of organisations try their hand. Some organisations serve the elderly, some serve the young. Whether they win or not, the benefits for all are clear. We have seen this throughout our recent blogs.
Today, we hear from Sinead Keane, the Communications and Advocacy Manager of BeLonG To Youth Services. Sinead explains who BeLonG To Youth Services are, and what they do. Furthermore, Sinead goes on to talk about why the recognition ethical fundraising through the Good Governance Awards was so important.
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“We are the national organisation for LGBTI+ young people in Ireland. Since 2003, we have worked with LGBTI+ young people to create a world where they are equal, safe, and valued in the diversity of their identities and experiences. We offer advice, information, and crisis counselling for LGBTI+ youth, also supporting free, non-judgemental LGBTI+ youth groups across Ireland.
Through our advocacy and campaigning, we ensure policy formation and practice is informed by the voice and experiences of LGBTI+ young people. Through training, we ensure LGBTI+ young people are met by professionals, organisations, and services who are educated to meet and support their needs.
We are honoured to have been shortlisted for the Good Governance Award for our Annual Report and Financial Records for the past three years. We were thrilled when our 2019 Annual Report won the award last year. It meant so much to us as an organisation to have our commitment to good governance, transparency, and ethical fundraising recognised in this way.
Thanks to the detailed feedback from the judges, we have been able to continuously improve our report and financial records. Winning this award helps build trust with our donors and funders and we are grateful to them for continuing to support the lives of LGBTI+ young people.”
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To find out more from BeLonG To Youth Services you can check out their site here. Elsewhere, they’re on social media too, see there Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram.
For more information on the Good Governance Awards the best source is the dedicated website for the awards which can be seen here.
Last week was a bumper week for the promotion of the Good Governance Awards with both video and written testimonials from past winners and today we are back with words from Aidan Horgan, Chair of SharingPoint.
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“SharingPoint was founded in 2002 to provide one-to-one and group counselling to adults suffering from the effects of addiction or indirectly affected by the addiction of a significant other person in their lives. As a registered charity, SharingPoint is an independent, not-for-profit organization which depends upon donations and client contributions to fund its services.
We are led by a full-time CEO, Padraig Langan, who has extensive addiction recovery experience and we have a voluntary Board of Directors with a broad range of experience.
We first entered the awards two years ago with a submission involving our annual report, which to be honest, and in hindsight, we hadn’t given a huge amount of attention to at that time. Not surprisingly, we didn’t score very highly.”
But crucially, we got invaluable feedback which allowed us to enhance our annual report to improve transparency, to share our governance & culture, and to showcase everything that SharingPoint has achieved. We progressed to be nominated again last year, received further invaluable feedback, and now, just one year on, we are delighted to be accepting this award!”
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To find out more from SharingPoint you can check out their site here. For more information on the Good Governance Awards the best source is the dedicated website for the awards which can be seen here.
Carmichael is seeking to recruit a Training & Consultancy Administration Assistant for our growing Training and Consultancy Department.
Carmichael is a leading specialist training and support body for nonprofits in Ireland. Our training, support and resources enable our members and partners to be:
- Better informed and equipped to carry out their own remits more effectively
- Aware of and able to employ best practice for good governance
- Better networked with and supported by peer organisations
- More efficient and effectively run so that they are trusted by their funders and supporters.
Applicants should send a CV and cover letter by email to training@carmichaelireland.ie, including the reference code: TCAA-0621. Deadline for applications is 5pm IST, Friday 16th July 2021.
Job title
Training & Consultancy: Administration Assistant
Department
Training and Consultancy
Responsible to
On a day-to-day level: Senior Training Administrator
Overall purpose of the job
Providing administrative support to ensure the smooth running of the Training and Consultancy Unit.
Areas of work
- Database: maintaining mailing lists, updating existing contacts on database, entering & monitoring information. Generating new contacts.
- Training and consultancy courses administration: dealing with enquiries, maintaining booking system, taking and recording bookings, sending confirmation e-mails and course reminder e-mails, making up course training packs when needed, creating and collating evaluations, liaising with eLearning partner for creation of eLearning courses’ profiles, sending eLearning courses’ login details, and updating all relevant data.
- Liaise with trainers re logistics for scheduled courses.
- Schedule and prepare necessary items for meetings and training courses.
- Maintain and update relevant sections of Carmichael website.
- Create and send surveys, and data analysis for reports.
- Design social media marketing content when necessary using Canva platform.
- Relevant general office duties: telephone enquiries, photocopying, scanning, filing, checking post, etc.
- Maintain supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing orders for supplies.
- Support team by performing tasks related to the department and organization.
Person Specification
Essential skills:
- Excellent administration skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
- Good time management skills.
- Exhibits polite and professional communication via phone, e-mail, and mail.
- Must be proficient with Microsoft Office 365 products, especially Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Desirable skills:
- Familiarity with databases and database management, customer relationship management (CRM) software.
- Good knowledge of community, voluntary & charity sector.
- Desire to be proactive and create a positive experience for others.
Place of work
Carmichael Centre, Dublin 7. Remotely under Covid-19 restrictions.
Hours of work
37.5 hours per week
Salary
€23,400 per annum.
Review
This job description to be reviewed at regular intervals.