Many thanks to our funding partner basis.point for the feature in their October 2021 Bulletin on the recent launch of our new Strategic Plan 2021-2025. Thank you to basis.point CEO, Edel O’Malley, who helped launch the plan on the day along with Eiffion Wiliams, National Director Commissioning with Tusla. You can read the feature here: Archways launch new Strategic Plan (basispoint.ie)
News & Events
Archways are recruiting Accredited Psychotherapists
Archways are recruiting Accredited Psychotherapists
For more information please click on this link Application Details
Closing Date is 12th October 2021
Archways launch new five-year Strategic Plan
Archways have launched an ambitious new Strategic Plan that sets out eight key strategic goals that maps out the work from now until the end of 2025.
The plan was launched at an online event on Tuesday 28th September attended by stakeholders, partners and funders from a range of organisations from across the country. Representatives of two of the organisations who fund the work of Archways formally launched the Strategic Plan 2021-2025 – Edel O’Malley, CEO at basis.point and Eifion Williams, National Service Director for Commissioning at Tusla.
The Strategic Plan has been developed over the last eighteen months and it is built on Archways’ core values such as innovation, the development of quality services, delivering to those most in need and intervening at the earliest possible time. Archways’ vision is ‘to work towards an Ireland where children and families experiencing challenges have the capacity to create lasting positive change in their lives, with access to timely, high quality support programmes’.
Jane Forman, Chairperson (Interim) of Archways speaking at the launch said: ‘This plan has been developed as a collaboration between the Board of Archways and the staff. It aims to build on the work that Archways has been doing over the last 14 years. It will support us to move in new directions and increase our capacity to respond to the needs of children and families in Ireland. A rolling Implementation Plan is being developed in tandem with this Strategic Plan. This will be monitored by the Board and staff to ensure the its’ successful delivery. This has resulted in a plan that has a high level of ownership from the organisation as a whole.’
Hugh Doogan, CEO at Archways added: ‘During the process of developing this plan, Archways, like all services, has had to be innovative and adapt to the global pandemic. This period has reminded us of two important things. Firstly, that timely and caring supports can make the difference between families not coping and families prospering and growing stronger, and secondly that our team in Archways is deeply committed to their work and their flexibility and insight is an important resource both locally and nationally. The plan will be amended to reflect emerging needs, responses and policies. It is ambitious and challenging. However, I believe with the support of our Board and the commitment and quality of our people, it is attainable. We will be responsive to challenges and new opportunities to ensure it is. We look forward to working with a variety of partners at state, regional and local level to bring these programmes to children and families across Ireland, who can benefit so significantly from them.’
The incoming Chairperson of the Board of Archways John Curran highlighted at the event steps being taken by the organisation to improve governance and how foundations to support the successful implementation of the new plan are being put in place.
John Curran will take up the role of Chairperson on the 1st October 2021. Jane Forman will remain on the Board and take up the role of Chairperson of a newly established subcommittee, Strategic Planning & Services.
To read the Strategic Plan 2021-2025 please click here Archways Strategic Plan 2021-2025
Understanding Anxiety and Supporting my Child webinar – part of our basis.point funded initiative
The past year in particular has been a challenging time for families, as everyone navigated the challenges of remote working, home schooling, lack of social contact with family and friends and the subsequent return to schools and offices. Research carried out by Archways highlighted that there is a real appetite among parents to feel better supported at aiding their children’s wellbeing. Our response to this has been the development of our ‘Understanding Anxiety and Supporting my Child’ webinar. This week, we delivered this webinar to parents in our basis.point funded sites in Cork, Wexford, Kilkenny, Waterford and Dublin.
Some of the feedback we received from participants:
“I was so taken with your talk on Tuesday…the explanation of the thinking – worrying – anxiety cycle was excellent, and also the advice you gave to my question on a perfectionist/fear of making mistakes teen”
“Thank you for a really informative and concise webinar. It was great to get all the terms clearly defined and learn some useful tips on how to deal with a worried child”
“Thank you so much for the webinar today. I found it very helpful and will be chatting it through with my husband later. There is so much to take away and implement from it”
Get the Message Out Coverage – The Irish Examiner
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40697972.html
Local groups in Dublin push message of life without gangs
Young people at risk of being sucked into the drugs trade are being targeted by a grassroots project in an area devastated by a spate of gangland murders.
The GMTO initiative — ‘Get the Message out: There are Alternatives to Drugs & Crime’ — was set up in north east Dublin to try and lure young people away from drug gangs.
“2019 was a particularly difficult time for people living and working in the area as we saw too many young people losing their lives to drug-related violence,” according to Paul Rogers, CEO of Northside Partnership, which led the initiative.
He cited the gun murders of friends Sean Little, from Kilbarrack, and Jordan Davis in Darndale in May 2019 — both were aged 22. That November, Eoin Boylan, also aged just 22, was gunned down in Coolock.
In January 2020, there was the “horrific discovery” of partial remains of Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready-Woods in Darndale.
He said these murders sowed the seeds of GMTO.
Deborah Morgans, manager of EDIT (Edenmore Drugs Intervention Team) and spokesperson for GTMO said: “When we came together, we knew that we needed to get a message out to communities that they had not been forgotten and that we were trying to find a different way to target young people involved in the drug economy.”
She said they also wanted families who are caught up in drug-debt intimidation to know that there is support for them too.
“Another important goal for us is to encourage people to consider an alternative lifestyle by highlighting the opportunities, services and activities that are available to help them to reach their full potential,” she said.
Other people speaking at the launch included Ger Redmond, a Darndale man who turned his life around from gangs and prison to being a professional athlete.
He said he grew up in an area where drug dealing, car robbing, and fighting was “normalised” and wanted local kids to know they can dream and set goals.
Community groups involved include EDIT, Kilmore West Youth Project, Sphere 17, The Dales Centre, Donnycarney Youth Project, KCCP (Kilbarrack Coast Community Project), Archways Systemic Family Support, Travact, and Dublin North East Drug and Alcohol Taskforce.
Further details at: northsidepartnership.ie
Launch of Archways new Strategic Plan 2021-2025
Archways are holding the launch of our new Strategic Plan 2021-2025 on Tuesday 28th September 2021 at 2pm via Zoom.
Registration is through EventBrite at this link: Register for Launch of Archways’ Strategic Plan 2021-2025
We are delighted to be joined on the day by Edel O’Malley, CEO, basis.point and Eifion Williams, National Service Director Commissioning, Tusla.
We hope you can join us as we highlight our plans for the next couple of years.
Get the Message Out
Brilliant launch of the #getthemessageout campaign today with seriously powerful contributions. Delighted Archways Systemic Family Support team are part of the initiative in Darndale. #ThereIsAnotherWay
All Island Fund/Community Foundation for Ireland – Archways
Archways are delighted to receive funding through the All Island Fund, administered by the Community Foundation for Ireland, to continue our work to shift policy and service provision in relation to ADHD services in the Republic and Northern Ireland with our partners The Genesis Programme, Louth; Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, Belfast; Netwell Casala Centre, DKIT.
For more information click here All Island Fund / Community Foundation for Ireland
ADHD Workshops – What Works Learning Together Fund
Our Changing Lives team were busy throughout August delivering training on ADHD to education, health and social care professionals with thanks to funding from the What Works Learning Together Fund. The What Works Learning Together Fund is funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) using Dormant Accounts Funding and aims to maximise the impact of prevention and early intervention for children and families in Ireland.
The workshops followed the success of our cross border ADHD project, The Changing Lives Initiative. Thank you to all the practitioners who participated in the training.
@WhatWorksIrl @dcediy
Dr Sean McDonnell from Archways writes about The Changing Lives Initiative Evaluation for The Incredible Years Website’s Blog
Dr Sean McDonnell from Archways writes about The Changing Lives Initiative Evaluation for The Incredible Years Website’s Blog. You can read it at this link:
The Changing Lives Initiative Evaluation on The Incredible Years Blog
