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| Togher
Family Centre Ltd., 6 Maglin Grove, Deanrock Estate, Togher, Cork City, Ireland. |
| GENERAL
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Togher Family Centre Limited is a voluntary, community based project located in the heart of Deanrock Estate, Togher, Cork City where we occupy a house which has been extended and modified to meet the highest standards of health and safety and requirements of childcare act 1991. The centre provides for the needs of 2,525 local authority built homes that are situated in the northern end of the Togher parish. The project developed from a long established community based preschool facility (1973). The pre-school has always been characterised by a great sense of local identification and this laid the foundation for a large element of parental involvement. More than 50% of The Board of Management is made up from Family Centre members. The primary focus of the work is on early childhood education and development in partnership with parents. At present the Family Centre provides a two session preschool daily, a crèche, baby room and lunch time programme daily, creative after school activities for children, 4-12 years old, homework tutorials and adult developmental programmes using self directed groupwork. Our main aim is to work for the promotion of social justice and equality of opportunity in an area of high unemployment with a vulnerable population of men, women and children experiencing social exclusion due to low income, in receipt of social welfare, living in an area with inadequate resources many of whom are parenting alone. The core work of the centre is education, health care and overall development and enhancement of parents in the growth and development of themselves and of their children. We strive to create a sense of real ownership and responsibility through 'partnership' by involving parents and other adults in this evolving process. Parents and children build on their existing skills, gain self-confidence and eventually extend these skills within their own families and outwards to the development of their community. Our quality childcare provision enables members to access training, education and job opportunities. We are committed to a co-operative concept based on a collaborative, democratic way of working using a participatory rather than a compensatory approach. As with any true democracy there is naturally conflict. We acknowledge and respect the conflict by using 'gripe' meetings as a method of harnessing the energy. We strive to work alongside each other in an atmosphere of mutual respect, shared decision making and skills sharing using a self directed group work model. Team-building and access to training opportunities provide an integrated and cohesive membership consisting of voluntary and paid workers. This model of co-operative empowerment involves partnerships, which in turn involves active participation in all aspects of the work. The empowerment process is tailored to the needs of each individual. We use a 'crushed' power system because we believe that to be actively involved with any co-operative there is a need to provide opportunities to experience the development of trust, shared responsibility and mutual respect. It is through this evolving process that each individual may choose to grow in self-esteem, to feel valued and respected. The development of the Togher Pre-school and Family Centre over twenty five years reflects the growth and difficulties associated in general with this type of provision in Ireland. Prior to receiving funding from the Bernard van Leer Foundation in 1989 the centre operated on poor and inconsistent financial support. The Bernard van Leer Foundation funding ceased in February 1995. The Health Service Executive (HSE) - Southern Area now provides main stream funding for the core work of the centre. The project is now widely recognised as a resource and support for groups in the process of setting up similar projects. These groups give us encouragement and remind us that our centre didn't just happen overnight The
centre has managed to develop and expand its
services with a strong commitment: The voluntary human contribution to the centre is an inestimable resource |
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E-Mail:
togherfamilycentre@eircom.net Home Top Profile Courses Designed by Members of Togher Family Centre Ltd. |
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