National Spring Clean 2023
Thanks to the trainees for picking up litter around the Doorly Park area today and for making a positive impact on our environment. This National Spring Clean initiative is in conjunction with Sligo County Council who provided us with bags, gloves and high vis...
Stand Up Paddleboarding in the beautiful sunshine
Painting and Potting Plants
It was a beautiful week so the trainees were very busy out in the garden. Thanks to Paul for giving a fantastic demo to trainees on potting plants and hanging baskets. We were also improving our outdoor space by painting the benches! We picked lovely salad leaves,...
Sewing and Upcycling Class
This week we finished our sewing class with Lorna. Well done Chloe, Sarah, Aidan, Amy, Kenesha and Rouqiya for taking part. Amy put a lovely video together to showcase the trainees amazing work and thanks to Lorna!
Gardening Update
Today was a beautiful day and trainees were busy in the garden - watering, setting cabbages, tomatoes and mangetout. Our green salads, radishes and herbs are all ready to pick!
Bee Hotel
Thanks to Jules, catering trainees for organising Damian from Youthreach Sligo to make a bee hotel for our YSI project ‘There’s No Plan B’. It looks fantastic!
Young Social Innovators – Local Community Showcase – DCU
Last Thursday 25th May the Young Social Innovators group along with Mary and Lisa went to DCU Alpha, Dublin to the Youth Pilot Programme to showcase their project ‘There’s No Plan B’. This was a fantastic opportunity to give an overview of our project and to celebrate...
Biodiversity Week 2023
This week is biodiversity week 2023 and Amy put together a lovely slideshow video using nature photos taken by trainees around our centre.
Sewing Class with Lorna
Another fun filled busy class with Lorna sewing this morning. Aidan and Amy joined the group today, there was plenty of learning how to sew different stitches, following patterns, cutting out material, measuring, finishing off pouches, making pockets and even a top!...
Gardening Update
A snapshot our our garden today!
No Mow May
We are delighted to take part in the No Mow May initiative for a section of the front garden owned by the IDA. During the month of May this section will not be cut by a lawnmower to help our native wildlife grow. There are plenty of wildflowers growing, all of which...
National Bike Week 2023
Some of the hairdressing trainees got out for a lovely cycle with Ronan this week as part of National Bike Week.
Hairdressing Skills
Some fantastic skills from the trainees in the hairdressing department!
Sewing with Lorna – Making Upcycled Garden Aprons
This week Lorna showed the trainees how to make an upcycled garden apron, these aprons are going to be used in the CTC garden and the YSI group will bring to Dublin next week. We used old material, jeans pocket and old towels from hairdressing. This saved us money,...
YSI – Making Badges ‘There’s No Plan B’
Catherine, art tutor was showing Chloe and Yazn how to make badges today in art class, these badges will be used for our YSI presentation of our project 'There's No Plan B' in Dublin on 25th May.
Our Garden – new planters
The YSI group made great progress in the garden last Thursday with Martina, transplanting and filling up our new planters! We planted Spring Onion, Calendula, Nasturtium, beetroot, Spring Onion, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes and Sweat Pea. Thanks to Alex for putting this...
YSI – Community Visit
Thanks to Connie from Cranmore Coop Community Garden for visiting the centre and garden today to meet our YSI group.
Launch of the YSI Information Stand
Today the YSI’s launched their project “There’s no plan bee” in the centre. We had a display in the hallway, information on the screen in the canteen and the catering department made beautiful bee themed cupcakes!
Beekeeper Visit
Thanks to Gerry, Beekeeper from Wild Arigna Organic Honey for coming to the centre to give a very informative talk to trainees all about bees, bee hives, making honey and the benefits of local honey. Jules organised this talk as part of Young Social Innovators....
Upcycling and Sewing – Making Pockets
The girls are really enjoying their sewing and upcycling course with Lorna, today they were learning how to make pockets for the top they made in the last class. A useful skill to learn!
Gardening and Herbal Tea
Today Martina came in from Nature Inspires and some of the trainees went out to do some gardening out in our garden. Afterwards Martina showed us how to make peppermint and lemon balm tea using the herbs from the garden. We tasted the tea and Martina explained the...
YSI – Planting Seeds to encourage pollination in our garden
Bee Extinction – Display boards for canteen
This week the YSI have been working on a very eye catching informative display board for the canteen to tell the staff and other trainees about our project on Bee extinction!
Nature Walk – Doorly Park
We went for a lovely nature photography walk yesterday around Doorly Park as part of Young Social Innovators to identify pollinator friendly plants. We also took in the beautiful scenery, wildlife and bees!
Signage and Mural for YSI Project
Today the YSI group were working on signage to identify a Bee friendly area in the centre garden. We were drawing, painting on rocks using tracing paper and stencils. We are hoping to do a spray painted graffiti mural on the wall of a bee using stencils. We were...
Gardening – Planting Seeds
This week we were busy planting flowers, vegetables and herb seeds before Easter. Some of the seeds we planted were: Sweet Pea, Spring Onion, Mixed Oriental Greens, Chives, Yellow Poppy, Calendula, Nasturtium, Nigella in the Mist, Beetroot and Lavender. We were also...
Young Social Innovators – Visit to Cranmore Coop Community Garden
On Friday 31st March 2023 the Young Social Innovators group visited Cranmore Coop Community Garden. Connie gave us a tour of the garden, she talked about what she has planted in her garden and which plants are suitable for bees. She also told us she had her own YSI...
Easter Newsletter 2023
Hello, How Are You?
We had a very enjoyable day today as part of Mental Health Ireland's 'Hello, How Are You' campaign. There was amazing baking and decorating from our catering department for tea and chat, mindfulness colouring, a nature photography walk, cycling and gardening. Thanks...
Young Social Innovators
Young Social Innovators meet weekly on a Wednesday 1130am - 1230pm Members: Chloe, Yazn, Oliwia, Jules, Robbie & Tori.