Our Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Guide Dogs is looking for your old postage stamps and coins which can be turned into money! Recently, Tom O’Neill received €530 of old postage stamps and foreign coins and another supporter of the branch changed sterling coins into sterling notes which resulted in euro value of €160. As Tom has said, what some people might consider rubbish has now resulted in €690 for Guide Dogs. So please contact us if you have any old stamps or coins you would like to donate. A wonderful sum of €1,092.50 has also been raised by Specsavers in Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan, who sponsored Santa’s Grotto in the lead up to Christmas, in aid of our Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Guide Dogs. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Brian Brodigan and everyone in Specsavers for their continued support. Did you have a chance to attend the Annual Feis in Naul GAA club which took place on Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th February? All proceeds went to the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. The Feis is a fantastic event which has brought in over €25,000 for our branch over the years. For that we say a massive thank you. We spoke about the fantastic puppy raiser, Anne Mulligan in our last article and we are pleased to let you know that Cosmo, puppy raised by Anne Mulligan began her advanced training as an Assistance Dog in early January. Best of luck to Cosmo and we will keep you updated with her progression. Are you looking for a new hobby this year? Well, this year Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind is hoping to launch a ‘Summer of Golf’ across the country. There have been great successes with the great Woodbrook Golf Club, and the great Portmarnock/Malahide Team who also have a brilliant annual Golf Event in their calendar. We are looking to make contact with all the local golf club/s to introduce yourself and to (hopefully) look at working with them to support the Guide Dogsin some way over the course of the year. If you would like to get involved for the Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch, please contact us. If you are interested in volunteering with us please feel free to contact us the Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind by phone/text: 085 7663107, by email: guidedogsbalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook: Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs

Balbriggan Youth Theatre is looking for facilitators. Do you have a theatre related talent and are interested in forming part of a creative team? Location will be Balbriggan Library. Email Raquel.MurilloDiestro@fingal.ie for more information.

One of our fantastic Balbriggan North County Dublin Guide Dogs volunteers, Anne Mulligan who has puppy raised multiple times, explains that “In 2010, having taken early retirement from the Civil Service I began volunteering with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind as a Puppy Raiser.” Anne said, “Puppies arrive with the raiser at 9 weeks old and stay until they are 12-14 months old at which time return to Cork for further training. Puppy raising comprises socialisation and taking the pup anywhere they would be going with a Visually Impaired Person or child with Autism. Support is provided through a Puppy Walking Supervisor.” Anne went on and discussed the first pup, she puppy raised, stating, “The first pup I took on was Zak, followed in no particular order by Cinders, Genna, Oscar, Gabbie, Zabbie, Coby, William, Adel, Yarrow and most recently Cosmo. It can sometimes happen that dogs, for various reasons are found to be unsuitable and are withdrawn from the programme. This was the case with Zak, William and Coby who were rehomed as family pets. Zabbie was part of the breeding programme. All of the others became Assistance Dogs for children with Autism. Cosmo, my most recent pup, returned to Cork on 18th September and will be starting her advanced training as an Assistance Dog in early January.” Anne noted that, “Another aspect of volunteering is temporary boarding. Naturally, there are times Puppy Raisers, Guide Dog or Assistance Dog Owners will be going on holidays or for other reasons will need their dogs looked after for short periods. This is where I come in handy. Sometimes, I take a friend’s Guide Dog for a free run in Ardgillan which is very enjoyable both for the human and the dog.” Anne finished by saying that “While puppy raising is hard work, it is also very enjoyable and rewarding especially when you see your pup helping a Visually Impaired Person or a child with Autism. I have made many friends over the years and would certainly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about volunteering.” Also, just to note that the Annual Feis in Naul GAA club is on Saturday 10th /11th February if you would like to attend. The Feis is a fantastic event which has brought in over €25,000 for our branch over the years and for that a massive thank you! If you would like to get involved or are interested in volunteering, please feel free to contact us: Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Phone or text us on 085 7663107. Email us at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs. You can visit GuideDogs.ie to find out more about puppy raising.

Fingal TD, Minister Joe O’Brien has welcomed €45m Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The grant is €45m announced under the Building Blocks - Capacity Grant. There are also Grants in early 2024 for Early Learning and Childcare Services to expand their capacity by means of internal renovations. Grants from mid-2024 for Early Learning and Childcare Services to deliver larger scale extensions to their premises by the end of 2025. A targeted Grant will deliver thousands of Early Learning and Childcare places in areas of undersupply.

Roderic O’Gorman TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has today announced a €45m Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks – Capacity Grant is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare under the revised National Development Plan 2021-2030 (NDP). The purpose of the Building Blocks - Capacity Grant is to address capacity gaps by expanding existing provision and investing in the development of new provision where most needed. The primary focus of the Capacity Grant is to increase capacity in the 1-3 age range for full day or part-time care. Places for children under age 1 will also be eligible for funding. The Capacity Grant will be open to Core Funding partner services. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is undertaking a detailed needs analysis of supply and demand for Early Learning and Childcare. This analysis will identify areas of undersupply across the country and will allow the funding to be targeted at areas most in need. Welcoming the announcement, Minister Joe O’Brien said “This funding will enable services to develop new provisions where they are needed, and it will also extend existing services ensuring that capacity gaps are addressed.”

With the close of 2023, brings the close of another busy year for the Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Guide Dogs and we want to thank everyone again who supported us and volunteered throughout the year. Here’s to another year of fundraising and fun still yet to come! We are delighted with the success of our merchandise stand in SuperValu, Balbriggan on the 10th and 11th November which raised a fantastic total of €1,830.20 over the two days and on the 24th and 25th November, which saw the arrival of Santas Grotto at Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan which raised another brilliant total of €1,694 over two days. It’s safe to say the Christmas season well and truly kicked off with the arrival of Santa. On Sunday 10th December our branch continued the run up to Christmas by attending Bremore Castle Food and Craft Village Christmas Market with our Christmas cards, calendars and car raffle tickets. With the start of the new year, while things are a bit quiet, it is also is a time for many people to make new year’s resolutions and our branch is looking for three or four volunteers specifically, to empty our counter boxes. In 2023 we increased our counter box team in Balbriggan and Dublin city. We badly need help in Skerries, Rush and Lusk and also in rural North County Dublin so why not make a resolution to join our counter box team? You can also still support our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Guide Dogs by tap to donating €3 at one of our machines at Specsavers in Millfield Shopping Centre, Specsavers in Ashbourne, Skinny Batch Café in Lusk, Pet Stop in Airside and Specsavers in GPO Arcade Dublin. You can also keep an eye on our social media pages for any upcoming events and if you would like to get involved or are interested in volunteering with us, please feel free to contact us: Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, you can phone or text us on 085 7663107, email us at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.

The book “Becoming Your Best Possible Self” by Gerard Morgan has recently been published. Gerard is living in Malahide and would like to inform locals of this book and provide an opportunity to fundraise for a very worthy cause. The book was initially written as a legacy for his two sons and provides a timely transformative personal growth strategy for all readers. The book is now available in the following places; (1.) Hodges Figgis /Waterstones, Dawson Street, Dublin (near Trinity College) (2.) Manor Books, Malahide Village, Co Dublin, (3.) Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, (4.) The book is included with the adult education course “Becoming Your Best Possible Self” in Malahide Community School based on the book in the new year. (It is a 7-week course) Information is on this link malahidecsadulted.ie/best-possible-self/.
Please note all profits from the sale of the book will go to the charity Samaritans Ireland.

EggHeadz CLG is delivering programmes and support services across Fingal and Dublin. Here is some of what we’re doing…

School Engagement: The recommencement of EggHeadz in-school, after-school programmes, drop-in evening and weekend classes is in full swing since September in Primary and Secondary schools throughout Fingal and Dublin City.

Youth Recovery Programmes: EggHeadz launched a Recovery through Activity Programme. A six-week program for teenagers living in Fingal who are having difficulties with their mental health which started in October and is currently underway. The programme is supported by the Health Service Executive and CAMHS.

Community Engagement: EggHeadz supporters and volunteers took part in the King of the Castle, Cycle Against Suicide event in August. October was World Mental Health month and we marked in distributing Green Ribbon’s throughout the community.

EggHeadz Youth Camps: Our Halloween Mid-term Sport4All camp was a great success and we’re really looking forward to our future camps where we will bring more fun, fitness, outdoor activity, relaxation, sport and therapeutic supports.

EggHeadz Activities and Events: Water Sports: Weekly kayaking, and Paddleboarding was enjoyed by teenagers during the summer. HER Outdoors was celebrated with Yoga, Dip, Paddle-boarding in Donabate, Portrane and Malahide Estuary.

EggHeadz Inclusion Programmes: EggHeadz support services take place in five different centres for Direct Provision in the Fingal area. Our engagement with the migrant community has been vital for integration and inclusion of young people in local sports clubs.

FREE Youth Counselling in Donabate: This is available free of charge to young people (aged 12-25) by appointment. It is available on Mondays in Donabate Portrane Community Centre and appointments are available between 9.30am and 3.30pm. Contact Mairead on 086-329 6812 or by email eggheadzcounselling@gmail.com to book an appointment. For more follow us on social media visit our website or scan the QR code.

By Lusk Community Network

On our Facebook and Instagram pages ILoveLusk, we put up quick posts in relation to available grants and then point you back to our main website – lovelusk.ie. Even within the ‘Community Grants’ page, we provide a summary of the grants and a link to the full information. While our web page lovelusk.ie/home/community-grants/ may only give a brief description of the grant, don’t be put off by the wording. Click on the link supplied by us, bringing you to the relevant section of the grant providers’ website. If you need examples of how this grant was used by other groups, most websites provide a list of recipients in prior years and give brief descriptions about their projects. These descriptions are brilliant as you now have examples of accepted projects. You can decide if any of these projects would or could apply to your organisation. If you feel you need extra clarity, most groups have either a website or a Facebook page and so if you need to, you can contact them and from our experience, they are more than happy to talk. On our Facebook and Instagram page, we posted about the Community Water Development Fund, which is currently open. Examples of previous local recipients were provided – Balbriggan Tidy Towns, OWLS (Children’s Nature Charity) and Swords Tidy Towns, as well as the possibility of applying for this grant for a feasibility study into rain water harvesting systems, showing how St. Maur’s GAA received funding from LEADER to help with harvesting rain water from the roof of their clubhouse. In other words, this grant could be a stepping stone for further available grants. It would be very easy to miss this wide ranging grant. So, get into a habit of looking at the grants page on our website, clinking into the links provided and reading the extra information contained there. Don’t be put off by the wording and, with the examples provided of prior approved projects, think within and outside the box. Then don’t forget to apply! Check out our website lovelusk.ie, our Facebook & Instagram pages - iLoveLusk

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and one of the busiest times for our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Guide Dogs. Our merchandise stand was in SuperValu, Balbriggan on both Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th November and also up in Millfield Shopping Centre on Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th November for the arrival of Santa, where we had car raffle tickets, Christmas cards and calendars, all of which are still available and if you missed us at any of the events in November and would like to get the above merchandise, our Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch will be at the Bremore Castle Crafts Fair on the 10th December so you can come along, get your goodies and say hello. If you are not in North County Dublin however and find yourself in Co Cavan at the Ballinagh Tractor Run on the same date, you just might run into Tom O’Neill and his guide dog Qeb who will be attending. Another way to support us this Christmas season is to donate any old Irish coins, old sterling and any other coins and notes from around the world, along with old postage stamps that you might have lying around, as our branch receives the money from everything that comes in.Finally, our counter boxes and large dogs are a very steady fundraiser throughout the year and we want to thank all the premises holders that allow these containers to be placed on their premises. We would love more help to empty these boxes and large dogs especially in the Rush, Lusk and Skerries areas of North County Dublin. If you would like to help, please contact us on the details below. We would also like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has volunteered, donated and supported our Branch throughout the year. We wish you a happy Christmas and a fantastic new year! If you are interested in volunteering with us, please feel free to contact us: Balbriggan/North County Dublin branch of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, you can phone or text us on 085 7663107, email us whenever you can at GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.

Fingal Arts Office in partnership with the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) are delighted to announce Aoife Dunne as the recipient of the 2023 Fingal County Council and RHA Studio Award. The award offers a funded studio space within the RHA for one year providing valuable support for an artist to develop their artistic practice. The artist will also have access to the ancillary activities of the RHA school such as master classes, seminars, artist talks and drawing groups as well as placing them directly in an environment with other professional visual artists. Sarah O’Neill, County Arts Officer commented, “Fingal Arts Office is proud to support Aoife Dunne through this exciting opportunity at the RHA. This award responds to the Fingal County Council 2019 – 2025 Arts Plan objective to enable the creative and professional development of artists and encourage individuals to excel in their thinking and practice.” Aoife Dunne is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intricacies of contemporary existence through ambitious digital installations, fusing sculpture, video, sound, performance, technology, and costume. Her approach incorporates improvisatory, interactive, and performative elements, harnessing digital technology in innovative ways. Her research centers around the profound impact of technology on our perception of place and the dynamic interplay between physical and virtual spaces. With a dedicated focus on exploring the transformative effects of these influences on reality, identity, and community. Aoife commented on being awarded, “The Fingal County Council and RHA Studio Award holds immense value for me as it provides the ideal space to experiment and continue developing my large-scale immersive works. I am very thankful and excited for the opportunity.” During her time in the Fingal RHA Studio Residency, Aoife will continue her research on the impact of technology, examining concepts of identity, intimacy, and the nature of reality, further exploring the intersection between technology, art, and embodiment. Aoife Dunne (B.1995, Ireland) graduated from NCAD Fine Art Media in 2016 and has since exhibited extensively internationally. Her work has been featured in prominent exhibitions, including shows at The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver USA, The Royal Academy of Arts London, and The Irish Museum of Modern Art..