Minutes of Annual General Meeting 2015
(Reporting on business of 2014)
29th April 2015
The Annual General Meeting of Obair Newmarket-on-Fergus Ltd.
was held on Wednesday 29th April 2015 in the Obair Offices, Ennis Road, Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Chairperson Bernadette Glynn chaired the meeting.
Apologies
Apologies were received from Oonagh McMahon, Lucy Hastings
McGrath and Kevin Barry.
Format
The AGM of Obair
Newmarket-on-Fergus Ltd. and Obair Environment Services Ltd. were held at the
same meeting therefore the business of each company was conducted sequentially.
Minutes
The minutes of the previous years
AGM were read by the Secretary, proposed for adoption by John Quinlivan and
seconded by Margaret O'Rourke Quill.
Chairpersons Remarks
Chairperson
Bernadette Glynn welcomed all present and commenced the meeting by reminding us
of the Obair Mission Statement which is as follows:-
To create a united vibrant community working together in
harmony for the benefit of all
In her opening
remarks she said how saddened we all were at the loss of Imelda Slevin earlier
in the year. She was a valuable member of staff and enjoyed her work at Obair
which she performed diligently. She thanked all present for attending and for
their interest in our companies. She mentioned that Obair was now in existence
22 years, and that we continually face challenges but we also continue to
improve our operations for the ultimate benefit of the community. One key
objective is the development of viable social enterprise in the community and
to address social isolation by putting together programmes to combat the issue.
We have in 2015
signed up to the 5 principles of the Governance Code and continue to strive to
put all facets of the code in place for our companies.
She thanked the
funders and all the agencies and community groups that have worked with us in
2014 for their support and said they continue to recognise the importance of
Obair in the community. She thanked the excellent staff in Obair and the
voluntary Board of Directors and all other volunteers involved with the company
for their valued work over the past year.
She particularly
thanked our manager Pat Cronin for
his leadership during the year. She finished by paying tribute to the staff of
both companies for their continuing commitment in sometimes difficult
circumstances.
Obair
Newmarket-on-Fergus Ltd.
Ψ
John Byrnes of Vaughan & Co. presented the financial
report of 2014 for Obair Newmarket-on-Fergus Ltd. It showed a retained
profit/loss of (18,166) compared to (63,835) for the previous year. Proposed
for adoption by Deirdre Whitney O'Dea and seconded by Triona Marren O'Grady.
Ψ
The auditors Vaughan & Co. to continue
Bankers AIB to continue
Solicitors Howard Crimmins to continue
All 3 above proposed by Bill Gorman
and seconded by DJ Meehan.
Election of Directors
Due to the company rule two directors were obliged to retire
having served 3 years; they were Bill Gorman and Bernadette Glynn. Both were
prepared to continue as directors and were deemed elected as per article 52 of
our Articles of Association. Jimmy Kelly also offered his resignation after a
long service as a director.
There were three nominations to the board.
Vivian Grogan
nominated by Siobhαin O'Driscoll,
seconded by Kevin Ryan
Ber Comte
nominated by Eugene Crimmins and seconded by Jimmy Kelly
Anne Weir
nominated by Jimmy Kelly and seconded by Deirdre Whitney O'Dea
As there were only 2 positions vacant on the board it was
proposed by DJ Meehan that we increase the number of positions to 15 to offer
positions to all three candidates. This proposal seconded by John Quinlivan. As
per article 54 of our Articles of Association this was approved. All three were
declared elected.
Obair Environment
Services Ltd.
Ψ
John Byrnes of Vaughan & Co. gave the
financial report of 2014 for Obair Environment Services Ltd. It showed a
retained profit/loss for the year of 283 after the years trading compared to
(53,998) for the previous year. Proposed for adoption by John Quinlivan and
seconded by Bill Gorman.
Ψ
The auditors Vaughan & Co. to continue
Bankers AIB to continue
Solicitors Howard Crimmins to continue
All 3 above proposed by Deirdre
Whitney O'Dea and seconded by Tony McMahon
Election of Directors
Due to the company rule 1 director was obliged to retire
having served 3 years. This was director Jim O'Neill. As there was no
communication from him reference his willingness to continue as a director he
was not re-elected.
There was 1 new director appointed.
Tony McMahon was
nominated by Eugene Crimmins and seconded by DJ Meehan.
Tony was declared elected.
John Byrnes thanked those involved in internal audit for the
accuracy of the accounts presented to him and said that Environment Services
were very dependent on grant aid from Pobal to continue as a going
concern.
There was a motion brought forward by Eugene Crimmins which
he presented and elaborated on. Motion seconded by Jim O'Neill. Chairperson
Bernadette Glynn proposed that a sub-committee be formed to discuss the motion
and see if it could be implemented. This proposal of chairperson was seconded
by DJ Meehan.
Signed
Chair______________________
Secretary _____________________
Dated____________
Vision
and Objectives of Obair
Vision
for Obair
To
create an united vibrant community working in harmony for the benefit of all
Objectives
-
To assist in establishing viable
enterprise in the parish of Newmarket-on-Fergus
and surrounding areas which will generate sustainable employment
-
To support those who may not have an
opportunity to access employment in particular the long-term unemployed and
young people.
-
To develop a spirit of enterprise in
our community
-
To foster a greater sense of place by
encouraging and assisting the protection and enhancement of the environment
-
To promote educational and training
activities for the further development of our community
-
To facilitate greater community
participation in the development of
our area.
Cooperation and Compliments
Obair once again
continued to work closely with all agencies in the area during the past
year. This close co-operation will continue
into the future as the work of the Obair
programme continues. We are grateful for
the support provided by the many agencies that we worked with during the past
year and we look forward to continuing to work together to support and develop
the community of Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Ψ Age Action Ireland
Ψ Caring for Carers
Ψ Child and Family Agency
Ψ Clare County
Childcare Committee
Ψ Clare County Council
Ψ Clare Local Development Company
Ψ Clare Youth Service
Ψ Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme
Ψ Community Services Programme, Pobal
Ψ Community Substance Misuse Team
Ψ Department of Children and Youth Affairs
Ψ Department of Social Protection
Ψ Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme
Ψ Early Years Capital
Ψ Garda Diversion Programme
Ψ Health Services Executive, West
Ψ IPB Insurance
Ψ LEADER
Ψ Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board
Ψ Mid Western Regional Drugs Task Force
Ψ National Childcare Investment Programme, Pobal
Ψ Pobal
Ψ School Meals (Local Projects) Scheme
Ψ Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Programmes
Ψ Tϊsla, Child & Family Agency
Ψ Youth Work Ireland
We are
eternally grateful to our large number of volunteers across all of our
community groups and services. We would
like to express our gratitude to you all following a successful year in
implementing our programmes and look forward to continued support and success.
Centre, Facility & Equipment Usage
by
Community & Voluntary Groups
We welcomed all of the
following community groups who have availed of our centre, facilities or
equipment during 2015:
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·
Acorn Womens
Group
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·
Meals on Wheels
|
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·
Beginners
Computer Course
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·
Newmarket Celtic Soccer Club
|
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·
Brothers of
Charity
|
·
Newmarket on Fergus Agricultural Show
|
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·
Buzz Stop Youth
Cafι
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·
Newmarket on Fergus Community Hall
|
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·
Carrigoran
House, Nursing Home
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·
ORegan Park
Committee
|
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·
Child Play
Therapy
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·
Over 55s
Computer Tablet Course
|
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·
Clare Local
Development Company
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·
Pakie Ryan
Committee
|
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·
Clare Youth
Service
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·
Parent and
Toddler Group
|
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·
Community
Development through Sewing
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·
Pink Angel
Ball, Cancer Support Fundraiser
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·
Community Games
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·
Public Health
Nurse
|
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·
Cubs
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·
Scoil na
Maighdine Mhuire
|
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·
Darkness Into
Light, Pieta House
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·
Scouts
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·
Ennis Community College
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·
Shannon Rugby
Club
|
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·
Farmers Market
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·
Slαinte an
Chlαir, Clare Cancer Support
|
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·
Going Strong
Active Retirement Group
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·
Social
Inclusion Committee
|
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·
Grinds for
Secondary School Children
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·
St Patricks Comprehensive
School, Shannon
|
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·
Irish
Traditional Music Institute
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·
St Vincent De
Paul
|
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·
Jobseekers
Assistance
|
·
SVP Christmas
Appeal
|
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·
LCETB Motor
Technology Course
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·
TUS Training
|
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·
Low Cost
Counseling Service
|
·
Village
Carnival Festival
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Community Development
Family Counselling:
In
conjunction with Family Support Agency in Tϊsla, Clare Youth Service, Garda
Diversion Programme, St Vincent de Paul and Mid West Regional Drugs Task Force we
delivered intervention counselling services through Obairs low cost adolescent
counselling service and play therapy. Our counselling has been following the HSE
Meitheal good practise in counselling guidelines. Obair
apply for grants to Tϊsla, HSE and Youth Work Ireland for funding towards counselling
and confidence building. This counselling grant goes towards families
identified by both the schools and the Clare Youth Service.
Youth Work:
Obairs
Buzzstop Youth Cafι ran until September of 2015 last year. Members of the
Buzzstop Youth Cafe completed a walk on Mullaghmore to fundraise for Laura Lynn
Foundation. They also took part in Clare Youth Service games in April of 2015
and won out the competition.
Working
with Families in need: Obair Community Development supports families in need
receiving emergency accommodation, newly renting a home or who have received a
council house. They are provided with much needed household essentials from
beds, washing machines, hoovers, clothes and fuel. At Christmas time Obair
Community Development in conjunction with St Vincent de Paul assemble, collect
and deliver 90 food hampers to families in the Newmarket on Fergus and Sixmilebridge area.
Garda Diversion Work:
Clare
Youth Service and Obair Community Development are supporting the delivery of group
work to youths in Newmarket
on Fergus area.
Going Strong:
Our
Active Retirement Group had a great year of activities and celebrated 20 years going
strong. To mark the occasion they donated a new sensory garden to the ORegan
Park Playground and Recreation Area. This was to commemorate the Going Strong
members who have passed on and also marks as a gift to all ages in the village.
Helping our neighbouring Community
Groups:
In
2015 Obair Community Development facilitated local community groups by supplying
sound equipment, generators, film equipment and a Marquee. Benefactors of our
equipment in 2015 were Newmarket Celtic soccer club, Carrigoran House, Pakie
Ryan run, Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire, Clare Crusaders, Darkness into Light,
Slαinte an Chlαir and Ennis
Community College.
Education and Training
2015
was a very successful year in education and training in Obair with a successful
QQI Level 5 car mechanics course with full student completion of course which
is unheard of in Adult Education. This is the most successful adult education
LTI(Local Training Initiative) in County
Clare. Community Adult Education
have had a very successful year with both the womens Acorns Group and the
Going Strong Active Retirement group both accessing two lots each of ten adult
education programmes in dance, painting, crafts and beauty therapy. Two
successful sewing and interior design adult education classes were also
completed.
Arts and Heritage
The
Obair Heritage and Arts sections mission statement is to engage, educate and
advocate while also to develop a wider understanding of the vital contribution
that our Heritage and the Arts makes to our community.
Visit from Minister Simon Harris to Mooghaun Bronze Age Hillfort
In May 2015 Minister for State Simon
Harris officially opened the new viewing platform at Mooghaun Hillfort
Newmarket on Fergus. The older one had fallen into disrepair and had to be
removed due to health and safety reasons. Subsequently the OPW met with Deputy
Joe Carey and members of Obair which resulted in the reinstatement of the
facility. Minister Harris has responsibility for the OPW and during his visit
committed to enhancing the visitor experience to Clare and urged everyone to
take the time to visit Mooghaun and enjoy all that this wonderful heritage site
has to offer.
National Heritage Week and Heritage Week Training
For National Heritage Week 2015 the
heritage council facilitated training at Dublin Castle
for event organisers. There was also a theme given to heritage week 2015 which
was Industrial Heritage. Following on from this there was a lecture with Dr.
Colin Rynne from UCC, The title was Ireland's Industrial Heritage. Dr.
Rynne is the leading authority on this subject and this lecture gave a great
insight into Ireland
in the 18th and 19th Century. It took place on Thursday 27th of August at
Beechlawn House Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Liam O Maonlaν and Ronαn O Snσdaigh Concert
This event took place as part of
National Heritage Week and with funding from the Clare County Council Arts
Programme in partnership with the Irish Traditional Music Institute. Obair
hosted a masterclass and concert with two of Irelands most renowned musicians
Rσnαn Σ Snodaigh and Liam O Maonlaν. Earlier in the day a free Bodhrαn class
was facilitated with both musicians, this was open to anyone with an interest
in learning about the instrument. Later that evening Liam and Ronαn played in
the Marquee to a crowd of approximately 200 people, food was cooked and served
from the purpose built cob oven, and the event was covered and aired by Irish
TV.
Also a big thank you to is owed to Deirdre
O Brien Vaughan who is a great patron
of the arts within the community and a dear friend of the Obair Arts and
Heritage Programme.
Childcare Division
Our
Mission Statement:
Obair Community Crθche is a non-profit
organisation aiming to provide affordable, accessible, high quality and safe
childcare for the immediate and surrounding areas of
Newmarket-on-Fergus.
The highlights of the Crθche and After School Project
in 2015 were:
Ψ Excellent childcare continues to be
given to approximately 70 children.
Ψ Five members of the Crθche staff
successfully completed FETAC Level 5 training.
There are also four others who are currently working towards achieving
their FETAC Level 6 qualification in 2016.
Ψ A childcare administrator was
recruited on a part time basis to work through the backlog of administration
work and also to assist the Crθche Manager with the day to day administrative
duties of the Crθche.
Ψ The results of an unannounced HSE
Crθche Inspection carried out in September were very positive with no issues
found.
Ψ Towards the end of 2015, the
following improvements were carried out within the Crθche, the costs of which
were covered by the Early Years Capital Grant :
o
The
sink fittings and fixtures were replaced in the toddler and pre-school room.
o
The
mulch in the outdoor play area was replaced with a soft wetpour surface
creating a safer and cleaner environment for the children to play in.
o
A
wheelchair ramp was constructed to enable the play area to be accessed by those
with limited mobility.
o
Work
was carried out in the pre-school and after school bathrooms to improve the
ventilation systems.
Ψ Santas visit and the Christmas Party
Ψ Participated
in the National Pyjama Day in aid of Autism Ireland.
Ψ Participated
in the Toddle Walk for Barnardos.
Ψ Visited ORegan Park on numerous
occasions.
Obair
Community Crθche and After School Project continue to provide childcare
facilities for children aged between 3 months and 13 years within the Family
Centre. We continually focus on the
Social Inclusion needs of Newmarket
on Fergus and its surrounding areas through our admissions policy, recruitment
and training policies.
Obair
Community Crθche and After School Project are funded directly by the Department
of Social Protection and the Department for Children and Youth Affairs. This funding is administered through
Pobal. We would like to thank Pobal for
their continued support. We currently
operate the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) scheme, the Early Childhood
Care and Education (ECCE) scheme and the Training and Employment Childcare
(TEC) Programmes through the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP)
under the guidelines of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA).
Cafe Fergus
Cafι
Fergus continues to operate as a true community hub in the heart of the
village; a valued social outlet in the heart of the community and, since April
2015, is now open 6 days a week. We put an emphasis on creating local
employment and supporting local producers. The Newmarket on Fergus and South Clare Meals on
Wheels service is operated from the Cafι; the meals are produced here supplying
the clients with a fresh, hot home cooked dinner on a daily basis. We produce
these wholesome nutritious meals to a strict standard as well as meeting the
Cafιs high level of quality and taste.
There
were some staff changes in May 2015 with Anne Willis and Yvonne Casey leaving
to open up their new business in Clarecastle. Chef Deirdre McCarthy also left
to join them in their new venture. We wish them all the very best. In May Chef
Kiera Norton joined the team at Cafι Fergus and in September Brian Rynne
started work with us having previously been Chef at Avoca.
In
the summer of 2015 Cafι Fergus extended their kitchen facilities in order to
expand the growing Meals on Wheels and to meet the requirements as specified by
the EHO. The Cafι closed for just a few days during renovations but during this
time the staff made sure the Meals on Wheels service was fully in operation.
The renovations involved knocking through to what was previously the HSE room
to create a fully functional preparation, wash up and separate storage area to
complement the existing kitchen facilities. This extension has enabled us to
launch the South Clare Meals on Wheels service with Cafι Fergus producing 70
meals a day by the end of 2015.
Cafι
Fergus also received a new look revamp in the summer with a new indoor and
outdoor colour scheme. The outdoor red colour is keeping in theme with our new
logo and signage as well as tying in with our new Community Catering van and
the jackets worn by the staff members delivering the meals. Our new wall
covering in the rear of Cafι Fergus is a full size reprint of the Newmarket on Fergus Main St from
the Lawrence Collection. This in particular has brought a touch of nostalgia to
the Cafι with locals and visitors reminiscing on bygone days!
This
summer also saw the Cafι launch a brand new menu, outdoor catering menu as well
as Afternoon Tea. All of these have been a great success with the Afternoon Tea
proving particularly popular for girly get-togethers as well as for Mothers
Day. In November we received great praise from Chef Paul Kelly from the Great
Irish Bake Off when we took part in the weekly baking challenges. The Cafι
Fergus Christmas Shop proved to be a great hit once again with a fully stocked
larder of Puddings, Sauces and Dressings.
In
2015 the Cafι continued to produce healthy, nutritious meals for the children
of the After-School Programme at Obair Community Crθche. These meals are
provided on a daily basis and form an important part of a childs day. Its a
lovely sight to see the children come in from school and sit down to enjoy a
beautiful hot meal every day.
Environment Department
In
2015 Obairs Environment Department continued in providing opportunities to
people in the local area who may be experiencing social isolation, such as the
elderly, people with disabilities and low income households. We operate for the
benefit of the locality and all projects are undertaken with community spirit
in mind as well as the regeneration of the local economy. We are flexible in
our approach to the work that we are involved in, and work closely with the
community members in order to identify their needs.
Obairs Environment Section
diversified in 2015 by continuing to provide vital services to the
community. With our new van in October
we were finally able to roll out the Meals on Wheels service to the South Clare
area. The service initially branched out to Quin, Clarecastle and Cratloe and
by the end of 2015 Environment staff were preparing and delivering daily hot
meals to other areas such as Kilkishen, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge and Bunratty.
This has been a great success and we have received nothing but positive
feedback with both the personal service and quality of food receiving great
praise.
With the introduction of
Eircode smart location code in 2015 we felt that some elderly and isolated
people in the community might be feeling overwhelmed by this.
An Environment staff member
became the designated Outreach representative for the area meeting with the
Going Strong Active Retirement and delivering a very informative session with
them.
Furthermore
we continue to provide weekly transport to ensure that members of the elderly
community are able to avail of social meetings and clubs such as The Going
Strong active retirement group. With the onset of the cold weather in November
Environment employees assisted the elderly, those living alone or anyone who
might not have access to a car by regularly picking up and delivering the coal
to the door of anyone who had purchased fuel locally.
We
also operate the Tϊs initiative, which is a community work placement scheme
providing opportunities for unemployed people. In 2015 we had 4
participants under the Tϊs Scheme, one as a receptionist, one carrying out Park
maintenance and two outdoor workers.
Environment
Staff members continued to upskill and took part in various relevant training
courses throughout 2015, these included Safe Pass,
Manual Handling, Driver Theory, HACCP, Governance and Advanced Digital Media
Training.
Obair
Environment assisted with assembly of the St Vincent de Paul Christmas hampers
this year. We also continued taking part in the maintenance and upkeep of O
Regan Park Playground and Recreation Area. In Sept 2015 O Regan Park
was once again named by Family Friendly HQ as one of the countrys top
playgrounds. We were very proud to play a small part in the Park receiving such
accolades.
At
the end of November we said goodbye to Frank McCoy who retired having been with
the company for nearly 20 years. In more recent years Frank has made a great
contribution to the upkeep of O Regan
Park making sure to clean
and rake the play areas first thing in the morning. Frank also voluntarily
looked after emptying the bins in the Park on weekends and over the Holiday period. Frank has been a colourful character
around Obair and the village and will be missed by us all. We wish him well in
his retirement.
Training and Education
Participants in the FAS LTI Motor Mechanics 2015
Classroom and on the
job training form part of the Motor Mechanics course here at Obair
Graduation Class of 2015 with Pat and Joe
Community Crθche
New Outdoor Playground Surface at Obair Community Crθche
Arts and Crafts in the Pre School Room
Blue Skies at the Crθche Toddler
Room in full colour!
Arts and Heritage
Unveiling the Mooghaun Viewing Platform with Tracey Daly, Simon Harris
TD, Joe Carey TD, the Mooghaun Local Interest Group and members of Obair
Liam O Maonlaν &
Ronan O Snσdaigh Heritage
Week Training Day
Event at Beechlawn House as part of Heritage Week
Meals on Wheels
Busy Mornings in the production kitchen at Cafι Fergus
Chris, Erica, Ger, Noel and Paddy preparing for delivery with 2
Community Catering Vans
Brand New IPB Funded Community Catering Van
Cafι Fergus
New Signage outside Cafι Fergus, New Red Colour Scheme and wall
covering showing print of Main St from the Lawrence Collection
Morning selection of
baked goods! Stocking the larder for Christmas
Ever Popular
Christmas Cheesecake!! Girly Afternoon
Tea!!
Going Strong Active Retirement Group
Dedication at
entrance to Sensory Garden Tea
and Cake Launch of Sensory
Garden
The Going Strong
Sensory Garden donated to the Community for all to enjoy!
Halloween Fancy Dress dinner and day out!
O Regan Park
Playground & Recreation Area
The Storytelling Circle/Outdoor
Classroom and Junior Play Area were looking well in 2015. Park was once again
named as one of the Top Playgrounds in the country by Family Friendly HQ
Easter Egg Hunt at ORegan Park
Everyone is welcome even dogs like Bailey going for a walk in his pram
at the Park!!
Youth Work
Buzzstop Youth Cafι trek in the Burren as a fundraiser for the Jack and
Jill Foundation
Services in the Community
St Vincent de Paul Food Appeal Hampers
Saying Goodbye
Leaving Party for Retiree Frank McCoy and much loved crθche employee
Maureen McNamara
Pat pays tribute to Frank and Maureen
Year End December 2015
