HOPE 2017 Annual Report

H.O.P.E. 2017

A Chara,

It has been another year in H.O.P.E. where we have accomplished much, with very little, thanks to the hard work and goodwill of so many. It has been a privilege to manage this project and work in Dublin’s North Inner City, a fantastic community. The dedication to making this community, and this world, a better place has driven our work. We have a fantastic team, and I would like to extend my appreciation to the following:

Our voluntary Board of Management for the many years of support and guidance and the time they have given up to help run H.O.P.E. Three of our current management committee are founding members, Carmel Cosgrave, Angela Hart, and Theresa Brady. Also with us for many years are Yvonne Bambury, Kevin Murray, Catherine O’Connor, and Martin Cooke. Our wonderful staff: Senior project worker Joe Dowling, Project Worker Alison Gray and “IT Guy” David Brown. Client Work Volunteer Connie Murphy; Counsellor Paul Flannery; Holistic Therapies: John Hanamy and Alison Gray. Interns 2017: Jamie Murphy, Shauna Byrne, Karen Mooney, John Donohue.

I also thank the following without whom our work would not be possible: The North Inner City Drug and Alcohol Task Force, our funders the HSE, and Dublin City Council for our premises. Also, thanks to An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and his office, Paschal Donohue TD, Catherine Byrne TD, Mary Lou McDonald TD, Maureen O’Sullivan TD, Joe Costello, Cllr Christy Burke, Cllr Ray McAdam and Cllr Niall Ring, all of whom came down to this community and supported H.O.P.E. in 2017. Also, the newly established Programme Implementation Board and the NEIC for the great work being carried out and commitment to this community.

Finally, many thanks to our colleagues in the North Inner City and all the agencies and individuals we have worked with AND allof our clients for their continued trust in us and their willingness to put in the work. We hope to be here for many years to come.

Irene Crawley,
H.O.P.E. Manager

 

About

Hands on Peer Education, is a front-line service in Dublin’s north inner city, where those suffering with addiction and their families can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also offer a wide range of advocacy services. H.O.P.E.’s free and confidential drop-in clinic is open from 10am ‘til 1pm, Monday to Friday.

Now That You’re Here

We love to get feedback, it helps us improve our service to the community. If you have a minute, we would greatly appreciate it if you write a few words about our service. Follow the link below to see our reviews on Google. Click ‘write review’ on the right hand side to add your own.

https://goo.gl/BgznUi

Many thanks from the team in H.O.P.E.

Thanks for coming! [#hopefest’17]

#hopefest’17

With the help of a lot of community organisations and people, we hosted a hugely successful street party – it was amazing craic! The sun was out, the food was great, and the families had a great time.  Most graciously, Peter Murtagh gave us a tremendous write-up in the Irish Times on Wednesday, 9th August, Online and in Thursday’s (10th August 2017) print edition.

“There are about 75 children, most in the toddler to young teen age bracket, shepherded by about 20 volunteers in high-vis vests.

The children spring through an elongated bouncy castle, have their faces painted, play hopscotch, generally mess about and have a good feed of chips and burgers and nuggets and curry sauce and fizzy drink.”

We were expecting around 100 guests, but as the day went on the event grew as more and more families came down and took part. Of the nearly 300 meals provided, 151 of them were kids’ meals. Circuit Catering‘s Burger Deli service was second to none. The immaculately clean food truck dished out a wide variety of chipper food – beef & chicken burgers, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and chips with or without toppings – that the crowd thoroughly loved. Although the queue was long, the food was absolutely worth the wait.

Local youth group, Urban Soul, came down – in force – with the bouncy castle obstacle course and many, many volunteers. They manned the obstacle course, painted faces and played basketball, hopscotch, hula-hoop games, to name but a few, with the children. The children would not have had such a high level of engagement and gameplay without Urban Soul’s participation. We cannot thank them enough!

Although there was a bit of a hiccup with the venue for the magic show, Magic Martha delivered the show, al-fresco, which turned out better for the small children and added to the atmosphere of the event as it sprawled out from the Home monument. Martha puts on a great show, the children love it! Martha really knows how to hold a crowd, make them smile and laugh out loud!

The community was out, en masse, with help for the setup and running of the event. We had volunteers help us setup, with games and with music. Thanks to the community volunteers, the overall event went off without a hitch! Gerard O’Neil donated his time and DJ equipment and a number of community members took part with singing and dancing.

And in the end, the event was taken down quicker than it went up. We had the space cleared in under half an hour thanks to the army of volunteers. Now that it’s over, we’re already planning for next year 🙂

Every participant brought their best game and gave the event 110% effort, and for that we cannot thank everyone enough. That being said, none of it would have been possible without the huge support of Cluid Housing and Dublin City Council and the very gracious donation from the Croke Park Community Fund. Together however, we put on a fantastic day that will hopefully go down in memory as a great day in the summer of 2017.


“Community street party in front of the HOPE office, August 2017”

From HOPE-FEST’17. Posted by HOPE Hands On Peer Education on 8/11/2017 (206 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2


HOPE-FEST’17 [no typos] [please share]

On Wednesday 9th August 2017 from noon to 3pm we will be hosting a free family-event at the monument on the junction of Sean McDermot Street, Buckingham Street and Killarney Street.

Children and Adults from the Area are welcome to this street party. There will be food, a bouncy castle, a magic show, music, and games.

All free of charge. All welcome.

This event is sponsored by the Croke Park Community Fund and supported by Dublin City Council.

Please forward any and all questions to:
H.O.P.E., Killarney Court, Dublin 1.
[email protected]
01-887-8404

Please disregard the previous post, there was a mixup that we have fixed. Please save the date – Wednesday, 9th August 2017. Kick-off will be at noon, sharp.

26/06/2017 Notice from North Inner City Community Coalition

Dear All,

The next NICCC General meeting will be on:

Date: Monday 10th July
Time: 4pm
Venue: D-Light Studios, 46 North Great Clarence Street (warehouse building beside the new apartments on the corner of Dunne Street)

We asked that the working groups meet to discuss the terms of reference and convenor and other representative positions in advance of the meeting.

The Convenors will be putting forward a recommendation for discussion that their current mandate is extended in order to ensure continuity while the current structures and processes are being established with a view to holding elections after that.

Karl Mitchell and Ursula Donnellan from DCC have accepted our suggestion that they meet with the working groups to start hearing the priority issues. In advance of this meeting we are asking that working groups meet again to priorities the actions in the submission and begin looking at short, medium and long term actions. Once this has been done we will set up a date for Karl and Urusla to meet your working groups. The convenors will organise the meeting in conjunction with the chairs.

FYI: The convenors will meet with Michael Stone (Executive Chair) tomorrow and the first meeting of the Implementation Board will be on Wednesday. As it stands only one convenor has been invited to the meeting on Wednesday. We will discuss this with Michael Stone tomorrow.

Best wishes,

Sian
(on behalf of the Convenors)

Bloomsday in the Monto 2017, by Irene Crawley

A fantastic day was had by all bringing Joyce back to the North Inner City. The event was organised jointly by H.O.P.E. and the North Inner City Folklore Project with the generous help of many volunteers. We combined the traditional ‘Madame of the Monto Wedding’, with scenes from the ‘Night-Town’ chapter in James Joyce’s Ulysses. First and foremost, I would like to offer a big thank you from myself to Terry Fagan, it was a pleasure to work with you, as always.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Former Lord Mayor, Christy Burke and his beautiful “bride” and H.O.P.E. volunteer, Connie Murphy. Mick Rafferty and his troupe of actors gave a great performance of scenes leading up to the ‘Night-Town’ chapter. Dublin City Council provided great support; a stage, gazebos, tables and chairs. Anto Kelly of Kelly’s Carriages graciously donated his time to pick up the bridal party and deliver them to the wedding. The community Garda from Store Street and Fitzgibbons Street were on hand to support the event. Conor O’Mearáin was our professional photographer and did an excellent job capturing the festivities. Susan Porter spent several weeks tirelessly browsing charity shops for the great costumes. Elaine Hilliard did the hair for all the ladies who looked wonderful. Glenda Guilfoyle came along with her mobile costume unit, which was great fun. Gerard O’Neill volunteered his DJ equipment and services which added greatly to the atmosphere of the day. Delicious sandwiches were provided by George O’Brien. Carmel Cosgrove and Theresa Brady from our Management committee volunteered their services for the day. Also, serving our refreshments and helping out for the whole day in their fantastic costumes were Sandra Byrne, Shauna Byrne, Megan McEvoy, Bart Hoppenbrouwers (thank you for the photographs too), Michael Burke, Paula O’Connor, Celine Gifford, and Marilyn Molloy.

All of our staff pitched in for weeks of preparation, David Brown and Alison Grey were a huge help with everything from shopping, set up and planning – Alison also did the make-up and David is our IT Guy who organised all our promotions for the event. Finally, yet importantly, from the staff, thanks to “Father” Joe Dowling who was hilarious, as usual.

I would like to thank IMPACT for giving a grant towards the running of this event.

We would also like to thank our local representatives Maureen O’Sullivan TD (Independent), Councillor Ciarán Cuffe (Green Party) and Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fáil) for coming along.

As well, we would like to thank the Irish Times for covering the event in three articles online, Live Images of Bloomsdaya video-clip of the event & a write-up on Friday 16th June 2017  and an amazing half page spread in the Saturday 17th June 2017 print edition.

Finaly, a big thanks to everyone for coming along! We hope next year to make the event bigger and better, with lots of community engagement.
-Irene Crawley, HOPE Manager


“Bloomsday in the Monto”

From Bloomsday 2017. Posted by HOPE Hands On Peer Education on 6/19/2017 (76 items)

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2

Ever want marry a madame?


We can’t help you there, but we can invite you down to Liberty Park this Bloomsday (at noon on Friday, June 16th 2017) for a Ulysses re-enactment with a twist.

The North Inner City Folklore Project & H.O.P.E. will host Bloomsday in the ‘Monto’. Come and join us for an afternoon of theatre and afternoon tea in Liberty House Park, Foley Street, Dublin 1 on Bloomsday, Friday 16th June 2017. Kick-off is at noon, sharp. The event is free of charge and open to all.

Foley Street was called Montgomery Street and this gave the name to the small area just west of Connolly Station that was once Europe’s most infamous red-light district: the Monto. The Monto came to prominence in the late nineteenth century, until the new State, prompted by the Legion of Mary, effectively shut it down in the 1920s. The Monto was immortalised in James Joyce’s Ulysses. In the Circe chapter, the protagonist Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus visit a Brothel on Tyrone Street, now Railway Street.

This Bloomsday, we would like to invite people to come join us in the park as we re-enact those times through Ulysses readings, the Monto wedding, drama, song and afternoon tea. Please, if you can, come dressed up in Edwardian costume; for example: long dresses, ruffled blouses, fans and floral broad hats for the ladies and for the men; slacks, shirts, waistcoats, braces, straw boater hats, top hats and paddy caps.

About: The North Inner City Folklore Project was setup to document peoples’ memories of life in the north inner city from the 1900s up to the present day. Local historian, Terry Fagan, has collected a large archive of recordings, photographs and artefacts from tenement life. Today, Terry gives walking tours around the north inner city detailing subjects from Dublin tenement life, the Monto, to the 1913 lock out and the 1916 Easter rising. H.O.P.E., Hands On Peer Education, is a front-line service in the north inner city where the community’s addicts’ can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also work with families affected by addiction & offer a wide range of advocacy services.

http://www.bloomsdayfestival.ie/fringe-programme/2017/6/16/bloomsday-in-the-monto

https://www.facebook.com/events/126973451179976

 

Story of HOPE in 2016

“Living in the flats in the 70s and 80s in town was great for me. I had many friends and still have, real decent people, I took part in all the games, talent shows and competitions that were going on. Drugs were around but I wasn’t interested and I knew very little about heroin, even though there was evidence of drugs being used on the stairs I never asked questions. My Ma was always there and my Da worked, when I look back I had a good childhood all the necessities were provided for. My Ma only had to look over the balcony to see if me and my other siblings were alright and if we needed her we just shouted, we were well minded. Life was good and I had dreams, I remember thinking I can’t wait to be 18 and travel the world.

I took an ecstasy tablet one night, this little tablet was a drug that led me to heroin, acid and crack. After hiding it for 2 years my family found out and tried to get me help. The methadone clinic was the answer. What should have only been a 3-month detox, turned out to be 25 years of running to clinics, doctors and chemists. I learned to shoplift and I sold drugs to keep my habit. At the age of 29 I nearly lost one limb through an abscess and stopped injecting heroin. I was still on methadone and made a promise I’ll get a job and sort myself out and I did get a job but I kept losing my jobs because I had to go the clinic for my methadone first. Eventually I became immune to the methadone and it no longer had any effect on me other than destroy my health and appearance. I turned to drink to help me cope with myself. I lived in regret and could not see a way out, I felt this was how it was I am drug addict and an alcoholic and I believed there was no way out.

When I first dropped into HOPE I never believed I could be helped, but I was broken and my way was not working. I didn’t want to die and most of all I wanted to be a mother who was there for her child before it was too late. Something as simple as a chat with staff who understood where I was at helped my mind set on my struggle to get clean and my self-worth. I took up their suggestions and a plan was put in place. With great effort and persistence from the staff in HOPE I got a bed in a treatment centre down the country. HOPE kept their word, “we’ll be here for you when you come home.” They were, they still are there for me and anyone who needs their help. After treatment HOPE guided me towards the ACRG (After Care Recovery Group), who helped me deal with life without drugs and find out who I really am, before helping me back into education.

I returned to education aged 45 and I am currently in college. I spend my evenings studying alongside my daughter who is in secondary school. I try to teach her to question everything and to think for herself. Drugs and drink robbed many years from my child and me, but not today. My recovery is everything and I am forever grateful to HOPE and the ACRG for reassuring me it is possible to get clean and be a productive member of my community. Being clean was a dream of mine but I did not get clean alone nor will I stay clean alone. I still need my supports for encouragement and advice and I use them. It has been 2 years and 7 months since I touched a drink or a drug, Thank God.”

“Resurrecting Dublin’s north inner city” The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Friday 3rd February 2017

Resurrecting Dublin’s north inner city

The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Friday, 3rd February, 2017

Continuing on the topic of the north inner city, The Pat Kenny show explores the real life story of living in Dublin 1 today.

Highlights:

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Listen to the full show here