Social Inclusion Week returns this month and will see a host of different events, ranging from the social to the cultural, taking place across the city from this Monday until Sunday October 20.
The Ard Family Resource Centre, Doughiska, will host a number of events. An exhibition of paintings and a slideshow of work from a recent collaborative art project run by the Brothers of Charity artists and members of the Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board Personal Development group from Doughiska and Ballybane, will be opened on Monday at 11am.
There will also be an open morning with the intercultural ARD Women’s Group. The group will showcase crafts, cooking, and activities on Wednesday from 10am to 12 noon.
An afternoon celebrating the lives of the people who live, work, and volunteer in Ardaun Roscam and Doughiska, under the theme Journey to Doughiska and featuring story and song, takes place on Saturday from 2pm to 6pm. Those interested in submitting a story can email [email protected]
For more information on the above events contact Caroline or Elske on 091 - 768852.
Also taking part in Social Inclusion Week is Sonke - Galway Multicultural Choir, which will host an open evening on Tuesday October 15 in the Methodist and Presbyterian Church, beside the Victoria Hotel, from 7pm to 9pm. New and existing members are welcome.
COPE Galway Resettlement and the Tenancy Service will launches its community garden at the Towards Independence Project on the Dyke Road at 12 noon on Tuesday October 15 as part of Social Inclusion Week. The launch will be supported by residents, volunteers, and staff, and finish with a work shop entitled Gardening: during the winter months.
Towards Independence was established in 2007 and operates from a six bedroom property belonging to the Galway City Council. The objective of the project is to facilitate men who were homeless to move on from emergency accommodation in the COPE Galway Fairgreen Hostel by providing a transitional accommodation option.
The community garden is an initiative in which residents can take part. Project manager Claire Kelly said: “On a daily basis we see the benefits the garden has for residents during their stay, including reduced isolation, peer support, and a meaningful use of time. It has also had a positive impact on the volunteers who support the project and the wider community including reducing the stigma associated with homelessness.”