Women’s Community Projects celebrate new graduates

Sixty-seven students graduated and 20 received major awards at a ceremony in the Women’s Community Projects Mullingar at the Parish Community Centre last Friday last, ahead of International Women’s Day (Saturday).

Paula O’Connor, co-ordinator of the Women’s Projects, said it was exciting to be celebrating the achievements of the students and IWD. She congratulated the graduates saying, “it takes a huge amount of determination and motivation to put your foot in the door, and hard work to keep going. Very well done to all of you”.

Liam Hughes and Helen Byrne from the Women’s Community Projects board of management were in attendance. Mr Hughes, chairman of the board, remarked that the Women’s Community Project in Mullingar had been founded 40 years ago by Sr Finbarr to help local women achieve their potential.

He said that last year, gardaí responded to 65,000 cases of domestic abuse and in 74 percent of cases in which women were the victims, the perpetrator was a man. He described that as a blight on society and commended everyone working to address it.

Guest speakers at the ceremony were Ursula Kane Cafferty, author and former healthcare worker, Bernadette Farrell, businesswoman and mentor, and Nancy Poynton, a graduate of the Women’s Community Projects and now a tutor.

Ursula spoke of growing up in Dominick Street in a single-parent family, and of the influence her mother Helen and the other strong women of Dominick Street had on her life, as chronicled in her book ‘Snappin’ Twine’.

She said her life was enriched by being surrounded by wilful women like her mother. Many of them had little education, but she learned more from them than she could ever have learned at university.

In the 1970s, Ursula trained as a nurse and midwife and subsequently worked in Africa, where female resilience was “taken to a new level”. Facilities were poor, but an appeal to the Mullingar Bachelors Club resulted in an overflow area being provided, offering a social space for the mothers and a play area for the children.

To the graduates, Ursula said: “Follow your own path, have faith in yourself, soak up opportunities, and remember, you are a teacher as much as a student and life’s struggles and hardships are opportunities for us to discover our resilience”.

“Carrying on is something us women are particularly good at,” she reminded them.

Bernadette Farrell is a chartered accountant who runs two businesses and is involved in training and education.

A native of Streamstown, she set up her own business in 1998, from her sitting room. Over the last 27 years, she has trained more than 8,000 people.

She advised the graduates to do something they love, something they have a passion for, to unlock their potential and to adapt. Bernadette advised anyone setting up their own business to avail of the supports offered by the Local Enterprise Board and other groups.

Nancy Poynton did a back to education course in the Mullingar centre when her children were reared, and went on to do a Level 6 course in supervisor/management. Then, at the age of 47, she did a Level 8 degree course in Social Care at TUS Athlone.

She now teaches healthcare and SNA modules at the Women’s Community Projects in Mullingar.

Nancy said that but for the Mullingar centre, she would not be where she is today. “This wonderful centre set me on the right track,” she stated, adding: “I got so much from the Community Projects and its trainers that I want to give something back.”

Avril Seery is the training and education co-ordinator at the WCP Mullingar. She outlined the range of back to education initiatives on offer.

“We develop and deliver courses and are involved in supporting women in leadership,” she explained.

Avril thanked all the staff at the community centre for their dedication and hard work and congratulated the graduates on their dedication and hard work.