  
Gingerbread NI held this year’s highly successful Annual General Meeting on 11 Nov at the Europa Hotel, Belfast. The AGM was opened and chaired by Clare Broome, Gingerbread’s Chairperson, who welcomed all members in attendance. Director of Gingerbread, Marie Cavanagh, presented the 2005 annual report. She drew member’s attention to the particularly successful year Gingerbread’s Training section had and the outstanding achievements advice has had with the new Outreach Volunteering Project. In addition, Marie outlined the increased provision of advice service in Derry and the development of the service in Ballymena. She went on to explain how Gingerbread has been raising the issue of Child Support with government how we’ve expanded childcare services to Ballymena. She commended this year’s annual report to the members who received it very positively. Board Member, Betty McCarthy, thanked funders, corporate sponsors and the donating public for their support whilst Assistant Director, Rachel McAree, introduced the audited accounts to the members.
Following the AGM the training achievements of lone parents from all over Northern Ireland were recognised in a gala event which also marked the launched ‘Possibilities’, a Development Partnership aimed at creating equal opportunities for lone parents entering the world of work. Hosting this special event, local journalist and broadcaster, Anne Hailes, commented: ‘Gingerbread’s commitment to working with lone parents is based upon the belief that no-one should be denied access to life support simply because they are bringing up children on their own’. She went on to say: “All of the members of the Possibilities Development Partnership share a commitment to working with lone parents.’”
This year Gingerbread supported a total of 203 lone parents to gain qualifications through our various training programmes. In partnership with Marks & Spencer and One Parent Families, England, Gingerbread introduced the “Marks & Starts, Parents Return to Work Programme”. Twelve lone parents participated in the programme and three have successfully gained employment within Marks & Spencer’s stores and this was celebrated at the awards ceremony too. The Possibilities Partnership, which also includes the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), the University of Ulster (UU) and employment matching service Belfast Gems, will work together over the next few years to research the various barriers lone parents face and devise innovative ways to overcome them. In a short film shown on the night about ‘Possibilities’ some of the lone parents taking part in the project's training spoke about the course and their hopes for the future. Clare told us: ‘I hope to become a Community Development Worker.’ whilst Karen simply told us: ‘I.T consultant, hopefully. Big car, kids settled, plenty of money!”
A wonderful dinner followed by lots of dancing rounded off this special event for Gingerbread NI!
   
Michael Wood, Chairman of the Northern Health and Social Services Board pictured above with members of Gingerbread’s Northern Area Centre team, officially opened Gingerbread’s new Centre in Ballymena on 12 October 2005. The opening was attended by a large number of people from a wide range of organisations working within the Northern Area Centre and was a resounding success.
Gladys Wilson, the Centre’s Regional Co-ordinator, was thrilled with the number of people who made time in their busy schedules to attend. She went on to comment: “We are delighted to offer a range of services to local lone parents including computer training, advice and crèche facilities, all free of charge. We are in a great central location at 5a Greenvale Street, near the Tower Centre, and lone parents are most welcome to call in and check out what is on offer”
Gingerbread's Northern Area Centre is able to offer lone parents free computer courses in ECDL, New Clait and Clait Plus. Training takes place in small groups and everyone is a lone parents so there is a great atmosphere – very relaxed. Trainees can go at their own pace so no prior knowledge is required. For any lone parent in the area with a pre-school aged child or children, there’s a bright fun crèche available free of charge in the Centre. For further details about the services available in Gingerbread’s Northern Area Centre contact Gladys Wilson on 028 2563 8086 or call into 5a Greenvale Street. They'll be pleased to see you.
“Not Alone” was developed after Gingerbread NI’s research report ‘Bright Futures? (launched on 22 March 05), showed some lone parents have a range of unique support requirements which needed to be highlighted and addressed. For example, lone parents with a disability may need practical support and advice whilst lone parents caring for a disabled child are often in need of a break. Likewise many lone fathers felt they were particularly isolated and that their specific needs were not recognised.
The project involves bringing together a wide range of local voluntary, community and statutory groups. It will enable them to work together to respond to the needs of those one-parent families who require additional assistance and are feeling somewhat isolated to offer them support in a cohesive manner.
Response will be tailored to the lone parent’s specific needs, for example it may involve access to information or advice whilst for others it may be participation in training or forming a support group/network. Gingerbread aims to assist with, and develop links between, lone parents as well as encouraging networking between lone parents and local support agencies.
  
Research into the needs of one parent families throughout the Western Health and Social Services Board area was conducted during Autumn 2004 and a report, entitled ‘Bright Futures?’ was launched at the City Hotel, Derry on 22 March 2005 during an event attended by the City’s Mayor, Gearoid O hEara.
The findings reveal that, on average, 32% of all families in the Board area are headed by a lone parent, rising to 38% in the Derry District Council area. The research, which was carried out among 151 lone parents from across the five District Council areas in the WHSSB area, confirms that many one parent families are living in poverty. An overwhelming 99% of participants said that they were suffering from stress while 57% said they had suffered from depression.
Speaking at the launch, Karen Meehan, Chairwoman of the WHSSB said:
‘The Western Board very much welcomes the publication of this research. It makes a real contribution to our understanding of the needs of lone parents in Northern Ireland generally and in the Western Board area in particular. Clearly we should all be concerned about issues such as the high rates of anxiety and depression reported by lone parents locally and the potential effect which this has on them and their children. We are keen to look at ways in which health and social care providers can respond sensitively to the needs outlined in this report.’
Gingerbread hosted the event to raise awareness about the circumstances in which many one parent families are living. Gingerbread’s Regional Manager, Maria Fox explains: ‘One parent families are twice as likely to live in poverty as two parent families. It is now well understood that this has a serious effect on the health and well-being of lone parents and their children. Add to this the effects of family breakdown or bereavement and it is not difficult to see why so many lone parents are experiencing such high levels of stress and depression. Gingerbread will be using the findings of this research to bring about improvements in the lives of one parent families locally.’ |
