Kilkenny One Parent Community reflects on its success in symposium

Kilkenny One Parent Community (KOPC), held a symposium in the Watergate Theatre recently to mark National Single Parents Day.

The purpose of this Kilkenny event was to celebrate people who are parenting alone, to explore the issues faced by single parents and to reflect of the achievements of the KOPC since it was founded in 2020.

To this end the organising group attached to the KOPC were delighted to have two national organisations at the event to speak about the work they do with lone parents across Ireland. Treoir speakers, Damien Peelo and Gayle Smith spoke about the challenges lone parents face daily, stating that they get over 3,000 calls yearly from lone parents who are seeking information and help regarding access, maintenance, welfare, and court procedures. Gayle Smith also reflected on policy implications for lone parents.

Valerie Maher - Programmes and Information Manager from One Family introduced the services they provide for lone parents. Niamh Wynne the Employability Manager from One Family spoke about some upcoming training opportunities for lone parents called the New Steps and New Futures Programmes. The New Steps personal development programme is a free 8-week, part-time programme developed for people parenting alone who are in receipt of a social welfare payment. The aim of these programmes is to enable partakers to become more confident, gain personal development skills, and learn how to balance work and family life. The next New Steps/New Futures programmes will begin in May 2024 and will be delivered online.

Dr. Caroline Crowley delivered a presentation on ‘Valuing Relationships with One Another and Our Collective Future, outlining the value of hidden care in human needs and care relations, and the invisibility of care.

Kilkenny One Parent Community presented some of the activities they run through a visual presentation, and artist Michelle McMahon presented the Brat Brid Project which entailed the designing of a St. Brigid’s Cloak that Kilkenny One Parent Community members have been proud to be involved in since its birth. This project was created by Michelle because of a devastating tragedy in January 2022 with the horrific murder of Ashling Murphy, a talented young woman at the start of her teaching career, and the announcement of a new public holiday to celebrate St. Brigid, and to mark the start of Spring. The project began with groups of women creating lino prints on fabric. These prints depicted matriarchal/matrilineal figures, and they were screen-printed onto bespoke fabric, with members of KOPC partaking in the production of these designs. Again, in February 2024 KOPC members assisted Michelle in assembling the St. Brigid’s cloak. Michelle plans to invite women from across Kilkenny and Ireland to gather in sewing circles and embellish the cloak with embroidered designs associated with Brigid.

Kilkenny One Parent Community would like to sincerely thank Kilkenny Leader Partnership and Healthy Kilkenny for their support whom without their support this event would not have been possible. If you are parenting alone and would like to know more information about Kilkenny One Parent Community, please look up our website www.kilkennyoneparentcommunity.ie or checkout our Facebook page Kilkenny One Parent Community or contact Juanita on 0861917195.