Author: WWC

The Women’s Centre is almost ready to reopen.  Our staff will take holidays during the next month and all will return by the 31st of August.  We expect our groups will be back early September.  The building is prepared with the recommended Covid policies and procedures in place in order to keep everyone safe.   We ask that all enquiries are by telephone or email for the moment. You can leave your contact details on 051 351918, email nccwnwaterford@gmail.com or through the website and we will get back to you on our return.     All programmes starting in September are listed below and on www.facebook.com/waterfordwomen/

Women’s Centre Second Hand Shop

We are also working hard to get our Second Hand Shop open again and are hoping to do so in early September.  Due to current physical distance requirement, two people only will be permitted in the shop at one time. Hand sanitiser is provide at the entrance.     Looking forward to seeing all our customers back then.

We are delighted to have confirmed funding from WWETB for the following courses starting from September 2020: Pathways To Employment LTI QQI Level 4, Health and Wellbeing, The Bonnet Project and the Certificate in Community Studies QQI Level 6.

Please see above contact information on Health & Wellbeing, Pathways To Employment and The Bonnet Project. Text or email with your name and contact details and we will get back to you. For the Certificate in Community Studies Text: 089 4556184 or email: katenccwnwaterford@gamil.com

We are delighted to announce that our childcare centre re-opens from Monday 6th August.  It is wonderful to be able to welcome our children and parents back again after such a long and difficult absence.  We thank you for your patients.  We have spent the last few weeks getting the crèche ready to ensure a safe environment for all. 

The Women’s Centre staff are currently getting the Centre ready to welcome groups back in September.  We are putting in place all the recommended Covid 19 regulations to ensure safety for all.

EirGen is proud to be able to support local communities and initiatives and in 2020 we were delighted to come on board as the main Corporate Sponsor for the Waterford Women’s Centre. EirGen Pharma is proud to be able to support women and their careers within the Pharmaceutical Industry, and women make up 50% of our Area Management and Senior Leadership Teams. We celebrate all the women who help to make EirGen Pharma a fun and innovative place to work during our International Women’s Day celebrations in March, and in 2020 we were delighted to extend this celebration to the Waterford Women’s Centre. EirGen Pharma is a world leading developer and commercial supplier of specialty medicines to the global market and we have two sites in Waterford; the Commercial Centre, Westside Business Park, Old Kilmeaden Road, and the R+D Centre, IDA Business & Technology Park, Butlerstown. EirGen Pharma was established in 2005 and we employ over 200 people across a range of disciplines including engineering, science (chemists, scientists), operations, and quality.

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By sponsoring the Waterford Women’s Centre we hope to enable them to support more women to access mainstream education and training, and to access additional supports they may need.

Waterford Women’s Centre staff continue to work from home and are delighted to be able to continue to support and refer women to relevant supports and services when needed. Our facilitators are enjoying meeting groups on line as we explore new ways to keep linked-in and support each other as we stay in touch, stay home and stay safe.  The women’s centre has always worked to remove barriers that stop women engaging at all levels in society. The current barriers are the social distancing regulations while we fight Covid 19 together.  Although we never thought we would be removing these particular barriers through technical means as we are currently doing we are learning lots in the process. 

We will take a break from online programmes for Easter from the end of this week and look forward to linking in again after the Easter break from week beginning 20th April. Please remember to stay home and stay safe. Enjoy Easter as we appreciate the simple things in life.   We are in this together and will get through it together.   

If you need to please contact us – you can do so through our website: waterfordwomenscentre.com / text or phone 089 4556184 or leave a message on our landline 051 351918 and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Please note that the following services are still operating and can be contacted if you need them:

Barnardos helpline 1800 910 123 between 10am and 2pm Monday to Friday or email parentsupport@barnardos.ie

Oasis House Women’s Refuge:  051-370367 or 1890 264 364 (24 hour lo-call helpline)

Waterford Rape & Sexual abuse Centre: Freephone 1800 296 296 or phone or text 087 2233730 email: info@waterfordrsac.ie /24 hour helpline number is Freephone 1800 77 88 88. Counselling and support is being provided via phone/Skype/Zoom.

Following from the announcement from the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar regarding the closure of schools, preschools and further and higher education settings to support effects to contain the spread of Covid-19, Waterford Women’s Centre and Childcare Service will be closed until the 29th March 2020 or further notice. Please see our Facebook page for updated information.

Re: Coronavirus – Covid 19

Waterford Women’s Centre & Childcare Service are following the HSE guidelines and advice in relation to stopping the spread of the Coronavirus:

Protect yourself and others from coronavirus

Wash your hands properly and regularly

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze.

Put used tissues into a bin and wash your hands.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

Wash your hands

• after coughing or sneezing
• after toilet use
• before eating
• before and after preparing food
• if you are in contact with a sick person, especially those with respiratory symptoms
• if your hands are dirty
• if you have handled animals or animal waste

If you are travelling or have travelled please follow the advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs before returning to our service so as not spread the virus:

Follow the travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs

The Women’s Centre and Childcare Service will continue to keep up to date with information and advice from the HSE and will adhere to recommendations. 

ACCESS 2000 CLG – Waterford Women’s Centre Board of Management

The final event of the International Women’s Day Festival was the ‘Well Girl’ walk on Sunday 8th March, International Women’s Day, a fundraising event for the Women’s Centre. 

Local singer and member of the Mount Sion Choir, Angel, entertained the large crowd that gathered in the WIT Arena Greenway car park from 10 am onwards.  Local MEP Grace O’Sullivan addressed the gathering and praised the work of the Women’s Centre over the past 25 years and was delighted to launch the first ever ‘Well Girl’ walk on International Women’s Day.  Grace and Olympian walker, Kate Veale, World Youth Champion, Irish record holder and European Cup medallist, together led the walkers on the 7 km walk from the car park to the Greenway on to Mount Congreve Gardens and back.

In excess of 300 walkers registered in the WIT Arena Greenway Carpark on the day.  Thanks to WIT Arena Manager John Windle for supporting the event.  It was a social occasion and a walk for all the family with sunshine all the way.   Many used it as an opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day with a walk together with friends or other groups they belonged to.  Many current and past participants, staff and parents of the Women’s Centre and Childcare Service along with family and friends, turned out in numbers to provide very welcome support.  The weather was in our favour and remained dry and sunny almost till the end.  The donation of gazebo, chairs and tables were much appreciated, and thanks to Clem Jacob Hire for keeping the team dry at the end of the day. 

A big thanks to all who made the day such a success; the fundraising team: Maureen Tobin, Liz Heffernan, Catherine Drea, Catherine McNena and Alison Langford;  to those who helped on the day, Pat Tobin, Ann Kavanagh, Tony Grey, Mary Langford and John Grey. 

All were kept safe and sound by the presence of Civil Defence which was much appreciated.  When the walkers returned to the car park drinks were provided compliments of Lidl and beautiful fresh fruit from Iverk Produce, Piltown. 

Thanks to Graphic Image and Claire O’Donovan Design for the Well Girl poster.  WLR FM and BEAT 102-103 gave great coverage before the walk and all the Festival events as did Waterford in Your Pocket.  Thanks also to the RSC for the Hi-vis vests and to the staff from Apple who along with team leader, Niamh Ivory, volunteered on the day. A massive thanks to all who walked in this the first of what we hope will become an annual event.