Second chance for a city community

In 1984 the Lourdes Youth and Community Services group set up its adult education programme. Since then the centre, which is based in lower Sean McDermott Street, has gone from strength to strength. It now provides a wide range of adult education courses aimed at those who dropped out of the formal education system.

"Most of those doing our courses left school early and didn't have a good experience of the education system," says the adult programme co-ordinator, Marie Harding. "The idea behind setting up the adult education programme was to bring local people back to education in an easy and informal way.

"Having looked at the needs of people in our catchment area - the north-east inner city - basic literacy was identified as a key area and we started from there. We still teach basic literacy skills but we have greatly expanded the range of our courses and we now offer subjects such as computers, personal development, leadership training, maths, communications, arts and crafts, and cookery."

Central to the centre's success in attracting students has been its provision of on-site childcare and the creation of a relaxed environment for participants. There's a kitchen and sitting room where students can meet informally, and drop-in mornings are also a central plank of the centre's activities. In addition to its adult education programme the centre also caters for young people and provides community-based training programmes in conjunction with FAS.

"A lot of our participants come to us with very low self esteem for whatever reason," Harding says. "Many of them have been in the home or out of work over a long period of time and they feel they would not be able for one of our more academic courses. In these circumstances we can offer them alternatives. For example they may feel more comfortable doing something they're used to such as cookery or arts and crafts. In our experience once they do well in one class their confidence grows and they will usually go into other areas."

Marie Harding started her involvement with Lourdes Youth and Community Services as a student. She did various courses at the centre before moving on to the NUI Maynooth to study adult education and to the National College of Ireland to take a course in management in the community and voluntary sectors. She has been the co-ordinator of the adult education programme for the past five years.

"We have a policy of encouraging people from within to move on for further training with a view to returning to the centre as leaders or tutors or to moving on into employment outside," she says. "We also try to provide accreditation for our courses wherever possible and we offer a number of NCVA validated qualifications. We feel this is worthwhile because it is a formal recognition of people's efforts and it gives them something concrete to move on with if they decide they want to do further study or to look for a job."

The adult education programme is run by a part-time staff of six and funded from a number of sources including the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, the VEC, Dublin Corporation and Combat Poverty. Its mix of courses is constantly changing and at the moment there is a waiting list for places as limited resources curtail the amount of teaching it can provide. The centre caters primarily for people in the north inner city, but nobody is turned away for geographical reasons and courses are provided free of charge.

"At any one time we would have upwards of 100 students on various courses," says community development worker, Valerie Bowe. "People learn at their own pace and we provide a lot of support for participants. If we don't see a student for a while someone will follow up to see why and to offer help if it's needed. Apart from the learning side of things the centre also provides a social outlet for local people and a place where they can meet. "Basic literacy is still a very important part of what we do and we have one-to-one teaching and a number of groups operating all the time. Where possible we try to encourage local people to become involved in training as literacy tutors," Bowe says.

Angela Trimble is a family support worker whose career in community work developed from her involvement with the centre. She first went to the Lourdes Youth and Community Service in 1994 as a student and enrolled for a City and Guilds certificate in English and followed this with a maths course. "I was very nervous starting off but once I got into it I was delighted," she says. "I enjoyed the classes and I enjoyed going to the centre and getting to know people living in my area."

TRIMBLE moved on to do leadership and literacy training and she now works 15-20 hours a week as a family support worker with families in her area who need help. "It's a preventative service which tries to help families who are at risk before the situation gets out of hand," she says; "for example, trying to help a young single mother get on her feet or trying to help sort out a difficult situation where children might have to go into care.

"I work mainly in and around Summerhill and people will talk to me because I'm local and one of their own. My job is funded by the Eastern Health Board and they co-ordinate the service. I love my job and now I'm encouraging the families I'm working with to take part in the adult education programme at the centre."

Computers, literacy, personal development and sewing are popular choices among the centre's students. However, new courses are coming on stream all the time and the latest of these is an ironing course aimed at men. "We're going to cover all the basics of clothes care and the places have been snapped up," says Valerie Bowe.