Progression

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it is often those who have themselves emerged from suffering and oppression who are most capable of making a new road to the future.
- A. Hope and S. Timmel (1995)

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Waterford Women's Centre

Progression

Waterford Women’s Centre (Access 2000 Ltd) has been designing and delivering needs based community education and training programmes for women since 1995. Below is a summary of the training programmes that have been delivered since that time and their impact. There is a common approach and ethos that characterises all of the training which has been developed from our experience and understanding of gender inequality, social exclusion and the barriers to participation in training, education and employment that women face in society. All our work focuses on the challenging and removal of these barriers

The following is a summary of the history and outcomes of the development of training programmes within the Women’s Centre from 1995 to the present day:

Access 2000 was founded on the need for accreditation for community activists and under the New Opportunities for Women 1996 a Higher Certificate and BA in Community Education and Development was designed in consultation with Waterford Institute of Technology and supported by FAS and DSFA.
Women Making Choices and Training for Trainers in Community Facilitation was also designed and delivered between 1996 and 2000.
A range of needs based pre-development programmes were designed and delivered with support from the EWM from 2001 - 2004. The programmes that were developed during this phase and the learning from that project has informed the integrated training model that exists within the women’s centre today.
A Waterford County interagency group recognised the success of the EWM programmes and supported the development of an outreach pre-development programme in Tramore, Co. Waterford and has progressed to developing a self-managing community women’s group.
A Progression Pathway was designed in 2004 to facilitate the need identified from the earlier groups. This pathway led to a new, innovative and integrated model of delivery of the Higher Certificate in Community Education and Development in the Women’s Centre.

Outcomes:

1995-1999: Design and delivery of Degree in Community Education and Development -19 women community activists from Wexford and Waterford completed the Higher Certificate and 10 completed the Degree - funded through New Opportunities for Women.

Delivery of capacity building programme "Women Making Choices" accredited by Open College Network to 60 women from Waterford

Delivery of "Training for Trainers in Community Facilitation" to 18 women from Wexford and Waterford

2000: Dept. Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Community Development Programme). Waterford Women’s Centre CDP was established at 74, Manor Street: purchased and renovated through funding from the European Regional Development Fund. Employed a coordinator, development worker and administrator.

2001-2004 Equality for Women Measure; employed a training coordinator and administrator, designed and delivered a range of Community education programmes working with over 60 women

ZONTA - ZEST Funding: 2001-2004: designed and delivered Honours Degree to 8 Women from Wexford and Waterford.

Equal Opportunity Childcare Programme (Capital and Staffing) 2000-2007 Provided on-site childcare for women attending the Centre from 2001 with a capacity to take up to 7 children

Purchased 75 Manor Street and built new childcare facilitate on site currently facilitating up to 25 children (opened November 2007)

Fas and DSFA funding 1996 - present; Supported a range of Community Education Programmes: Currently supports programme funding for up to 65 women in the following groups "Drop in" "Time for Me" "Mna na Tra" "African Women’s Forum" and Higher Certificate in Community Education and Development.

The first Waterford Women’s Centre delivery of the Higher Certificate in Community Education and Development began in 2004 - since that time 33 women have participated.