Rory Farren, one of our talented clients from AMH New Horizons Foyle, was named NI Winner in Creative Crafts at the 2012 CCEA Celebrating Achievement Awards’ ceremony which was held at the Lisburn Island Centre. At this awards ceremony CCEA acknowledges those students who have excelled in skills-based, work-related and life-long learning qualifications.
Rory was accompanied by his very proud skills coach, Bernie Peoples and Foyle Service Manager, Mickie Harkin. Many congratulations!!!
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his year the special guest at the Award Ceremony for clients attending AMH New Horizons in Enniskillen was Cathy Mullan. Cathy works for the Public Health Agency and is their Health and Wellbeing and Improvement Manager and also the Regional Lead for Drugs and Alcohol.
A total of 209 certificates certificates were presented to 58 clients, these were achieved over the six month period from October 2011 to March 2012. Certificates ranged from OCN Level 1 and 2 in courses such as Introduction to IT and Floristry to ECDL advanced. Clients who had recently completed the Alcohol awareness programme were also presented with certificates.
Lorna Coulters was given special recognition for having secured a permanent post in the New Acute Hospital due to open on 21st June 2012.
Warmly congratulating the clients on their achievements, Cathy encouraged them to consider how far they have come in their journey, and to recognise that this is just a small measure of the progress which they can achieve in the future.
John Brasil, speaking as a client representative, reflected on his life before attending AMH, and spoke with great frankness about his personal issues with alcohol. He paid tribute to the wonderful people attending AMH New Horizons Fermanagh, and the great support and friendship which he has enjoyed since joining the programme.
Photos – Sean Mulligan
more photos from the day are on our facebook site.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.422294901123297.103051.189840137702109&type=1&l=0c9fdfabba
AMH invited representatives from Ballynahinch and Downpatrick Job Centres, and Hugh J O’Boyle Training, to give a presentation on the options available.
The audience heard about the Department for Employment and Learning programmes such as Steps to Work, Access to Work, the Condition Management Programme, Permitted Work for those on Incapcity Benefit and Employment Support Allowance, Return to Work Credit, Job Centre On-line facility, Travel to Interview Scheme, Job Brokerage and much more!
All the information can be found on the Department’s website www.delni.gov.uk in the Disability Employment Service Section:
http://www.delni.gov.uk/index/finding-employment-finding-staff/fe-fs-help-to-find-employment/das.htm or talk to one of our Employment Officers who can steer you in the right direction.
Michelle Grant from Hugh J O’Boyle Training then talked about further training opportunities. More information can be found on their website, www.oboyletraining.com
AMH Promote is a training centre in Conlig, Bangor which teaches adults with learning disability to be more independent and to train for job placements in the community.
With an audience of special guests including North Mayor Cllr James McKerrow and parents and carers; certificates were presented to those who successfully completed courses in a variety of subjects including Confidence Building, Boundaries, Independent Travel, Numeracy & Literacy, Meal Preparation, and Current Affairs. A number of clients also talked about their work placements in local businesses, and their ambitions for the future.
You’ll find all the photos on our facebook page :
One of our clients from AMH New Horizons Downpatrick, William Wade, was invited to attend the Essential Skills Awards Ceremony in Hillsborough Castle and was presented with the Highly Commended Essential Skills Co Down Award.
Sarah Travers acted at host and the special guest was Alan Shannon, Permanent Secretary, Department for Employment and Learning.
Congratulations William from everyone at AMH!
This morning we had a visitor from Holland. Lorry Driver – Yan travelled from Utrecht with our order for 10,500 summer bedding plants for our Garden Centre in AMH New Horizons, Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick. 
Paulette Thomson is also pictured with some of the plants that will be providing blooms for the Down area this summer. Orders are now being taken for baskets, tubs, pots and pouches.
Pop in to our centre –
Ballydugan Industrial Estate Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick
or give us a call on
T 028 4461 3791
Note for your diary : our Garden Centre will be officially opened by Jim Wells MLA on Friday 25th May 2012 @ 11am
AMH Promote’s new polytunnel is open for business!
The Polytunnel has been put up in the Promote garden in Conlig, Bangor. AMH Promote is a training centre which delivers training to adults with learning disabilities.
Funding for the Polytunnel was gratefully recieved from Marks and Spencer, Bloomfield Centre, Bangor. The Conservation Volunteers were responsible for kitting out the inside of the tunnel including providing benches and growing containers at the appropriate height for wheelchair users.
The new poly tunnel will enable clients to gain experience in horticulture. They will be growing their own fruit and vegetables for use in the Promote kitchen by those undertaking catering qualifications.
We’d like to thank all those who have made this possible.
Enniskillen Library was the backdrop for a most unusual, and impressive art exhibition showcasing the work of clients in AMH New Horizons Fermanagh. Visitors to the exhibition saw beautiful handcrafted glass and bronzework, a breathtaking display of photographs capturing the local landscape, and also had a chance to read from a selection of poetry inspired by the Fermanagh landscape. The exhibition was the culmination of a project taken forward by New Horizons Fermanagh, and funded by the Big Lottery through the Arts Council NI.
The work exhibited represented a selection of interpretations of Fermanagh Lakelands. Particular focus around the theme of bronze and glass and their processes of production had been used as a metaphorical theme.
Three groups under the guidance of local artists Niall Walsh, Bernadette Layden and Pat Lunny have worked through the mediums of sculpture, creative writing and photography, to produce personal evocations of the Fermanagh Lakelands.
The three art forms have endeavoured to capture the atmosphere provoked by the surrounding environment which are VEILED JEWELS in the Fermanagh landscape.
The bronze age though now part of the distant past, is still tangible in the lakes and what lies beneath. Its presence and the nebulous nature of water are inextricable linked to the sprit of Fermanagh and its people.
Nial Walsh has been commissioned by the New Acute Hospital to produce and art work for the grounds opening later in 2012. www.niallwalsh.ie
Bernadette Layden is an Author of local History and story teller, ‘A Dander Down the Street’ [email protected]
Pat Lunny is a local photographer and member of photographic society and has a long history of working with AMH Clients. patlunnyimaging.com
Special thanks is extended to Geraldine O Reilly, Patient Environment Arts Advisor for the New Acute Hospital South West: Pauline Flanagan, Client Development Coordinator, AMH New Horizons; and Nigel Glover, Skills Coach, AMH New Horizons who developed and coordinated the entire project.
The exhibition finishes it’s run in Enniskillen Library on 16th March, but will be returning in September. It has already been displayed at The European City of Culture “What’s the Big Idea” Conference in Derry, and will be going on tour in venues all over Northern Ireland.
Just some of the many, many comments we have received from visitors:
“ Beautiful work,the magic of making in action,thank you” CEO European city of culture,Derry 2013
“we are looking our ancestors in the eye” T Quinn
“Breathtaking,amazing and beautiful,True creativity.well done to all the artists” Denise Devlin
“V High standard of art and writing.I am very impressed- stopped me in my tracks” B Maguire
