Series 1, Episode 4
AsIAm
AsIAm is an autism awareness and advocacy charity founded by social entrepreneur Adam Harris. AsIAm is working to make Ireland a more inclusive place for autistic people to live, work and learn. In this episode, we hear how AsIAm is working with DCU to help them become the World’s First Autism-Friendly University.
It is Orientation Week in DCU and over 100 clubs are societies have set out their stall, including Europe’s first Neurodivergent Society, with founder member Cathy Brennan at the helm. Autism-friendly initiatives at the college include sensory pods, quiet spaces, quiet rooms and hours for events and hiring an autism-friendly coordinator.
Members of the new society, including Cathy and Keith Duffy’s daughter Mia, meet and are joined by DCU President Brian MacCraith, to discuss how the college can better support neurodivergent students.
Ó Cualann Co-Housing Alliance
Next up, in Ballymun, social entrepreneur Hugh Brennan from Ó Cualann Housing is meeting the buyers of his affordable homes.
Ó Cualann is working to deliver well-designed, energy-efficient homes at an affordable price — €219K for an A2 energy rated, 3 bedroom-home. And Hugh passionately believes that their co-operative model can be replicated and scaled to deliver thousands of affordable homes across the country. The model relies on support from local authorities, through discounted land and the waiving of development levies.
We join Hugh in the civic offices in Ballymun, as he meets the current crop of buyers of his latest scheme in Ballymun. The buyers are being consulted on the colour of a panel that will be on the front of each house. Following some initial resistance, Hugh and his architectural team manage to find a way forward…
Irish Community Rapid Response
Social Entrepreneur John Kearney set up Irish Community Rapid Response to achieve faster response times to medical emergencies in remote parts of Ireland. ICRR has over 200 volunteer doctors all over Ireland that regularly respond to accidents and emergencies. And now, ICRR has launched Ireland’s first dedicated charity-funded Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS).
In this episode, the Walsh family are re-visiting the site of the accident which saw their teenage son Jack get air-lifted by ICRR’s Air Ambulance to Cork University Hospital. Jack suffered a concussion after slipping on the rocks in a secluded area at Glengarriff Waterfall. Struggling with mobile phone coverage, Jack’s parents eventually got through to a 999 operator and the air ambulance was tasked to respond. Thanks to the rapid response of the air ambulance, Jack is recovering well.
In the wake of the incident, Jack’s Mum Karen has organised a fundraising table quiz for the air ambulance, in an attempt to pay it forward for others in the community that might need the service. Irish Community Rapid Response is in desperate need of such fundraising to keep the Air Ambulance flying. Founder, John Kearney, drops in to meet the family and to thank the community for their support.
Prepare Me
With extensive experience in the disability sector, Prepare Me founder Caitriona Watters Crehan is now a fully-fledged social entrepreneur, having turned her initial idea into a project that is poised to scale. Caitriona’s big idea is to help people to ‘visit and experience’ a place before actually going there — through visual storyboards, resource packs and video modelling.
Prepare Me’s doctor’s visit pack, designed to prepare people with additional needs for a visit to their GP, is already impacting families around Ireland.
At home in Athenry, Caitriona is meeting Joshua and his Mum Ingrid. Joshua has Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy and very high additional needs. Joshua was directly involved in the Prepare Me pilot with The Surgery, Athenry and this is the first time that he will see himself in the resource material that will, in turn, help many other children.
The Shona Project
Finally, in the WIT Arena in Waterford, The Shona Project annual conference (which feels more like a festival!) brings together a staggering 800 teenage girls (filmed pre-COVID-19) in a bid to educate, inform and inspire them to become strong and resilient young women.
Crucially, The Shona Project, Founded by social entrepreneur Tammy Darcy, aims to encourage teenage girls to support each other, rather than to undermine each other — which is reportedly otherwise happening to a shocking extent.
Appropriately held on ‘International Day of the Girl’ and with guest speakers including Psychologist Niamh Fitzpatrick, Fitness Trainer Mags Murphy, Journalist and Activist Razam Ibraheem and Coach and Author Sarah Doyle — the gathering is high on positivity and infectious energy.
The atmosphere reaches fever pitch when the local Mount Sion Choir appears to top off proceedings, which leaves the 800 attendees on a high of empowerment and inspiration to carry back into their often complicated young lives.
Changing Ireland: My Big Idea is produced for RTÉ One, in association with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and with the kind support of Permanent TSB, The One Foundation and DCC plc.