HOPE project partner, Derry City and Strabane District Council in North Ireland hosted the third webinar of the partnership on the 16th of December, entitled 'Inclusive Societies supported by Horizontal Policies'.
Laverne O'Donnell from Derry City and Strabane District Council and HOPE Project partner introduced the agenda to the participants and during the webinar attendees had the opportunity to acknowledge different dimensions like (un)employment, inclusivity, wellbeing and health which are closely connected and influenced the wellbeing of individuals.
Natasha O'Hea, Community Manager of Catalyst NI an independent, not-for-profit organisation that works together for enabling a more connected community of innovators in an entrepreneurial eco-system that is the key driver of the knowledge economy in Northern Ireland.
Followed by Gary Rutherford, founder and programme development manager of Arc Fitness (Addiction Recovery Coaching) a not-for-profit social enterprise based in the Northwest of Ireland. He shared the unique approach to tackling the stigma of substance that enables individuals and their supporters improve their mental and physical wellbeing through physical activity, professional support, education, and community.
John Peto from Director of Education of the Nerve Centre talked about the successful social economy enterprise that employs more than 50 staff at sites in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast (North Ireland). Staff include experienced cultural project managers, content developers, creative media trainers, animators, events programmers and marketers.
Roisin McLaughlin the Manager of the North West Community Network, showed the work is carried out by their organisation. An alliance of 190 community and voluntary organisation that provides practical advice, support and training for it’s members. They provide training and skills development opportunities, such us committee skills, media training, social media training, safe-guarding, data protection, impact measurement and finance training.
Marie Dunne, Director of RESILIO talked about HOPE MATTERS project based on research that suggests that HOPE is teachable. The aim is to equip students, teachers and parents with the tools they need to define, learn, and grow a hopeful mind-set and reduce hopelessness.
At the end of the session, HOPE project lead partner and Director City Development in Seinajoki (Finland) Erkki Valimaki talked about what are the next steps of social enterprises at the center of multi-professional and multi-organizational collaboration in the partner regions.