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The
Partnership’s first cross-border training
workshop was in the Armagh City Hotel September
2006. Community Groups from Newtownabbey and from
Drogheda took part. All aspects of community life
were present, from senior citizens to youth. This
workshop was very successful and other training
workshops, residentials, exchange visits and training
courses are planned.
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Mary
O'Rourke, Senator, shakes hands with Michael O'Dowd,
Mayor of Drogheda,
with Lorraine Cunningham, Southern Co-Ordinator
(centre)
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After
many meetings of a steering group, a Partnership
Management Committee was elected at an October
2006 meeting in the Boyne Valley Hotel (Drogheda).
Ide Lenihan was elected as Chair, Vice Chair
was David Neill, Secretary was Adree Wallace
and Treasurer Alister Bell. It was agreed that
6 members from Newtownabbey and 6 from Drogheda
would make up the Partnership Management Committee.
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Ide
Lenihan, Partnership Chair receives a bouquet
from Victor Robinson, Project Director
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A
cross-border residential south to north cultural
exchange visit took place on the 14th and 15th
December 2006 in Farset International, with visits
and tours of Stormont and Belfast City Hall. A
cultural workshop also took place, with a good
discussion around the political environment. The
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Patrick McCarty,
hosted the group for coffee in the Lord Mayor’s
Parlour. Later, the group took part in the traditional
City Hall carol service and a trip round the International
Market, before embarking on a walking tour of
the city centre.
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From
left - Ide Lenihan, Partnership Chair,
Michael O'Dowd, Mayor of Drogheda,
Mary O'Rourke, Senator, Victor Robinson, Project
Director,
and Niamh O'Reilly, Membership Development Officer
Aontas
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The
launch of the Partnership took place in the Westcourt
Hotel, Drogheda, on 7th February, with Councillor
Michael O’Dowd, Mayor of Drogheda and Senator
Mary O’Rourke in attendance. Many community
groups, both north and south, associated with
the Community Development Agency and the Drogheda
Community Forum were also present, including a
representative of Aontas, a community education
organisation in the south.
A
Youth Exchange residential took place over Easter
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, in Tanagh Outdoor
Education Centre on the outskirts of Monaghan.
Young people from the urban Newtownabbey estates
and from Drogheda took part in various outdoor
pursuits, with some hilarious outcomes, including
an un-scheduled mud bath! The Agency would just
like to take this opportunity to thank the supervisors,
including those who stepped in at short notice,
for their unending patience and endurance, and
the young people for being --- um ---young!
Click
here for the photos. |
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