Hope & Ambition Phase 1

Adapting to change

When we initially sought support from Mount Street Club Trust in 2019, the world was incredibly different. At the time, we sought to develop ‘Community Circles’ – a small group of people within a community who support an individual with intellectual disabilities wherever it is that they need support. This group would be comprised of volunteers with differing skills and motivations, with each young person’s group different from others as they would be moulded to provide specific support.

Much has changed since we submitted this application and our model of delivery has largely pivoted from an in-person model of learning to a blended model, integrating online and in-person learning via our digital platform My Blossom Channel. With the implementation of digital learning in late 2020, we built on Community Circles and developed this idea into our current ‘Champion’ programme. Each participant in our courses has a ‘Champion’: a specific point of support chosen by them, who receives training from Blossom Ireland to support the young person through their blended learning education programme. As we work with young people in a variety of settings the Champions have included family members, support staff within disability day services and special needs assistants in schools. We have worked with over 100 young people across Ireland since the launch of My Blossom Channel and the feedback from the Champions has been very positive with most stating how they feel more empowered to support the young person in their life and in helping them become more assertive and to explore their ambitions. 

 “It is through the generous support from the Hope & Ambition programme that we were able to remain flexible and to give support where it is needed most. This support fuelled our innovation during unprecedented times.”

Innovation and impact

Over the last two years, the pandemic has posed enormous challenges to our operations. The move to online learning required a great deal of planning and redevelopment and led ultimately to the reformatting of our Community Circle programme, as we were no longer able to implement it as envisioned due to covid-19. It is through the generous support from the Hope & Ambition programme that we were able to remain flexible and to give support where it is needed most. This support fuelled our innovation during unprecedented times resulting in a programme of education for young people with intellectual disabilities that focuses on developing their strengths and empowering them to set their goals and ambitions in life. 

Thanks to the hybrid nature of delivery we can work with young people with intellectual disabilities in a setting of their choosing (school, home, day service) and in any location in Ireland. We continuously gather evidence as to the impact of our programme. Of the first 53 participants on My Blossom Channel, 87% told us that they had never learned online before and 68% said they had more confidence in sharing their opinion by the end of the course.

Support and shared learning

In addition to the funding provided by Hope & Ambition, there were added benefits from the CEOs and Practitioners Clubs to our organisation and team. In terms of the Practitioners Club sessions, our team found them to be incredibly helpful. They were a safe space for sharing the day-to-day struggles that our sector faces, sharing best practices and offering mutual support. These spaces were well-facilitated and offered a great networking and support opportunity.