iCARE’s Magnificent Seven receive awards

iCARE representatives said they were delighted that the seven volunteers were acknowledged for their great commitment to the local Inishowen charity.

The seven who each received an award are: Doreen Friel, Anne Brogan, Oran Devlin, Deirdre McDaid, Niamh Clerkin, Ryan Black and Shaun Kelly.

iCARE is the umbrella name given to a rapidly growing service, the main motivation of which is the widespread provision of developmental programmes in autism. iCARE is a community led provider of high quality personal and social care services in the Inishowen area. The primary focus is on individuals presenting with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).It is a limited company run by a board of directors and a management committee.

iCARE provides respite, support and training to families, while Sonas Youth Club offers a safe place where young people can meet and participate in activities. iADULT (Inishowen Adult Developmental Ultimate Learning & Training) is the new adult day service established this year for school leavers to avail of a full time day service.

Paying tribute to the award recipients, a spokesperson for iCARE said: “Doreen Friel was the founding chairperson of iCARE, twenty years ago and has worked tirelessly in the background since then to help shape the organisation. She has provided training for families, teachers, SNAs, support workers and the wider community. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Secretary to the Board.

“More recently, she has been instrumental in the development of iADULT and sits on the steering committee for this new service. This award is in recognition of her commitment to individuals with autism and to iCARE over the past 20 years.

“Anne Brogan has volunteered for iCARE for over two years. She volunteers three days per week and helps young people and adults with autism with horticulture.

Anne has helped the young people who attend our service with social skills, self awareness, interpersonal skills, planning skills, the ability to organise and manage their own workload, problem-solving ability, project management skills, ability to work in a team and use their initiative.

Youth Club Youth Workers

“Shaun Kelly coordinates Sonas Youth Club with Niamh. He does a brilliant job and is really dedicated to the cause. He is very knowledgable of issues facing young people with autism, he displays great leadership, problem solving, organisation, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and teamwork. Shaun always goes the extra mile and is a great example to all the children and young people who attend the service.

“Niamh Clerkin has volunteered with Sonas Youth Club for four years. She is dedicated and committed to the club. She coordinates the club with Shaun and they both work hard to ensure all young people are well looked after. Niamh has very good organization skills, great communication skills. She is very reliable, displays resilience and demonstrates that she can keep up to date with the current legislation and how it affects young people. Niamh is always sensitive to the need of young people with autism, she works well with all team members and has great patience.

“Ryan Black has volunteered for Sonas Youth Club for over a year, he volunteers twice weekly and has built up great relationships with the young people who attend the service.

“Oran Devlin started volunteering for iCARE then progressed to Sonas Youth Club three years ago. His work and contribution to our service is fantastic. He is a caring, and sincere youth worker. He engages well with all the young people who attend the service and has the right nature to be working with young people with autism. Oran listens to the young people and is always on hand to help and meet their needs. Oran has the ability to recognize behaviours and attitudes as defences and not character flaws. Oran is a great asset to the organisation.

“Deirdre McDaid has volunteered for Sonas Youth Club for six years, she is a great asset to the club. She is a motherly figure to all young people who attend and nothing is ever a problem for her. She has a can-do attitude and always goes that extra mile to help the young people and their families. Deirdre is friendly and has a great understanding of autism. She is dedicated and supportive of our cause, she is an excellent team member and her role is much appreciated by all.”

The spokesperson added: “Thank you to all the recipients of the awards and to everyone who volunteers for our cause from everyone at iCARE, Sonas Youth Club & iADULT.”