Hello, and welcome to the first ever issue of the We Act Good News Gazette - our new monthly newsletter.  

We Act is a campaign to celebrate Ireland's charities and community groups. So many staff and volunteers around Ireland do brilliant things every single day, and we think everyone should know about them! Which is why every month, we'll deliver a joyful digest from charities and community groups, directly to your inbox. 

Whether they work with large international charities or tiny local community groups, these are stories about the 'doers' in our communities. The people who go above and beyond to help others, to spark change, and to make the world a little bit brighter for all us.

We all need more positivity in our lives, so stick the kettle on, sit back, and enjoy your first monthly helping of the Good News Gazette... 

Wendy is the manager of Bluestack Special Needs Foundation in Donegal. This is her story...

“Everybody that comes in says there’s just a feeling. It’s vibrant, it’s energetic and it’s positive. Outside the front door we have worry pots where the kids leave their worries. So when they come in, they come in free. They come in positive. They come in in a good space. It’s lovely. 

I was involved in the very early days; I was a friend of the couple who set the place up. I was involved volunteering initially with the fundraising for the Bluestack Challenge which started in 2002. And then in 2005, I had my fifth child. She was born healthy, she got a cold and ended up severely brain damaged, from what was bronchiolitis that went undetected. I became involved with the board of directors, I had my own business at the time, and then of course everything changed due to her diagnosis and needs. I came here to work full time in 2008.

Most of us here have that lived experience. As a parent I’ve learned more from other parents than any professionals I’ve dealt with, so being the catalyst and creating the opportunity for parents to come together is really important. 

I have five children. I spent the whole time in the car with the four boys, dropping them to birthday parties, sleepovers, play dates, piano lessons, football. My daughter didn’t go anywhere. Never invited to a birthday party. Never invited to a playdate. Not included in any mainstream community activities, she went nowhere... until she had here.  

We have a unique ethos in here, we call it the Bluestack Experience. We’re just about fun. We’re about a positive experience.  

For me and for every other parent, our children with additional needs are our absolute world. And if you can hand them over with peace of mind, knowing they’re going to be safe, going to enjoy themselves, you can go away and have the real value of that respite. Your mind is free. You come back ready to go again.  

When I come here with my daughter and she runs in the door, and she doesn’t want to come home afterwards, that’s how I know we are doing a good job. We always say ‘just look at the children’s faces, that’ll tell you everything’. And it does, it just lifts your heart.” 

We Act is a national, collaborative campaign to celebrate the value and impact of the charities and community groups in Ireland. It is supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland RTÉ Does Comic Relief Fund and the Department of Rural and Community Development. 

Got a story? Email info@WeAct.ie

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