Spéire Nua
Welcome to the Spéire Nua (New Horizon) Project, a new, exciting, and innovative approach to assisting people with criminal convictions to access the labour market. It is an activity adopted by Amicitia Health & Social Care CLG and one of the many projects hosted through their Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lab. Amicitia acts as an incubation space for new social innovations that enhance the community of Athenry in Co. Galway and beyond.
At Spéire Nua, we believe our project will provide our clients with the incentive to commit to change. Currently, there is an acceptance that the criminally convicted have little or no incentive to change or engage as people with convictions are punished secondarily in the community because of the label. Our project will ease the restrictiveness that our client’s experience and feel from being exposed by Criminal Conviction Disclosures. We will work with our clients to provide a current, balanced, and fairer view of them and the steps they have taken to move on from their offending behaviour.
Spéire Nua compliments and enhances existing services and supports offered to individuals to help them reintegrate into their communities. We have adopted an existing approach that is derived from the process of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to support the disclosure process. (RPL) helps people to get certified recognition for unaccredited and experiential learning. A slight change to this model will provide those in the system or those living in the community with a strengths based disclosure to assist them in demonstrating that they have committed to significant, positive change.
Collaborators
All Island Lived Experience Leadership Programme Development- Our first in person get together with Front Line Make Change at their new premises at the Naas Road Business Park. Front Line Make Change received the biggest grant allocation for any social enterprise in the history of the state. Their bicycle repair shop creates job opportunities for people who were previously justice involved.
Pictured Left to right: - Pat Sullivan - Clean Slate, Ger McBrearty – Front Line Bikes, Siobhan Cafferty - Social Enterprise Project Manager, Alice Walsh – Employment Liason Officer IASIO, Stuart Frazer Front Line Bikes, Ciara Braken Roche – Maynooth University, Damien Quinn – Spéire Nua, Michael McCusker – The Turnaround Project, Richard Goode – The Turnaround Project.
Suspending our Assumptions- In this Immersion we explored the challenges created by the assumptions people form, and the impact that examining, questioning and suspending these assumptions can make. We all form mental models about people, places, ideas and experiences to help us make sense of the world. They can influence our decisions and how we work with other people. They need to face the light and air. They need to be regularly dusted down, examined and tested. Because, for leaders, they can lead to bad decisions and cause us to miss opportunities.
Pictured outside Mountjoy Prison after our visit to the Dochás Centre with participants from the Common Purpose Emerging Leaders Programme. Represented in this Picture are people who work with the Traveller Movement, Department of Rural and Community Development, Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation and of course Spéire Nua.
Generation Change at Google HQ At this event we spoke about supporting careers after conviction, and what we can do at key moments during someone’s time within the justice system to facilitate that progression. Together, we want to increase employment options for people with criminal histories as a way of reducing reoffending, promoting active citizenship, safer communities and fewer victims. This timely collaboration between Gaisce – The President’s Award and the Working to Change Strategy is about changing the all too often negative narrative that implies that the presence of a conviction means a lack of job opportunities and prospects, to one of hope and transformation through self-development. This event was about expanding the dialogue across justice agencies and employers – getting heads in the room – and moving forward together on a path of change.
Pictured left to right, James Leonard and Timmy Long – The Two Norries, Siobhán Cafferty – Working to Change, Damien Quinn – Spéire Nua, Ger Redmond – Pro Athlete and Coach and Domni Kemp – Chef, Food Writer and Entrepreneur.
Gorm Media Recording-click the image to see the video
James Bowes, Michael McCusker and Damien Quinn meet the team Mamobo Ogoro at Gorm Media.
Action Lab Meet up with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. We met up with fellow social entrepreneurs (holding bags including gifts!) at SEI’s Head Office in Dublin.
Social Entreprenuers left to right are Caroline O’Shaughnessy – Cumas Ceangal, Gavin Timlin – Training and Services Leading to Integration TLSI, Glen Curtain – Vampire Cup, Damien Quinn – Spéire Nua, Islammiyah Saudique – Gocom Radio. As always a massive thank you to the amazing team at Social Entrepreneurs Ireland for the amazing financial support and expert guidance to people bringing about positive change all over Ireland!
Galway Rural Development (GRD) This is our team headed out by our CEO Steve Dolan (front and centre). GRD is responsible for the delivery of a range of rural enterprise, social inclusion and community development initiatives across the County of Galway.
GRD manages funding streams for Galway under the LEADER Programme, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and job activiation programmes such as Tús, The Rural Social Scheme (RSS), Community Employment (CE) and Parent Child Plus. GRD has been a huge support to Spéire Nua and our clients and Damien Quinn – Founder of Spéire Nua is employed on the Social Enterprise Regeneration Project initially and is now on GRD’s SICAP programme as their Community Education and Disability Officer.
The Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme – SICAP Team day out at Knockma
The SICAP team works county-wide and aims to reduce poverty, promote social inclusion and equality by working with individuals and community groups to address their needs. SICAP offers training, funding and mentoring support to those most in need. Individuals are supported by providing access to educational and employment opportunities and are encouraged to take part in, and contribute, to their own community.
Welcoming Social Enteprise Exchange to our Social Hub in Amicitia in Athenry Co. Galway Social Enterprise Exchange is a Just Transition funded project and it is gathering and mapping the existing regional social enterprise ecosystem. It evidences and showcases the regional Social Enterprise asset base across the midlands regional geography. Social Enterprise Exchange is building a collaborative & cluster style approach to connecting with other regional stakeholders.
Organisations represented in this picture are Athenry Heritage Centre, Brothers of Charity, Galway Rural Development, Amiticia, Simon Community, Western Development Commission, Amicitia, Spéire Nua and Portumna Workhouse.
Social Enterprise Exchange Inaugural Conference at the Dean Crowe Theatre Athlone Spéire Nua was showcased at this flagship in-person event for social enterprises in the Just Transition midlands region. The event showcased the work and impact in local communities and provided a space for organisations to network and engage with each other. The event also provided an opportunity for social enterprises to contribute to regional policy discussion, hear about market trends from global best practice speakers, and learn from industry colleagues.
Guinness Enterprise Centre with Common Purpose At an alumni meetup we got to share the Spéire Nua story and drum up some ‘purposeful connections’ with Common Purpose at The Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin.
Speakers included: - Dr Nancy Claxton on Nadulpan Megan Best Dublin’s Sustainable Living Lab Dr Shirley Gallagher - Let's talk Sustainability- 'Speechcraft' Monica Haughey on Six Week Creative Entrepreneur Masterclass. Dr Sylvia Gavigan on Climate Launchpad Entrepreneurship Programme. Damien Quinn on Spéire Nua and the problem of trying to move on from Criminality. Amina Moustafa on Glencree Centre of Excellence and Practical Peacebuilding. Carine Mambou on Cultural Intelligence and Mema Group. Alex Chernenko from Translit on the shortage of linguists in Ireland.
Queens University Belfast with The Turn Around Project and the Ministry of Justice Northern Ireland – All Island Collaboration. Defining the scope for an all island leadership pathway for those with previous experience of the Criminal Justice System, lead out by The Turnaround Project.
Pictured are: - Alice Walsh - Social Enterprise Employer Liaison – IASIO, Richard Good - Director, The Turnaround Project, Siobhan Cafferty - Social Enterprise Project Manager, Criminal Justice sector, Maeve Harnett - Executive Manager of The Bridge Project and Clean Slate, Dr Joe Garrihy and Dr Ciara Bracken-Roche – Unlocking Potential Maynooth University, Michael J Mc Cusker - Community Engagement and Participation Manager, Paula Harriott - Head of Prisoner Involvement at Prison Reform Trust (PRT), Stuart Frazer - Front Line Make Change, Damien Quinn – Spéire Nua.
Social Impact Ireland Impact Trail Social Impact Ireland invited Spéire Nua to Showcase in SCCUL Enterprises in Ballybane. As part of the ARISE campaign, the team at Social Impact Ireland are travelling Ireland highlighting the impact and value of Social Enterprises. With four venues lined up – covering East, West, Midlands and South – our Meet & Greet days are focused on Impact. On the day, you can expect a ‘Map Your Impact’ workshop, guest speakers, networking opportunities and much more.
Pictured left to right: - Ciara Regan, Evelyn Peppernell, Michaela Donegan, Nicole Ryan, James Herlihy, Damien Quinn and Ken Baird. Huge thank you to all the team at Social Impact Ireland for an amazing programme and for the unbending support for the Spéire Nua Project.