Empowerment

There are over 400 men's sheds across the country. Here's what a random five we picked have been getting up to recently. It is truly fascinating and what a range of activities. One of the groups here is a men's and women's shed. There is bound to be one near you!

Mariaam Bhatti is one of the co-founders of The Great Care Co-op and she says that carers have traditionally not received the recognition they deserve. “Carers provide such valuable work, yet they are almost invisible," she says. Her group is changing that.

A U-turn in life by a man who hit rock-bottom led to him setting up a group to reach out to men around Skibbereen, Co. Cork. 'Be Undeniable' isn’t about motivating men. It’s about normalising men spending time together, being honest, supporting each other, and lifting each other up and founder Andrew Desmond would like to see it replicated in other parts of the country.

Even the organisers were surprised at the number of people who showed up for a Jobs Expo with a difference that was held in City Hall, Limerick, on March 5. Organisers recorded 178 visitors to the event, the first of its kind held outside Dublin.

Three local community groups, recognised for their work in nurturing wellbeing, could inspire other groups. One group nurtures friendship through singing, another provides accessible counselling in a large rural town, while a third sees 600 people a week come through their doors in a remote village. All three won IPB Pride of Place awards late last year.

Craig O’Brien, a professional boxer with an Irish title who has been on a Katie Taylor undercard at the 3 Arena and would be familiar to Sky Sports viewers, now works with the Solas Project in Dublin 8. In his 30s and an educated and successful man, the North Inner City native is in a different place to his early twenties when he spent time in prison and grappled with addiction.

Alice Ann Lee is employed by an organisation called Families First / Archways which is focused on early intervention, empowerment, and keeping families together and connected to their communities. The project is funded primarily by the Department of Justice. She tells the project's story here.

Tús is the Irish word for start or begin. However, bureaucracy around opening bank accounts is having a severe impact on some people who want to get back into the labour force, according to James Hill of the Northside Partnership in Dublin.