The AONTAS STAR Awards 2010 - Winners announced!

The AONTAS STAR Awards - Showcasing Teamwork, Awarding Recognition 22 February 2010: The STAR Awards 2010 - Winners announced! Business in the Community Ireland is delighted to announce that Co Monaghan High Support Process (HSP), a forum which includes representatives Laura Kenny and John E Moley from our own Linkage Service, was recently highly commended at the AONTAS STAR Awards 2010. AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation's STAR Awards Ceremony is about showcasing teamwork and awarding recognition - it's about acknowledging the fantastic work undertaken by adult learning projects throughout the country. Most of all, it is about celebrating the positive contribution that these projects make to our society, our economy and our local communities. 110 nominations came from adult learning organisations, community and voluntary groups, the business sector, government agencies, statutory bodies and NGOs. Thirteen awards were made in total - to projects working within Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Dublin, Connaught and throughout Ireland both in the local community and in the wider county and province. STAR Awards were also awarded in the Workplace Learning, Projects in Progress and Once Off Initiatives categories following their successful introduction for the STAR Awards 2009. Nominated projects were requested to demonstrate the following criteria: - A high level of teamwork and partnership amongst participant groups - A learner centred approach to education provision - Adult education practice and methodologies Regional Ulster Winner: Women's Health & Well Being Programme Over the past eighteen months Donegal Women's Network, (DWN) in partnership with the Women's Health Development Officer (WHDO) HSE West, have designed, developed and delivered a Women's Health and Well Being Programme (WHWB). It provides opportunities for women with a wide variety of experience, both lived and professional, to learn together about working with groups. As they acquire the skills and knowledge to fulfill their commitment to the project, they themselves learn and grow together. Highly Commended: Co Monaghan High Support Process (HSP) The main objective of Co Monaghan HSP is to adapt a multi-agency approach to implementing supports/interventions to enable marginalized clients to overcome barriers and progress into education, training and/or employment. Established in 2007 the Monaghan High Support Process (HSP) is hosted monthly by DSFA & FAS with a core forum comprising: The Local Employment Service, VEC, HSE, The Linkage Service (Laura Kenny TEO / John E Moley TEO), Irish Association of Supported Employment & National Learning Network. Monaghan HSP ETHOS: Sharing information, understanding, commitment, professionalism and localized client-centered case management strategies to optimize our client benefit and progression Notes: AONTAS is the National Adult Learning Organisation, a voluntary membership organisation. It exists to promote the development of a learning society through the provision of a quality and comprehensive system of adult learning and education which is accessible to and inclusive to all. The members of AONTAS who now number almost 600 comprise individual, organisational and associate (overseas) members. AONTAS promotes the importance of adult and community education as a key part of lifelong learning. It influences the development of policy and lobbies on behalf of the sector. It facilitates networking among members and supports their work. Contact Information: 2nd Floor, 83-87 Main Street, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Ireland Tel : (+353 1) 406 8220/1 Fax : (+353 1) 406 8227 Email : mail@aontas.com