Cork organisation helping young people see beyond the Horizon

David and Caroline

David Wall told The Echo that he had been attending Doras, the training centre operated by Horizons for two years.

The 19-year-old said that when he first started, he told staff that he had a dream of one day becoming a barista, and that dream has since been realised.

David began working at Roots coffee house at Montenotte, operated by Horizons before moving to Roots’ busier University College Cork location.

“I work in Roots café in UCC, deal with a lot of coffee customers, using the tills. It may seem like a lot of work but I thrive on it,” said David.

“I love it, it’s great. I definitely like doing something to do with the public, there’s people I know that go there which is great.”

Caroline O’Sullivan, who has worked at Horizons nearly 20 years, said: “As part of the training centre, when David started here he said one of his dreams was to become a barista.

“He started by doing some work experience in Montenotte then he was offered the opportunity to go to Roots in UCC which would be busier, faster paced, so a really good stepping down.”

David said: “From starting out, I never would have had a lot of confidence to have been able to do something like that, but when I stepped out of my comfort zone, when I tried it and did it on my own, I realised I was a lot more confident than what I thought.

“In a way, I was a bit emotional to see my skills develop, because I never thought that I would get this far. It’s something that I will always be happy about. I’m so happy to be where I want to be.

“I know it’s hard for a lot of people, but it was hard for me. Having that freedom to be a lot more confident to decide myself made it a lot easier.”

Caroline said that many of the things they do in the training centre are informed by the student.

“We try to be person-centred, allow students to make their own decisions try and support them to achieve their dreams and meet their goals.

“What a lot of the students say when they come in here straight from school is that one of the biggest changes is having to make decisions for themselves because they’re now adults. In school a lot of their decisions would have been smaller. As they’re adults now, they’re the point of contact for any decisions.

“We also encourage the students, when they’re here, to think of it like college, where you’re building friendships that hopefully will take you through adult life.”

She said she came to Horizons after a career in industry.

“I worked in the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries. Coming to work in Horizons was in one way a huge change of career, but I always had an interest in lifelong learning.

“I had gone back as a mature student by night to study training and development. When I started working in Horizons, I was working in an adult day centre, and I found that I had scope to do lots of different things.”

Caroline has introduced training modules and programmes like Irish dancing, saying “there was scope for you to be very creative in your role”.

She transferred to the Doras training centre nine years ago, where she now works with students between the ages of 18 and 24, who study with them for three years.

“We try to give them support to have a big experience.

“An opportunity to get some new skills, get qualifications, some work experience, and to do a lot of personal development. One of the lovely things we offer is Gaisce, The President’s Award.

“For a lot of our students it’s the first time that they ever go away from home without their parents. It’s a big adventure. They also have to do skills development and a community placement.”

For David, one highlight of his time in Horizons was the trip to Waterford as part of Gaisce, which he said was: “A great experience, not only to go somewhere to have fun but to adventure on a different scale, that I know I wouldn’t have been capable of doing before.

“Actually, a really big highlight also would be stepping up from someone who wanted to be a barista to now, I’m really happy that I get to do what I want to do and get to be myself,” he added.

Nora and Emma

After losing her mother, Nora Riordan began attending Horizons two years ago.

“It was amazing to walk into the place and just feel at home, because it was so hard for me before that. Life for me has totally changed.

“My confidence is back — I didn’t believe in myself for a long time, and now I do.”

Emma O’Shea, one of the people who works with her, said: “Nora has come on amazingly and really grown individually, her group of friends has grown. She’s done unbelievable courses, she’s doing work experience in Enable Ireland charity shop. She’s a proper people person — she’s better than I am!”

Nora said: “I am a people person, my mam taught me how to be that. Anywhere there’s a party, count me in, I’m there — it can’t be a party without Nora.

“I just love being involved in everything, so many groups. I’m involved in Special Olympics, which is a big achievement.

“What I was lacking was company and being somewhere where I felt I belong. Any opportunity I get, I take it, because you never know what’s coming.”

Emma has been working at Horizons for nine years, starting in a behavioural unit in Montenotte then transferring out to a Togher facility, before moving out to the Midleton hub where she has been for the last five years.

“When I was going through school I was always asking myself what I wanted to do. One thing I knew I loved was working with people. I went to UCC and I got a degree in psychology. I wanted to help people and enhance their lives in any way.

“There’s so many opportunities in Horizons. I’m delighted in the role I’m in at the moment, but you can see that there is room to expand and to grow. Every place and every person that you work with, you get to build on that experience.”

Nora said that in terms of highlights: “Every day is a good day, you walk in and there’s a smile on everyone’s face.”

She described last years trip to Euro Disney, as a “magical feeling”.

“We all got together to talk about where we want to go, and I kind of got it in there that we should go to Disney.”

Nora said that since losing her mother the staring with Horizons she is “100% a different lady — more myself”.

“The Nora that my friends knew when I was younger, kind of a rascal. It’s mind boggling what I have achieved so far, what’s coming ahead is even more exciting. I’m turning 50 in June and hoping to go away for two weeks. I am also hoping to get a job.

“Anyone out there that’s reading, you should open your door to people who have special needs, because you don’t know what they could bring to the place.”

Ella and Olivia

Olivia O’Reilly, a tutor in third level education, teaching relaxation techniques, drama and decision making, recently celebrated 25 years working at Horizons.

“It went very fast, it didn’t feel like that long, I was surprised when I got a badge recently from my boss,” she said.

Ella Hogan, aged 21, studies drama.

“I love it, we did it this morning before we come here. We did exercise with our body and our hands and listening to music in the background, from movies.

“I’m a movie buff, I love watching lots of movies.”

Ella works in her local cinema, and her other hobbies include swimming and yoga, both of which she does every week.

She has been attending Horizons for three years, and says her favourite part is “chatting to my friends.”

“I do talk a lot, I never stop talking. When I was in first year I was very nervous, but I talked to a girl called Eimear and she introduced herself and I made friends with her.”

Olivia said she has worked with people of all ages at different centres across Cork, including using her background in horticulture.

“I’ve had a few different jobs over the years. All down through my career, I’ve worked with beautiful people. I’ve been very lucky, I feel very lucky to be working with the likes of Ella and all my gang now.

“I feel very lucky to have started working in Horizons, it’s been a really lovely place and I feel that the students teach me — maybe it’s about film from Ella — I love my job.”

Ella said that a trip to Romania last year was her highlight.

“I went away for the first time without my parents, I was so nervous because I’d never done it before. I had sat down with my parents and said ‘no, I’m not going to go’, but then I changed my mind.

“We went to Romania, I kind of felt homesick a little bit, but I became friends with people from Hungary and the Czech Republic, I made loads of friends who were so nice and I still contact them. My favourite part was the hotel had a swimming pool, and the city was absolutely amazing.

“It’s OK to be nervous, if you’ve never done something new before. Everyone gets nervous, it’s part of being a person.”

The trip focussed on sustainability with workshops in making things out of nature.

“We made friendship bracelets, bags, and we did projects about Ireland, what people do there, and made the Irish flag.”

For Olivia, trips abroad with the students have also been a highlight of her time with Horizons, particularly two Camino walks.

“It was incredible, the things that I saw the last two years on those trips, there was just something a little bit different. Seeing them being so independent, students helping other students.

“The terrain can be rough in places but to see them persevere, to see their strength, courage, like how Ella was saying, to go away on their own for the first time for many of them. It’s hard to put into words how I saw the students grow on a weeklong trip.”