The countdown is on! Dozens of volunteers will be out in force all over Waterford city and county this week collecting for national Hospice Sunflower Days on Friday, 6th June and Saturday, 7th June.

People are being encouraged to support their local hospice service by buying sunflower pins or seeds for €2 each from collectors on the streets in towns and villages.

Hospice Sunflower Days is a major source of income for hospices and voluntary hospice groups countrywide. Co-ordinated by the Irish Hospice Foundation on behalf of the hospice movement, all of the funds raised locally, stay locally.

Shirley Russell and Anne Hammond, who are volunteers with the Waterford Hospice Foundation, were recently named as Hospice Sunflower Heroes at the National launch of the campaign in Dublin. Shirley who hails from Portlaw and Waterford City native, Anne have been volunteering with the Waterford Hospice Foundation for the past 10 years were honoured for their particular effort in 2013 in which they organised a project which raised over €40,000.

Patron of Hospice Sunflower Days, RTE’s Mary Kennedy, commented: "Communities throughout Ireland have played a pivotal role in developing hospice services. This year the support is even more important considering the difficult environment charities are operating in."

"We hope the public will continue to give generously to this very worthy cause and remember a donation can go a long way to bringing comfort and dignity to people at the end-of-life."

Pat Quinlan, Chief Executive Officer of Milford Care Centre and Chair of the Voluntary Hospices Group, said the number of people seeking hospice care services continues to increase - at a time when funding resources, both public and voluntary, have become more scarce.

He said this year hospice groups are more reliant than ever on the generosity and goodwill of supporters and volunteers.

"We are most mindful of the fact that confidence in the charity sector in general is at an all-time low. Yet, we mustn’t lose sight of what Hospice Care stands for and we would appeal to people to support their local service to enable us to continue to help the most vulnerable members in our communities and most often at a time of greatest need.

Sunflower Days is a vital source of funding for local hospice services so please donate on June 6th & 7th and if you have a few hours to spare please consider volunteering."

Hospice or palliative care involves the total care of patients and their families at the stage in a serious illness, where the focus has switched from treatment aimed at cure to ensuring quality of life. About 29,000 people die annually in Ireland and over 6,000 people use hospice services every year.

For more information, visit http://www.sunflowerdays.ie To volunteer with the Waterford Hopsice Foundation for Hospice Sunflower Days, call 051 844 845

Waterford 1100 Talks

Waterford Treasures is delighted to announce its next presentation in the Waterford 1100 Talks. This is a chance to hear the foremost experts on the medieval Christ Church Cathedral and on the present Cathedral begun in 1773. Professor Stalley is a renowned medieval expert and has written before about Christ Church Waterford. He is the retired head of the Department of Art History and Architecture at Trinity College Dublin. Last year he spent some time in Waterford doing some on-the-ground research. He spent a lot of time in the Cathedral, studying the pillar of the medieval Christ Church which as we all know was demolished to make way for the present building.

Professor Christine Casey who will speak about the present Cathedral, is associate professor of architectural history and the current head of the Department of History of Art and Architecture at TCD. She has published widely on Irish architecture and interior ornament and is currently writing a book on migrant craftsmen in Europe, Britain and Ireland.

The illustrated talk is entitled Christ Church Cathedral Waterford, medieval and modern and all are welcome.

Speaker: Roger Stalley and Christine Casey

Title: Christ Church Cathedral Waterford, medieval and modern. Venue: Medieval Museum. Date: Monday 9 June. Time: 7.30pm. Admission: €5.00 (towards the Museum conservation and acquisition fund).

Tickets available in advance from Bishop’s Palace Reception 051 849650/ museumreception@waterfordcity.ie or on the door.

Carrick Utd. is glad to announce that our Annual Field Day will be held on Sunday June 8th. In conjunction with Field Day we are running World Cup Draw where participants will have a chance to draw a team in this year’s World Cup. A top prize of €750 for the winning team and with prizes up to the quarter finals it is extremely good value at €1 per line. Please support our club in this worthy venture.

Waterford Irish Wildlife Trust begins its summer programme of evening walks on Tuesday June 11 with a visit to Fenor Bog and area. The bog is coming into its summer glory now and Denis Cullen will be our guide to point out its features and ecology. Start time is 7.30 pm sharp and the meeting point is the Car Park at Fenor Bog just beyond the church. Fenor Bog is a very good example of a fen bog and we owe a tremendous thank you to the Fenor community for their efforts and expense in building a board walk so that all can appreciate and enjoy this wonderful part of our physical heritage.

40 Arrests follow large Garda operation into criminal activity in Waterford

Yesterday morning, 3rd June 2014, as part of an ongoing intelligence-led operation into organised criminal activity in Waterford, a number of searches were carried out at various addresses in Waterford City. This operation which has been ongoing in Waterford for some time is targetting a criminal organisation based in Waterford City and their illegal activities including illegal money lending.

The searches were carried out by Gardai based in Waterford Division, assisted by Officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau, Regional Support Units, Organised Crime Unit, Air Support Unit and Garda Dog Unit.

The investigation into this criminal organisation and their associates has resulted in excess of 40 arrests to date and the activities of this criminal organisation can be directly attributed to in excess of 100 crimes. These crimes have resulted in convictions for robberies, thefts and assaults.

Investigating Gardai in Waterford are seeking the assistance of any witnesses or persons affected by the actions of this criminal organisation and confidetiality is assured for any persons wishing to speak with Gardai on 051-305300. "We acknowledge the assistance received to date from members of the public, community groups and local representatives", concluded the Garda statement.

Waterford’s Failte Ireland Investment Cut

Failte Ireland’s investment in Waterford Spraoi Festival has been reduced to €15,000, representing a 73% cut in funding from the tourism agency in two years. Failte Ireland recently announced €1.8m of funding to Irish festivals and events, yet the award-winning Waterford festival lost-out despite attracting 29% of its audience from outside Waterford City and County last year. It also generated a footfall of 313,401, 73% increase on normal city centre pedestrian traffic.

The funding cut follows one of the festival’s most successful years in 2013, when record crowds attended the 21st Spraoi. Audience research indicated the festival attracted 19% first-time visitors and accommodation providers recorded 5490 bed- nights during the festival. Significantly, 45% of those who stayed with hotels, guest-houses and other approved accommodation providers were overseas visitors.

"These are troubled times for many people and Spraoi has no sense of entitlement to funding, but we’re baffled by this decision," says Spraoi Artistic Director Mike Leahy. "Spraoi has established Waterford as a festivals and events destination, it offers visitors an exciting experience in our beautiful city and it fills tills in hotels, pubs, restaurants and shops. In attracting visitors and in terms of promoting Waterford the festival has delivered the goods, but our key tourism partner Failte Ireland has significantly reduced its investment to promote and grow the festival."

Failte Ireland funding is used by Spraoi to promote the festival nationally and internationally. Some is also used to attract high-profile international acts. Both areas will be impacted by the significantly reduced investment.

"Our staff, volunteers and performers will deliver a high-quality experience for our audience this year," says Mike Leahy. "But cutting this investment will have an impact. We simply can’t deliver on the same level as 2013. Events like Spraoi create tremendous energy, economic impacts and showcase areas such as the Viking Triangle and city centre. We’re very disappointed that Failte Ireland does not share this analysis. Yet again, Waterford is the loser!"

Following a highly successful Waterford Spraoi 2013 one of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs, Pat McDonagh founder of Supermacs, said: "There’s not a town or city in the country that would not want an event like this." Despite this success Waterford Spraoi will receive a reduced share of the national tourism investment pot.

Failte Ireland Funding to Waterford Spraoi Festival:

2012 – €56,000

2013 – €39,000

2014 – €15,000

This represents a 73% cut over two years.

My name is Catherine Burgess O’Sullivan and I am currently studying at NUI Galway for a MSc in Health Psychology. As part of this masters course I am required to undertake research as part of my dissertation. My dissertation is investigating if the manner in which the initial diagnosis is delivered effects the perception of what Multiple Sclerosis is and what impact it will have on quality of life in the period following diagnosis. This topic is of particular interest to me as I was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS in 2006.

I am inviting anybody who has been diagnosed with any form of MS in the last three years to take part in this research. Participants will be asked to fill out four questionnaires, taking no longer than 20 minutes. The on-line is at https://app.surveygizmo.com/builder/build/id/1614122

All information gathered will be treated with total confidentiality and will be used for research purposes only. No participant will be named in this research. All information will be stored on an encrypted computer.

All participants will be entered into a draw for a €50 One4all voucher.

I can be contacted at c.burgessosullivan1@nuigalway.ie

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D. and the Minister for Training and Skills, Ciarán Cannon T.D., are announcing that 6,100 new free higher education places are to be made available to jobseekers through Springboard.

Springboard aims to help jobseekers get the skills that they need in order to get back to work. Courses are one year or less, generally part-time, are free to jobseekers and lead to awards at certificate, degree and post-graduate level.

Springboard specifically targets areas where there are job opportunities and growth. This year 171 different courses in 38 colleges are being offered, including 21 in ICT aimed at giving people who may have trained in a different area the skills to work in the growing ICT sector.

Minister Quinn said, "The biggest challenge facing our country is getting our people back to work and Springboard is aimed at doing exactly that. This year work placements are being offered on almost every Springboard course because such placements are a really important way of improving employment prospects."

"We are targeting areas like ICT, high end manufacturing and international financial services because job opportunities exist in these areas and there is a huge potential for growth."

Since 2011, 16,429 jobseekers have participated on Springboard courses with a €54 million investment from the Exchequer. In 2014/15, the Government will spend a further €25 million on Springboard.

Minister Cannon said, "One of the core features of Springboard since the start has been the rigorous evaluation of outcomes – how Springboard participants get on in their course, their experience and most importantly whether they get a job."

"I’m pleased to see that 94% of participants would recommend the experience to other jobseekers. Of the class of 2013, more than half were in sustainable employment or self-employment within six months of completing their studies, with some courses reporting employment rates of 90%."

To coincide with the announcement of a further round of Springboard, the Higher Education Authority has also produced a trend analysis (see attached).

This shows that the majority of participants are male, aged 25-39, are more likely to be long-term unemployed and year on year have higher levels of educational qualifications.

More than six out of ten participants complete their Springboard course; of those who withdraw early, almost a third do so because they got a job.

Springboard is part of the Government’s Skills to Work initiative aimed at making it easier for jobseekers and employers to know what Government skills initiatives are available to them http://www.skillstowork.ie.

The Iverk Show prize list and schedule of events was launched this week. It is packed with information. It contains the details of all the competitions and how to enter. The closing date for entries is Friday the 15th August.

It is great to see that the schedule has lots of classes, established and new, for children and young people to enter. Even if you do not want to exhibit there are many other activities to get involved with.

There are three flower arranging classes for under 15’s. Can you design a miniature garden on the lid of a biscuit tin or produce an arrangement representing ‘all creatures great and small’ or ‘tea time’ to feature a cup and saucer and some garden plants. To help you we have some tips for flower arranging on our web site http://www.iverkshow.ie – have a look.

In the new photography section there are two classes for children. One is confined to the children living in the Barony of Iverk. The second is open to all children. There is no special theme so why not take out the family camera, use your imagination and take some pictures at home or on holidays.

The new Junior Baking Section for both primary and secondary schools is a must for budding Masterchefs and is kindly sponsored by Keogh’s Model Bakery in Carrick-on-Suir.

The arts and crafts section also has classes for primary and post primary schools. There is a fantastic prize of a perpetual trophy and €200 for the school that accumulates the most points. There are classes for hand writing, drawing, clay modelling, pottery, woodwork and metalwork to name a few. If your school is not already involved why not ask your teacher to contact the show secretary (051-644621) for more information.

Always very popular with children and young people are the dogs with 19 dog classes covering everything from the pedigree to the family pet. And what about the hugely popular "fun agility section" which was a great hit, enjoyed by all and every dog is welcome to try.

There is show jumping for children and the tiny tots and newcomers are always popular with beginners. If you are not into jumping how about showing your pony with classes for young people up to 17 years of age and lead rein classes for beginners.

Many of the adult classes are suitable for children to enter especially the cakes, jams, vegetables, eggs or maybe you have a chicken at home that you would like to enter into the poultry sections. There will be over 350 of our feathered friends at the show.

Every child entered in the ‘Bonny Baby’ competition gets a prize. For babies up to 18 months and entries are taken on the day.

If you do not want to compete there are loads of activities to enjoy and exciting things to see. For the very young there will be a sand area with ride on tractors and toys and it is "Free." There is free face painting also.

All these and the full range of classes are in the show schedule which is now available from the secretary or can be downloaded on the website http://www.iverkshow.ie. And of course children have free entry into the show on the 23rd August in Piltown. It can’t get more exciting than that!!!

Repair my Windows and Doors is a relatively new Waterford company offering a solution for ill-fitting windows and doors, broken locks and cold uncomfortable draughts.

Portlaw local Michael O’Brien offers the following services is the man to call to repair or replace broken glass, repair or replace hinges or door cylinders or patio door wheels.

Contact Michael to secure your property or home with a sustainable locking system to repair or replace front and back doors or to replace windows.

Michael also provides a service to protect young children with fitted child restrictors on upstairs windows.

For further information contact Martin at 087 8832612 http://www.repairmywindowsanddoors.com

Our meeting this month is as usual at Tramore House on Wednesday 11 June at 8pm. To keep with tradition the committee will be serving you a magnificent strawberry tea, so please do your best to attend.

Thank you so much to Karen from McGuires garden centre for such a brilliant demonstration last month, her enthusiasm was inspiring and our plants have never looked better!

We are delighted that our summer party this year will be on Tuesday 1 July at the Majestic Hotel Tramore at 7.30pm. After dinner we can dance the night away to 'New Orleans' it will be a fantastic evening. Any past members and friends who would like to come along please let us know as we really look forward to seeing you there!

Our fitness regime still continues with Aerobics at Splashworld on Wednesdays at 11am. The various craft classes are ongoing. Do join us to learn or share new skills!

If you are looking to make new friends why not come along to our meetings? You will receive a warm and friendly welcome, so join us for a cup of tea and a chat, there are outings to places of interest, shopping at the outlet villages, also a variety of crafts, fun activities, and social evenings. We really look forward to seeing, but will be taking a summer break until September.

HCS Business Solutions recognised as finalist in 2014 Microsoft Small Business Partner Awards

Based in Waterford’s Cleaboy Business Park, HCS which employs 20 staff, held off stiff competition as more than 3,200 entries were received from 112 countries.

In total there were 46 awards celebrating each of the core partner competencies, including cloud technology; Windows 8, Office and SharePoint applications; public sector; citizenship; sales excellence; and many more. The award finalists and winners were selected from a group of nominations based on their commitment to customers, their solutions’ market impact and exemplary use of Microsoft technologies.

Director of HCS Business Solutions, Mr. Neil Phelan was delighted that the company was awarded such a prestigious accolade. "It’s a wonderful tribute for HCS to receive. We became Microsoft’s first Gold Small Business partner in Ireland just two years ago, so to be recognised as a finalist on Microsoft’s global platform is a resounding endorsement of the team’s work here in Waterford and Dublin."

"The criteria for the category were quite extensive, however we demonstrated that HCS has been proficient in embracing Microsoft services and providing innovative I.T. solutions to our clients which are, primarily, SMB’s across the whole of Ireland."

"Microsoft’s core competencies differentiate them from any other competitor and as part of the Microsoft framework, HCS embraces those competencies, offers technological innovation, sales and service support, whilst all the while developing and building relationships with our customers."

Phil Sorgen, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Partner Group, Microsoft Corp added, "Microsoft’s success as a company depends on great partners, and HCS Business Solutions is a shining example of the kind of innovation our partner ecosystem drives year after year."

"We are honoured to recognise HCS Business Solutions as this year’s finalist of the 2014 Microsoft Small Business Partner award, and we applaud the team at HCS in their dedication to providing innovative solutions that drive results for our mutual customers."

HCS Business Solutions will be represented at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, which is the annual, global convergence of Microsoft’s top partners, in Washington D.C. from July 13th to 17th.

For further details about the software, infrastructure and IT services HCS Business Solutions provides visit http://www.hcs.ie or call 051 595200 or 01 873 4120.

GIY Family Fun Day - Food, Fun and Forgotten Skills

To celebrate Father’s Day, GIY (Grow it Yourself) has come together with Athenaeum House Hotel, WLR FM and Ardkeen Quality Food Store to create a very special free Family Fun day on Sunday June 15th. The event, which runs from 1pm to 6pm, is aimed at Dads of all ages and their families, and will mix great food, traditional skills, music from the WLR FM Blaster Caster and lots of fun for kids of all ages.

- Food: Athenaeum Head Chef Jean-Baptiste Dubois is behind the onsite barbecue with the best of local and seasonal food, expertly cooked. The food market in association with Ardkeen Quality Food Store will showcase the very best artisan food producers from the Southeast. The GIY stall will be selling seeds and plants so you can grow your own food.

- Fun for the kids: hours of fun for the kids (and big kids!) including bouncy castles, balloon modeling, ‘Meet the Vikings’, traditional games and much more.

- Forgotten skills – why not try your hand at traditional and forgotten skills such as seed sowing, butter making, basket making, wood turning, keeping hens, bee-keeping, crafts and much more?

- Music – the WLRFM Blaster Caster will be on site for the afternoon with music from The Weekend Mix with Geoff Harris.

Proceeds from the day are being generously donated by Athenaeum House Hotel to GROW HQ, GIY’s proposed national food education centre, which will open in Waterford in summer 2015. GROW HQ will be a place where people can come to learn about food, and immerse themselves in the GIY lifestyle. It will include a grow school, cookery school, café and food gardens.

Details: GIY Family Fun Day

Date: Sunday 15th June 2014

Time: 1pm to 6pm

Venue: The Garden at Athenaeum House Hotel

Free Entry

More details from: Athenaeum House Hotel (051 833999) and http://www.giyireland.com

Come along to the Waterford City Library from June 16th until June 28th and enjoy a splendid display of art (oil on canvass, Bob Ross technique) presented by Sr. Philomena Corbett. All proceeds towards the education of the Earthquark Victim children in the slums of Lahore. Prices negotiable. All donations very welcome for the poorest children on earth.

Waterford Muay Thai Gym are holding a Fun quiz Night in the Showboat on the 24th of June at 9pm.

This event is being held to raise funds in order to send members of our gym to the European Championships, in Krakow, Poland from the 21st of September until 28th September. We have some of the best fighters in Ireland but unfortunately we have to fully fund this trip ourselves, plus stay in a team hotel for the week so any support would be very welcome.

We will also have a raffle on the night during the break and we'll have some lovely prizes on offer.

Waterford Institute of Technology granted HR Excellence in Research Award by the European Commission

Waterford City and County Council unveiled their new corporate logo at the June meeting of the City and County Council in City Hall last evening. (12th June 2014). It received a positive response from councillors and is intended to represent the new unity of Waterford and indeed the unification of the former councils. The logo is intended to be a corporate logo only and will not replace any of the existing heraldic crests or coats of arms currently in use in the city and county – the long term use of which will be discussed at the July meeting and thereafter by the elected members and policy groups.

New Chief Executive Officer of Waterford City and County Council, Michael Walsh, commented after the meeting that 'We are looking forward to working together towards creating a better environment for all those who live in Waterford. It's vital that the new organisation is unified in purpose and is visible to those it serves - this logo is one that everyone will recognise immediately. It's simple, confident and clear, and demonstrates what we are about. Now it's important to get on with the job in hand. It's important to note that a crest is a symbol of place; whereas this new logo is a symbol of the united corporate entity.'

The logo, which was designed by ICAN, cost 4,200 Euro. ICAN, who previously worked on the Waterford Tall Ships in 2011 were appointed following an open tender process. The brief for the design was informed by the values that are core to the new Council's approach. The company was asked to deliver a logo that was strong, confident and which demonstrated leadership and looked at a wide range of options. The colour and style of the new logo are rooted in Waterford's maritime heritage, while the font has an approachable and professional feel. Up until now, both Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council have each used individual corporate logos, and in light of the recent amalgamation, it was no longer an option to have two separate logos. There are also many other crests and emblems, which will continue to have occasional and appropriate uses. This new logo, however, will be the Council's primary brand of identification and identity – the symbol of a unified, strong and ambitious new corporate body.