Communities Supporting Students and Parents in Strathroy

Marty McCoolgan, SCA, delivers homework supplies to a Strathroy family

Parents everywhere are finding out first-hand how hard it is to be a teacher! Parents and children in Strathroy are getting extra support to tackle the challenges of homeschooling from their local community association.

The Strathroy Community Association has been awarded £1500 from the Housing Executive Community Support Fund to go towards their efforts to support education during the lockdown. They are buying tablets and homework supplies for families that need them and are implementing a remote learning plan to help with the lessons themselves. The SCA afterschool volunteers and staff are meeting with the school and other representatives to target those who need it.

Donna Smyth, who runs the Afterschool Club, told us, "The Department for Communities has funded us for a long time to run a well attended after school club, and we were worried that our work would fall by the wayside during the lockdown. When remote schooling kicked in, we knew that some parents wouldn't have the equipment they needed and would miss the support that they would usually get from us." 

The Easter Bunny made sure every child in the area got an Easter egg!

Donna and her team identified families who did not have devices for their children to use at home and those who would need additional support with homeschooling. 

"Parents are aware that the work the schools have sent home is primarily their responsibility, but we allocate a couple of hours every day when we can log in and go over what parents can't do at home. We have taken ten families each, and we get a weekly run down from their teachers on what they are doing and how they are teaching. Then we can help the parents and the children by phone and by video call. It's great to be able to see them!" 

The club has already provided the laptops they had at the centre to families to use, and now Donna has put the £1500 from the Housing Executive towards ten new tablets and to make up homework packs.  

"We're delivering fresh supplies of paper and pencils and anything else they might need to complete their assignments; for example, they might need a compass for a maths assignment, and parents are telling us they don't have one at home. We can help with that." 

Cooking up something tasty in Strathroy!

The Afterschool team is also finding creative ways to keep children active and entertained at home. They have run physical activity sessions online, and they have been doing a fun cookery programme whereby they deliver packs of ingredients and instructions for the children to make various recipes.

"They just love it," said Donna. "They take a picture and send it back to us to show what they have made."   

"We are also setting up a borrowing library to run in conjunction with the food bank appeal every Saturday," Donna told us. "The community association is doing amazing work. I'm so humbled to be a part of it.”

Indeed, the Strathroy Community Association is finding new ways to support all community members in need. They are working hard to deliver hot meals every evening to 50 of the most vulnerable homes. Recent funding from the council will enable them to increase this to more than 100 meals a day through the end of May. Area volunteers are getting together to make up grocery packs for up to 150 households, and a new initiative is making sure to take in the dietary needs of members of the community who have come from other parts of the world. They have also made their Period Poverty Appeal easier to access by text message and collection and they work with St Vincent de Paul and other groups in the area to supply a desperately needed food bank by running an appeal every Saturday. 

Community volunteers gathering supplies for the Food Bank.

Marty McCoolgan, Chairman of the SCA, spoke to us by phone. "There has been a massive community effort in Strathroy. I am confident there is support there for anyone who needs it,” he said.  “We have established an emergency number that people can call for assistance, and our volunteers have gone door to door to make sure everyone is aware of our support. Our pensioner homes all are checked three times per day, and our volunteers are delivering groceries, prescriptions, and anything else the more vulnerable and those cocooning need." 

Darragh O'Neill, Supporting Communities Community Development Officer in the area, is in regular contact with SCA to provide support and advice. Anita Doonan, Funding and Social Value Officer, is also on hand to help groups complete funding applications. 

"We've worked with Supporting Communities for a long time, I remember when it was NITAP," smiled Donna. "Darragh and Anita helped us greatly with the funding application form for the Housing Executive. I really appreciate all that they do. Darragh helps us so much with all sorts of things."  

Darragh O’Neill with some Strathroy Community Association members at last year’s Community Conference.

Darragh explained, "I was discussing the funding opportunity with Marty, and we agreed it was crucial to assist vulnerable families' educational needs. Donna from the Afterschool Club was instrumental in identifying the children who would benefit and is in constant contact with the families during the lockdown. I'm delighted that SCA was successful in securing these funds. They have put the money to excellent use!" 

Darragh went on to say that the nearby Lisanelly Regeneration Group is also using Housing Executive funding for educational packs.

"Community groups are really stepping up to provide essential support in all areas of our lives at this time. I'm glad I can play my part in helping them to do so!"