Projects

King’s Island Community Garden

The Island Garden Project is a collaboration between the community of King’s Island, Limerick Growing Communities and UL Students. Community Garden benefits are clear and well documented. They benefit mental and physical wellbeing as well as offering social and recreational space. In this project, CWELL students were tasked with exploring how to gather public input on what a community growing space should include, with a priority on encouraging community participation in growing activities. Following this, the garden was designed and delivered, with a formal launch during ‘Local Development week’ on May 14th 2025. This project revives an earlier CWELL project carried out as part of the CWELL pilot run in 2014-2016. https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/308017/island-in-bloom-as-barren-limerick-field-grows-into-allotment.html

 

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King’s Island Folklore Commission

The overarching goal of the King’s Island Folklore Commission (KIFC) was to record and archive the local history of the King’s Island community. The KIFC grew out of a collaboration between students at UL, Discover Limerick DAC, schools, and local storytellers. The group's name emerged from a recognition that the Irish state's landmark folklore Commission of the 1930s only gathered stories from rural communities. By focusing on King's Island, the group addressed this absence in Irish folklore history and encouraged participation across the generations and engaged key cultural institutions such as King John’s Castle, the King’s Island Community Centre, and local businesses. In line with the UN’s SDGs, KIFC promoted good health and well-being, quality education, and sustainable cities and communities. This project revives an earlier CWELL project carried out as part of the CWELL pilot run in 2014-2016

 

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PAUL Partnership Limerick – Fighting Energy Poverty

PAUL Partnership Limerick is the multi-sectoral partnership company which promotes social inclusion in Limerick City. The aim of the project was to develop the role of Community Energy Coaches to support communities to learn about their energy use, to become more energy efficient and to live more sustainable lives. The CWELL students completed community consultations and a survey to understand what local communities already know about energy saving and how they would like to interact with the Community Energy Coaches. The results of this research will inform PAUL Partnership’s design and delivery of the programme.

Women’s Collective Ireland – Limerick branch

Women’s Collective Ireland, Limerick is part of the national Women’s Collective Ireland network, promoting gender equality and support services on women’s health and wellbeing, and intended to increase women’s participation in public and community life. The WCI, Limerick branch were keen to assess the impact of their supports and services as part of a wider organizational review. CWELL students worked with WCI, Limerick to survey and consult with WCI, Limerick members and clients to produce an impact report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Haven Hub

Haven Hub is a community-based volunteer organization providing a range of mental health supports to the community without charge. These services include mental health courses and programmes and crisis centres/cafes staffed by trained volunteers. CWELL students worked with Haven Hub to examine their recruitment, training and volunteer development processes, putting forward several recommendations to improve policies and processes

Southill Gymnastics Club

The Southside Gymnastics club is a community-based volunteer programme that has been running since 2006. The club boasts over 100 children and more than 20 coaches, many of whom were first introduced to the club as children themselves. Underfunded and under-appreciated, CWELL students worked with the club to profile the great work that the club is doing with the community and to show the impact that it is having on generations of family members in the area. The Reach for the Stars report catalogues the club’s history and demonstrates the important role that the club plays in the community. The report stands as a record of the club’s achievements and will be used to pursue funding opportunities into the future.

 

Community Spirit

Working in collaboration with various community groups and members, the group worked to enhance community spirit in Kileely and Ballynanty through the refurbishment of locally significant community spaces, including: the historic graveyard in Kileely, the Marian Shrine in Ballynanty and the playground in Ballynanty. The project also held interviews with older members of the community in order to capture their memories and worked in collaboroation with Ballynanty Residents Association to create a newsletter template to communicate across the area More info: (www.ul.ie/engage/community-spirit)

 

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Shine a Light

The aim of the ‘Shine a Light’ project is to bring attention to the work undertaken by volunteers in homeless outreach services. The project group interviewed volunteers, from various homeless charities and services, increasing awareness of the benefits behind the work they do – for the volunteers in addition to the homeless. The intention of the project is to broaden our understanding of what homelessness is, how it is manifested and how it is experiences. The main output from the project is the creation of a video, comprised of the interviews conducted with individuals volunteering in Limerick. Video: Shine A Light – Limerick Volunteers (click here) More info: (www.ul.ie/engage/shine-a-light)

 

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Moyross Made Me

Working with local consultations and community partners, this project sought to explore young people and children’s aspirations – with a particular focus on the Moyross area. The group conducted interviews with three adults from the area who are successful in their respective fields. They also carried out interviews and surveys with youths in the Moyross area. The aim being to identify the barriers and enablers to young people identifying and pursuing their ambition. The findings of the research was presented back to all who took part in the research in a celebratory event. More info: (www.ul.ie/engage/moyross-made-me)

 

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Wall of Hope

The aim of the project is to promote positive mental health in the Garryowen area and beyond, with a particular focus on youth mental health. The group will achieve this by creating a mural, which will contain positive affirmations in addition to information on local help lines and services in the Garryowen and wider Limerick area. The group is working with Limerick Enterprise Development park on the creation and design of the mural and with the Garryowen Residents Association to identify the most impactful place to display the mural in the area. More info: (www.ul.ie/engage/wall-of-hope)

Wellbeing Way

• Video: Community-Engaged Learning – The Wellbeing Way (click here)
• View: The Wellbeing Way – Digital Booklet (click here) More info: (www.ul.ie/engage/the-wellbeing-way-2020-2021)

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One Million Stars

One Million Stars Against Violence was originally established in 2012, in Queensland, Australia, by Maryann Talia Pau as a means of condemning violence and demonstrating solidarity, and in particular towards women who have been impacted by domestic violence. As partners on the Limerick One Million Stars project CWELL is working with The Hunt Museum, ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services, Mental Health Ireland and Limerick City and County Council The project brings communities together to engage in a creative project that demonstrates our support and solidarity with those who experience violence, particularly domestic violence. The star is a symbol of light, hope, and solidarity and together, through star weaving, we can collectively take a stand toward ending violence in Ireland. For more on One Million Stars: https://onemillionstarsireland.ie/  Watch CWELL Commmunity Facilitor, Eileen Hoffler speaking at the One Million Stars Launch at the Hunt Musuem in Limerick: https://vimeo.com/786848917/4a3e15fe2a 

Tea Parties for the Elderly

The Social CWELL project group recognized high levels of social isolation among the older members of their communities. The project aimed to offer social outings for the elderly in their communities. A significant amount of research was undertaken with elderly groups across the city to establish the type of outing that would be suitable.

The group planned to host four annual tea parties: a Valentine Ball; an Easter Bonnet Ball; a Christmas Party; and a Halloween Party. Plans for the first event were well advanced when COVID-19 necessitated its cancellation. Limerick City and County Council granted the Social CWELL project group €4,000 towards the costs of these events, further developing local synergies between the Council, Community and University.

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Limerick – Let’s Talk About Our Mayor!

The members of Supportive CWELL project group were keen to build both their personal and their community’s capacity to identify community needs through community conversations and consultations. The group were in the initial stages of planning their community conversations when they were asked to support the Your Mayor, Your Voice campaign.

This campaign sought the opinions of people across Limerick City and County in relation to the role of Limerick’s first directly elected Mayor. The Supportive CWELL group were essential to the success of this campaign and provided invaluable community insight. Website: www.ourmayor.limerick.ie UL Press release: Click here
UL Links: Digital edition (Pages 22–23), PDF Version

 

 

 

 

 

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Active Moms

The Healthy CWELL group members were concerned with health interventions that offered both an active lifestyle and a chance to socialise with peers. They identified that young mothers in their community were particularly in need of such an intervention. They designed an introductory 5-week gym programme involving a one-hour gym session per week. The unique aspect of this programme is that those organising and leading it, including the gym instructor, were all local young women themselves. The group piloted the initiative in Nov/Dec 2019 with 6 young mothers. The programme was very well received, and when offered again in early March 2020, 35 young women registered. Unfortunately, it was not possible for the second round of the Active Moms programme to go ahead due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

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Southill Hub Community Garden

The Green CWELL group were interested in green issues – recycling, waste management, eco gardens, etc. As a group they decided to research the possibility of a community garden in their community. As part of their research they visited the Southill Hub Community Garden. This community garden had been a valuable community resource, however budget and staff costs as well as dwindling volunteer numbers meant that the garden was in decline.

The group were keen to lend their support and thus their project became the revitalization of the Southill Hub Community Garden. They achieved this in a variety of ways: volunteering their time in the garden, securing funding, and encouraging greater use of the garden by the local community. The group created and successfully led a series of events in the garden including a Christmas event, Valentine’s Day event, and a jewellery-making day. The aim of such events was to encourage increased and more diverse use of the garden as a community amenity. More info: www.ul.ie/engage/southill-hub-community-garden-2019-2020

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King’s Island Playground and Outdoor Fitness Centre

July 2020 saw the successful conclusion of a CWELL project which began as part of the first CWELL class of 2014–2016. The project involved the design and development of a playground in the King’s Island area of the city. The CWELL students who are members of the King’s Island community spent 5 years working with the community to advocate for this essential amenity. The project represents a successful example of local people coming together to effect real and lasting change in their community.

The park was successfully launched with local media coverage, including a piece on Limerick 95 FM.

• 10 August 2020 – King’s Island Playground and Outdoor Fitness area open: Playground Launch
• Interviews with CWELL students Samantha Roche, Gerardine Quinlivan, and CWELL Course Director (2013–2016) Bernie Quillinan:
  Listen here