New handmade chess boards presented to local schools
The Stepping Out programme, which is a Probation Services funded vocational training programme based in Athlone, recently presented handmade chess boards and chess pieces to all of the local secondary schools in Athlone Civic Centre.
As part of the Restorative Justice stream of the programme every year participants complete a project funded by Athlone Drug Awareness Group to give back to the community, and after noticing an upward trend for playing chess among young people, the group decided to make chess boards this year.
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Galina Fjodorova and Marian Brophy from Athlone Drug Awareness Group (ADAG) with at the back, Neil Flannery, Stepping Out, Tina Elliffe, ADAG, Yuliya Lukianets, ADAG and Cllr Frankie Keena, ADAG. Photos: Paul Molloy.Image 2 of 4
Jim McNamee Stepping Out presenting a chess board set to Damien Rushe, deputy principal St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge, with Anthony Rowan, manager NLN, Irene Gilmore, Probation Service, John Francis Quinn, trainee Stepping Out, Cllr Louise Heavin, Mayor Athlone and Moate Municipal District, Cllr Frankie Keena and Neil Flannery, Stepping Out.Image 3 of 4
Mayor Cllr Louise Heavin playing chess with Adrian Cunniffe from the Marist College at the presentation of chessboards from the Stepping Out Rehabilation Programme in the Civic Centre last Wednesday.Image 4 of 4
Back row: Anthony Rowan manager NLN, Hanan Ismail, Our Lady’s Bower student, Laura Maher, teacher, Mayor Cllr Louise Heavin, Garda Stacy Looby, Sara Ganly, NLN, Cllr Frankie Keena and seated are Isabel Carter and Hawraa Alsuadi, Our Lady’s Bower students.National Learning Network manager Anthony Rowan told attendees at the launch event on Wednesday last that the Stepping Out project was a “unique programme” that's funded by the Department of Justice and supported locally by the probation services. “National Learning Network (NLN) provides training courses for people who need additional supports,” he said stating that NLN caters for those who may have experienced challenges with learning or education through the years and supports its participants to re-enter education.
He acknowledged the work of the coordinators on the Stepping Out programme, Jim McNamee and Neil Flannery, whom he said “have done great work, not only with this project but with other projects and on a day to day basis delivering the Stepping Out programme".
Mayor of Westmeath County Council, Cllr Louise Heavin, described the Stepping Ot programme as “really valuable” and “really worthwhile” to the community. “When you stop and think and look at every little piece of work that went in to each one of those boards and the boxes and the figurines and the painting, there's so much work in that and it's really special to have something like that in your school. I want to congratulate all the participants in the programme because in doing so, you are really giving something really special to the community,” stated Cllr Heavin.
The Green party councillor said that community work was “one of the most undervalued” things that happens in the district.
Chairperson of Athlone Drug Awareness Group Cllr Frankie Keena said that the group was “privileged and honoured” to be part of this initiative.
Cllr Keena said that the craftsmanship by the Stepping Out participants was “absolutely amazing” and “top class”.
The Fianna Fáil councillor cited the previous projects carried out by the Stepping Out Programme such as the community garden in Burgess Park and a two-metre tall obelisk structure there also.
Coordinator of the Stepping Out program Jim McNamee said that the programme helps people who are going through the Probation Service who may want to link back into education.
He added that through this skills project they have found young men and women who have developed a love of carpentry who have then pursued courses in carpentry. “We've had good outcomes down through the years of people being placed in employment and further education,” said Mr McNamee.
He explained that the idea to create the personalised chess boards for the local schools originated from speaking to the librarians in Athlone and Mullingar who said that their chess boards were being used daily by students during lunchtime.
Mr McNamee cited the work and dedication of the participants who worked on the chessboards such as John Francis Quinn. He also praised the work of Jean Kann who painted the chess pieces which each had four coatings of acrylic paint.
The chess pieces were made from plaster of paris and they're a reproduction of the Lewis chess set, which is among the earliest known chess sets and was originally found in the sandbank on the Isle of Lewis in 1831. The original set can be found in the National Museum in Scotland.
The local schools who received chess boards were; Our Lady's Bower, Athlone, Coláiste Chiaráin, Marist College, Athlone Community College, Moate Community School, Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan and St Joseph's, Rochfortbridge.
The Stepping Out programme is funded by the Probation Service in partnership with SOLAS and the Local Education and Training Board. It aims to work with participants from the midlands to prevent them from re-offending, enhance their employment opportunities and increase access to further education.