It’s not WHAT you do, it’s the WAY that you do it!

Familibase was recently profiled by EPALE (Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe)

Working with our community, mixing formal and non-formal learning

One of the things that makes FamiliBase (link is external) different is how we mix different types of learning – formal, non-formal and informal. Our client base can sometimes face some of life’s major challenges and our response only works because it is tailored to their needs, rather than being imposed from outside.

We work in Ballyfermot in the west of Dublin. Although we’re in Ireland’s capital city, Ballyfermot has experienced high levels of inequality at a range of levels over the years. Despite the many strengths of the community and a wide range of services working in and with it, deprivation scores remain at some of the highest in Ireland.

Ballyfermot’s challanges Seven of the eight Electoral Districts are categorised as ‘Disadvantaged’ in Ireland’s main deprivation index. 20-23% of adults in Ballyfermot have no formal education or are educated to primary level only. Within the seven disadvantaged districts the unemployment rate is 14.7%, compared to 8.3% for Dublin City; and 47% of families with children are lone parent households compared to 36% of families across Dublin City.

But FamiliBase believes that this is not due to a deficit in the community nor with the children, young people and families that live in it.