Sligo CTC Training

We are getting a great response from our trainees with wearing face coverings, good hand hygiene and keeping a safe distance in the centre for the new normal this week.  It is fantastic to have them back working away in the sports, catering, hairdressing and computer departments!  Pictured above is Reece, computer trainee.

Our hairdressing trainees are working on the 'Barbicide COVID-19' online certification in the
centre this week with Ian.  Well done and enjoy! 👏

 

Sligo CTC Return to Training

 Sligo CTC management and staff are busy getting ready to welcome our trainees back to safely return to training in the centre next week.

Covid-19 Information and Support

The Department of Education and Skills’ NEPS psychologists have developed advice and some resources for young people to manage and stay well during Covid 19 restrictions.   

For more info check out:  https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/National-Educational-Psychological-Service-NEPS-/covid-19.html

Barnardos

Barnardos has launched a national telephone support service for parents in response to the challenges they are faced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Phone:  1800 910 123. The helpline will be open Monday – Friday 10am - 2pm.
https://www.barnardos.ie/

Happy Easter from Sligo CTC

Gardening with Aideen

Hi All

If you feel like some light exercise and mindful relaxation, after being stuck at home, try and get out into your garden or yard and give it a Spring Clean!!

Here are a few ideas that you could do at home and you don’t need any fancy tools but do wear gloves and old boots or wellies.

- Always wash your hands after and work safely.

- Have a look around and see what tools you can find: a brush, spade, old kitchen fork and knife, box to put leaves in etc…

- Take a BEFORE PHOTO AND PLAN your to do list.

- Make sure you include loads of cups of tea and biscuits breaks!

The following are a few ideas you could do depending on the area:

• Give the area a good sweep and pick out all bits of rubbish that are not for the compost bin.
• Using an old knife dig out the weeds and dirt in any paving or tarmac.
• Rake or just hand pick all those sticks the birds have dropped and put them in a box. They are perfect for lighting the fire.
• Pull and cut back any dead leaves but make sure you have your gloves on.
• If you have a lawn it’s a good idea to punch holes in it with a garden fork to loosen the compacted soil from all the rain and let the air into the roots. 
• Likewise dig and loosen any compacted areas and let the air back in to the soil.
• If you have a lawn mower only top the grass.  Note: Do not start your lawn mower without its first service of oil, spark plug cleaning etc.  Check the safety guidelines and manual.

The BEST BIT is now you can sit back and relax and admire all you’ve done!!!
(If you are An Gaisce trainees please record on your Record Sheet and take a before and after photo!)

Enjoy 😊

Aideen

Health and Wellbeing

It is important to not only look after your physical health during this challenging time but your mental health is equally as important.  There is fantastic information and useful resources for dealing with mental health during COVID-19 on the Mental Health Ireland website.  Routine can support mental health and you can download and complete a  routine template to support your day to day activities.

For more information on minding your mental health click here https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/get-support/covid19/#supporting-ourselves

Mental Health Ireland has recommended five simple actions we can all take to protect our mental health and maintain positive wellbeing during uncertain and challenging times.

Source of information:  www.mentalhealthireland.ie

Motivational Monday

Illustrations by Catherine

Sligo COVID-19 Community Response Forum

Sligo County Council, in conjunction with local agencies and community networks, is providing a ‘Support helpline’ to assist at-risk members of the public during the current public health emergency. The service is being delivered through the newly established Sligo COVID-19 Community Response Forum.

The freephone number 1800 292 765 and on-line service will be available seven days a week from 8.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Contact details:

Free phone number:       1800 292 765

Via website:                     https://www.sligococo.ie/

By email:                          covidsupport@sligococo.ie

Source:                             Sligo County Council

COVID-19 HSE Updates

For more information go to:   https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/partner-resources/covid-19-information-booklet-easy-read-version-.pdf


For COVID-19 translated resources click on:
https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/partner-resources/covid-19-translated-resources/

Source:  www.hse.ie

Services and Supports in Sligo

Springboard Resource House Project 

The Resource House Project offers a professional Supporting Service, promoting Positive Reassurance, Emotional and Practical Support such as completing Relevant Forms, guiding people on ways to manage electricity/ power supply cards (top-up) and/ or supporting children and families with food parcels/boxes while offering parenting support, including age appropriate educational packs for learning with children while they remain at home.

Contact Details: 
Administrator:  Nora, 07191 47070, 9.30- 5.00 pm, Monday- Friday
Project Manager: Tony Stewart, 085 251 4062, 9.30- 7.00 pm, Monday- Friday
Assistant Project Manager: Yvonne Zoschke, 085 251 4064, 9.30- 7.00 pm, Monday- Friday
Family Support Worker: John Brennan, 085 251 4060, 9.30- 5.00 pm, Monday- Friday
Family Support Worker: Maria Cribbin, 085 251 4063, 5.00 pm, Monday- Friday


A Full list of services in Sligo and Leitrim is available on the Sligo Leitrim Directory.
Click here: www.SligoLeitrimDirectory.ie

CTC Cookery Corner - Homemade Pizza

Facts about Pizza

Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings. The modern pizza was originally invented in Naples, Italy and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria".  Pizza is cooked in various types of ovens, and a diverse variety of ingredients and toppings are utilised.  Pizza is also available in frozen prepared varieties.

Cooking
In restaurants, pizza can be baked in an oven with stone bricks above the heat source, an electric oven, a conveyor belt oven or, in the case of more expensive restaurants, a wood or coal-fired brick oven. On deck ovens, the pizza can be slid into the oven on a long paddle, called a peel and baked directly on the hot bricks or baked on a screen (a round metal grate, typically aluminum). When made at home, it can be baked on a pizza stone in a regular oven to reproduce the effect of a brick oven.

Crust
The bottom of the pizza, called the "crust", may vary widely according to style — thin as in a typical hand-tossed pizza or Roman pizza, or thick as in a typical pan pizza or Chicago-style pizza. It is traditionally plain, but may also be seasoned with garlic or herbs or stuffed with cheese.

Cheese
The most popular cheeses to use on pizza are mozzarella, provolone, cheddar and parmesan.

Why don't your try make your own home made Pizza:

Ingredients

200g Strong flour
Pinch of salt
12g Margarine
5g Yeast
125ml Water/milk at 24 ^oC

5g Caster Sugar
Cheese
Suggested Toppings:  pepperoni, mushrooms, ham, pineapple, sweetcorn, goats cheese

Method

1. Sieve the flour and the salt, rub in the margarine.
2. Disperse the yeast in the warm water, add the sugar, add mixture to the flour.
3. Mix well, knead to a smooth dough. Cover and place in warm area to prove, until doubled in size.
4. Knock back, divide in two and roll out into 7” discs. Place on a floured tray.
5. Add tomato sauce, cheese and toppings. 
6. Bake at 180 - 200^oC for 10 - 13 minutes.

Recipe by Emma

CTC Cookery Corner - Banana Bread

This bread is a tasty treat with the naturally sweet flavours from the banana, and this recipe is suitable for allergy sufferers.  It is free from dairy, soya and nuts.  Serves 10 Adults

Ingredients 

60g / 2 oz of dairy-free margarine (alternatively, use ordinary margarine)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
50g / 2 oz of brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
188g / 6 ½ oz of plain flour
½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160⁰C / 325⁰C / Gas Mark 3.
2. Cream the butter and sugar, using an electric whisk.
3. Add the beaten egg and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix well.
5. Add the mashed bananas to the cake mixture.
6. Grease a loaf tin and sprinkle a little four into the base, pour in the cake mixture.
7. Bake in the oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until a skewer pierces the cake and comes out clean.

Recipe by Mairead

Top 10 best apps while staying at home

1. Pinterest
You create pinboards dedicated to a theme and pin (save) images you like to the boards.
It’s great for all kinds of design projects such as interiors, fashion, party planning and finding recipes.

2. Kindle App
Basically turns your smartphone or tablet into a kindle (e-reader).

3. Snapseed
An effective and easy to use photo-editing app. 

4. Zoom
A valuable communications platform for video meetings and conference calls - you can virtually meet with others - either by video or audio-only or both.  It’s main features are one-one meetings, group video conferencing and screen sharing.

5. FitOn
A free at home fitness app offering fitness video and workout plans.

6. Tasty
A recipe app with swipe-by-swipe video instructions, which lets you, export ingredients lists and save your favourites.

7. Microsoft Office
Offers a mobile way to create documents in Word, Excel and Powerpoint.  Use your phone camera to scan and convert images to office documents.

8. Google Docs
Allows you to access, create and edit your documents wherever you go — from your phone, tablet, or computer — even when there's no connection.

9. Duolingo
A popular app for learning a new language with mini games to test your reading, writing and speaking skills.

10. Borrowbox
This app lets you borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks free from your library.

Compiled by Janell

Tech Week - Scratch

As part of Tech Week I am taking a look at Scratch. With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games and animations. Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively and reason systematically. This is a great fun easy to use tool for anyone interested in gaming and coding. It is free to download onto a PC or Tablet by clicking on the following link:  https://scratch.mit.edu/download

For excellent tutorials and activities click on:  https://scratch.mit.edu/ideas

  For more information on Tech Week go to:  https://www.techweek.ie/

Tech Week - Technology which impacts my life

This week is Tech Week. As part of it we carried out a survey with some of our trainees to find out what technology impacts their lives, here are the results:  

Exercise at Home

Here are some exercises you can try at home while social distancing:

Zumba

Foróige C.R.I.B. Youth Project and Health Café have organised Zumba classes on Monday from 6 - 6.45pm from the comfort of your own home.  Barbara is going to hold an online class through an app called zoom. It is free to download and easy to follow. Here is the link to access the class but you will have to download the app Zoom.

If you need any more information ring Amie 086-8322473 or Karina 086-8358288.

HIIT Workout

Steve our Sports Instructor recommends trying The Body Coach workouts on https://www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1/videos. P.E. with Joe post daily fun workouts to help you burn fat and get fitter, stronger and healthier. You don't need a gym to get fit and most of his workouts can be done anywhere with no equipment.

Yoga

Yoga is a great way to stretch the body and look after your mind. 

Click on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsT93z3naCOJXnZuMM7sgIA  to try out daily yoga sessions with Maura.  

Motivational Monday

COVID-19 Updates

Visit www.hse.ie or www.gov.ie for more information


Visit https://spunout.ie/news/article/covid-19-guide to find out more information on Ireland's youth information website SpunOut.ie.

Social Distancing tips from our Trainees

Check out our final post on ‘Social Distancing’.

Today our trainees share some great tips and suggestions for keeping busy and staying positive while social distancing.

“I would recommend people helping around the house keeping it up to date with sanitation due to covid-19 and to also try something new that they were gonna do but haven’t been able to do due to being busy with school work etc.”  ( Alex, Hairdressing Trainee)

“Regularly wash hands.  Not meeting people.  Keeping 2 metre distance.”  (Zikrullah, Computer Trainee)

“Colouring pages, watch movies, listen music, talk to your family.”  (Katie, Catering Trainee)

“To keep busy and positive go for walks or read a book.”  (Dylan, Computer Trainee)

“You could go for a run or walk. You could do some home workouts. Clean the house. Keep the mind busy.”  (Kyle, Sports Trainee)

“Check in on family, call your grandparents/older family.  Stay in touch with your friends.  Make sure to get out of the house for a walk every day, beneficial physically and mentally.”  (Anonymous, Sports Trainee)

“Going out for a cycle, walk or jog/Listening to music.”  (Joey, Computer Trainee)

“Stay safe, try not to go out as much and stay 2 meters away from people”  (Alice, Hairdressing Trainee)

“Plan time by doing various things on a day such as sports in the morning if you can read books and browse and arrange my room and that's what I do but still boring”  (Ahmad, Computer Trainee)

“Buy a colouring book, get some puzzles, rearrange your room, go for runs, walks with your animals on your own, help around the house.  Fix up stuff around the house, do some exercises.”  (Makayla, Sports Trainee)

“Just do something you have been putting off.  I've been trying to make some extra money online buying stocks etc.”  (Oskar, Sports Trainee)

We’d like to thank our trainees for sharing their experiences and for setting such a fine example in following the government guidelines in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 - Social distancing

In the fight against COVID-19 please continue to practice social distancing and physical distancing. This should include minimising social contact, avoiding meeting up and keeping physical space of two metres between each other. Please take time to watch this important video below on social distancing recommended to you by HSE Ireland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0-uuijhF4Q

More info click here

Source of this information:  https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus.html