Blanaid Hennessy and her Shutterbug team, Ciúin Tracey, Mary Kate Lanagan, Síomha Connolly and Laura Hughes recently created visual displays in Oxfamhome’s new store on Kings Inn Street in Dublin to showcase the wide selection of furniture and homeware on sale in the store. Blanaid Hennessy also sourced clothes from Oxfam shops and styled a live shoot that was featured on TV3’s Xposé.

Photo credit: Ciúin Tracey http://ciuintracey.com/

Oxfam’s Campaigner Training is back.

This free training course will help campaigners to realise their potential and give them some of the skills and tools needed to make a real difference in the fight against poverty.

Areas that will be covered include:

• The WHAT, WHY and HOW of Campaigning?
• Advocay and Lobbying.
• Event Management.
• Social Networks.
• Coalition Work.

You don’t have to be a campaigning expert – you just have to want to make change happen.

The training will take place in Dublin city centre from 9-4 on Saturday 26th November.  Limited places available so please email david.moriarty@oxfamireland.org if interested.

Oxfam Ireland TRAILTREKKER 2011 100km Winners, team "Dromintee 4". Photo credit: Robert Doherty from Uberdog

The third annual Oxfam Ireland TRAILTREKKER event attracted more than 400 participants to set off from Donard Park in Newcastle early on Saturday 10^th September at the start of one of the most gruelling charity endurance challenges. Each team had a single goal – to complete the epic 100km or alternative 50km route and reach the finishing line at Carlingford Sailing Club inside 36 or 20 hours.

Battling the weather to walk by day and by night through the Mournes, the Ring of Gullion and the Cooley Peninsula, a team called the Dromintee 4 were the 100km winners in a record time of 15 hours and 39 minutes. Consisting of local men Ciaran McMullan, Jude Hayes, Dermot Winters and Kevin Murray, the Dromintee 4 completed the trek to arrive in Carlingford just shy of Saturday midnight after setting out from Newcastle at 8.00am that morning.

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The Oxjam stage is back with at bang at Electrtic Picnic this year.

Oxjam open-mic stage at Electric Picnic 2011

Come along and make the stage your own, cheer on your fellow festival revelers and enjoy the very, very special guests that will be performing over the weekend such as BipolarEmpire, OBCD, The Hot Sprokets, Lisa McLoughlin, House of Dolls, Robotnick, Codes, Shouting at Planes, The Difference Engine…Need I say more?

Beside the main entrance to the Body & Soul area, be sure to pop along and say hello!

Don’t want to walk 100km but interested in helping out at the event?

Could you spare four hours or more over the weekend of 10-11th September to help make Oxfam Ireland’s largest fundraising event a success? TRAILTREKKER 2011 is fast approaching and we need hundreds of volunteers to help out over event weekend.

There are lots of opportunities for groups and individuals to get involved, for more information download our Trailtrekker flyer

If you are interested email sarah.wilson@oxfamireland.org or call 02890 895978 to register your interest.

Constance Okollet, chair of the Osukura United Women Network in eastern Uganda speaking to RTE reporter Kathy Donaghy

Women leaders from the developing world bring their experiences of climate change to Dublin, the first city on their Climate Wise Women European Tour

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, will join Jim Clarken, CEO Oxfam Ireland, Constance Okollet and Ursula Rakova of Climate Wise Women for a panel discussion on climate justice. Women Leaders on Climate Justice – a Grassroots Perspective is hosted by Oxfam Ireland and MRFCJ on April 12 at 18.30 in the Edmund Burke Theatre, Trinity College Dublin.

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The Northern Ireland Assembly elections are coming up on 5th May, 2011.  Oxfam Ireland, along with many of the other Aid and Development organisations based here, are hosting a lunchtime hustings event.

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During the launch of TRAILTREKKER 2011 earlier this week, we asked RTE’s Dr. Mark Hamilton and TG4 presenter Sinéad Ní Loideáin to tell us why we should all dust off our hiking boots and start training for TRAILTREKKER 2011.

RTE’s Mark Hamilton:

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It’s time for a spring clean!

Marks & Spencer’s “One day Wardrobe Clear-out” for Oxfam Ireland takes place tomorrow, Thursday March 24th, in all stores. Bring your unwanted clothing into any M&S store and receive a voucher for €7 to spend on any purchase over €50 before end of April. So dig deep into your wardrobe and be part of something special.

Find your local M&S shop now »

Helen Akale from Kenya. Photo: Maite Alvarez/Oxfam

Helen Akale from Turkana in Kenya requested urgent support from Oxfam to help rebuild her small shop which had been destroyed by fire. After reviewing her request, she received an Oxfam cash grant and business training. Five years later, Helen has been able to rebuild her shop better than ever before. She is now earning enough to feed her family, and is even supporting her husband’s teacher training.

‘I’m building a new building next door and expanding my business, and the children are going to school. I’m now able to give a little to relatives… which I could not do before. I’ve gained skills. I’m able to lead others. I never thought I’d be able to do this.’

Despite the food crisis in Turkana worsening, Helen has not had to become an aid beneficiary again.

‘I have been assisted to walk on my own rather than clutching on sticks to stand. I have never thought of going to register as a beneficiary. I’ve remained independent and that feels good.’