The presence of the Campus in Cherry Orchard is a symbol of hope and positive activity within the community. St Ultan’s makes a positive difference across the full range of human development domains. Its preventative power is enormous and not easily measurable with the metrics currently available and in vogue.

Educational

Developmental through experience and early intervention

Health and well-being

Nutritional

Sense of Belonging

Positive experience of support and encouragement to families

Economic

Arts, cultural, musical and creative exposure and experience

Healing and sign-posting to counselling and therapies

Social

Engaged and involved citizens

Social and other cultural integration

The Campus experience of children, young people and their families makes a positive difference in their lives in the following ways:

  • People feel valued and listened to at all stages of the lifecycle, from infant child through to grandparent.

  • Enhanced opportunity to experience education in a positive developmental way, including second change for parents, grandparents and guardians

  • Increased educational attainment (see 2016 figures for the area in Cherry Orchard Action Plan 2017)

  • Improved nutrition

  • Enhanced sense of belonging and feeling supported and valued on Campus and within the Community

  • Improved school attendance

  • Increased school readiness

  • Easier transition from early years to primary school, and from primary to post-primary

  • Improved relationships within families

  • Improved outcomes for children and young people across educational, social, health, psychological, emotional and economic domains

  • Improved employment locally

  • Improved school completion rates to leaving certificate (where do pupils go, e.g. St Dominic’s, St John’s de la Salle, Kylemore College, Caritas College, etc.).

  • Improved progression to third level, apprenticeship, further education, training and employment.

  • Participation in continuous lifelong learning for all members of the community using the Campus as the location and/or starting point.

The St Ultan’s experience has informed the Limerick regeneration model that is presently being developed and can provide similar benefits to other disadvantaged areas and to other organisations that wish to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach. It can also be a model for a new updated action plan for educational inclusion, set out in the programme for government.