Blossom Ireland’s vision is to create an inclusive society for young people with intellectual disabilities. We believe young people with intellectual disabilities should have the same opportunities as all other young people.
The Blossom Personal Empowerment Programme (PEP) provides skills based training designed to prepare young people with an intellectual disability (ID) for life as an adult.
Whether it’s volunteering, a financial donation, or hosting a workplace tour – your support helps us to deliver and develop our services and make a positive impact on the young people and families that we work with.
We first met Ailbhe at Blossom Discovery camp in 2016. She was a shy quiet girl who only gave us glimpses of her personality and sense of humour. As Ailbhe progressed to our weekly programme for teenagers Blossom Buddies (now Blossom Explore) she became more confident and independent and that’s when we really got to know her and to benefit from her fantastic sense of humour!
Amy is a bubbly, energetic and sociable young girl who has been attending Blossom Ireland Discovery camps and yoga classes since she was 9. Amy started Blossom Explore once she turned 14 in spring 2019. She has now completed her first term and although she was nervous at the beginning she settled in very quickly and is now a really active participant in the group each week.
Conor was one of the first young people to reach 18 and graduate from the Blossom Gateway Programme in 2017 having attended Blossom Ireland services since he was 10.
When Conor was 17, he told the team at Blossom Ireland that he wanted a job at a Blossom Discovery camp. The team took him seriously and Conor volunteered as a support staff member for two summers. Thanks to this experience coupled with Conor’s own ambition and abilities he has since been employed as a Peer Mentor for Blossom Explore and Blossom Gateway.
