'Sense of achievement in the air' for adults with a learning disability

For many adults with a learning disability gaining a recognised qualification may seem out of reach, but that has not been the case for one group in County Fermanagh.

This week 22 service users from Killadeas Day Centre were honoured for their achievements in animal care and gardening, hospitality and performing arts.

A year of practical hands-on work, combined with written coursework means they will be receiving Level 1 qualifications from the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA) in September.

They gathered this week to celebrate their accomplishments with a graduation ceremony at Fermanagh Fun Farm in Lisbellaw – a social enterprise which helped make it possible.

"They have achieved this qualification through hard work, through dedication," said Patricia Griffith from Killadeas Day Centre.

"They've been very committed to doing it. They've had the support of Alan and the team here at the farm and of daycare staff, but they've done it themselves."

She said there was a "real sense of achievement in the air" at the graduation ceremony on Wednesday and everyone was very excited, especially as it took place during Learning Disability Week.

"If you consider that in the majority of their lifetime they will never achieve an accredited qualification or haven't done," she told BBC News NI.

"They've seen their brothers and sisters going off to college and university. They have attended graduations. And now it's their turn."

Every week for the past year service users from the centre have been spending time at the farm.

Some help look after the animals, others have been developing their gardening skills, while a weekly community coffee morning has helped others gain experience in hospitality.

At Christmas, they also wrote and performed their own nativity play with the rescue animals they care for co-starring.

According to her mum, a year ago Clodagh was "afraid of everything", but now she is graduating with an Early Level Occupational Study award in performing arts.

Margaret Rooney, who is from Enniskillen, said the course has given the 46-year-old much more confidence, especially around animals.

"She's far more outgoing. She didn't really like animals before and now she's with all the animals.

"I believe there's a massive rooster in one of the sheds and she's in there on her own and potters about.

"Unless I had seen it, I would hardly believe it. So this has been good for her."

Margaret said Clodagh couldn't sleep the night before because she was so excited thinking about her graduation and what she would wear for the ceremony.

"I said, you will have a lovely cap on you and you're going to have a lovely gown. 'That is beautiful, mummy. That is beautiful'".

Margaret said the day was also very emotional for her.

"I had tears, because I was just saying, they have as much right to have their little graduation, to make them feel important, make them have their day.

"It's been a long time coming, and hopefully there'll be many more."

A social enterprise is a business that aims to combine making profit with creating positive social or environmental impact for a local community.

While many social enterprises offer work placements to those with a disability, the unique aspect of the scheme in Lisbellaw is that those taking part finish with a Level 1 or 2 Occupational Studies qualification from CCEA, which is the equivalent of a GCSE.

The reason they are able to do that is because the owner of Fermanagh Fun Farm, Alan Potters, is a former teacher and is able to grade their work.

After his grandparents and uncle passed away, his family farm was lying unused and he was inspired to transform it into a fun farm after a school trip to Scotland.

Housing over 100 animals – most of which have been rescued – the project has grown in recent years and in June 2024 he sat down to plan how he could combine his former job with his current one.

"We never even imagined how successful it would be and to be standing here today with these young people getting into qualifications, it's just absolutely phenomenal.

"They are recognised qualifications, so it's not just a wee gesture or a token. It's something that can help them in the future," he said.

"These are all life skills that they have now got and will be able to take with them."

Mr Potters wants to continue the partnership and expand it in future, but said costs are a major issue because demand for funding is high.

"When it started off here, we had just two people in animal care, and now there's about 20 service users on site doing different projects. We want that to continue."

Ms Griffith told BBC News NI the programme has improved the quality of life for the adults who have been involved.

"Their physical, their mental well-being, their confidence - they're walking taller.

"They're much, much more confident in everything they do, and they're proud of their achievements. That they should be. And as we are of them."