Parents & Supporters of the Offaly Branch of the DAI are reminded that with Spring finally here(?) the days are lengthening and so are opportunities to raise funds…

Formerly known as the Offaly Dyslexia Group, we ran an information/flag day in July of last year and have been collecting unused/unwanted stamps for resale. These are only two of our activities, which include the submission of application for grants and bursaries from various organisations.

Since our inaugural workshop series in April 2009 we have gone from strength to strength. Our numbers have more than doubled in almost all senses of the word. We now have 24 children and seven tutors. On the administration side we still have our original four officers, but we are delighted to welcome three more parents to participate at committee level.

Now is the time for us to start thinking about raising much needed funding. In order to sustain the remarkable success of our group and our workshops, please put on your thinking caps and come up with some suggestions on how we can raise the public profile of the group and raise some funds.

Applications for church gate collections and a flag day will be submitted again this year. However, if your interest is in greyhound racing, perhaps you could help us organise a night at the dogs? Maybe ballroom dancing is your forte, in which case perhaps you could help us organise a dance or a disco? What about a coffee morning or a bake sale, or even what our American cousins call a yard sale – remember one man’s junk is another man’s treasure…

Do you remember the days of the American Supper or Tea Party, when everyone brought one dish to add to the buffet and entertainment was provided for a small fee – they were fun, weren’t they? And what about the fancy, smancy garden party that coincides with Wimbledon – word has it that this year we’re going to have a proper Summer!?

Maybe you are a whizz kid at answering sporting questions, if so, do you have a few mates that you could round up to form a team for a pub quizz? And what about the card players amongst you, how do you fancy a round or two of poker, kaluki or twenty-fives? Whatever your idea, no matter how daft it may be please give it some serious thought and let us know what we can do to make it happen…

Good will and energy levels only go so far on their own. We need your help to continue making this happen, so please help us help the children conquer their battle with dyslexia and achieve their ambitions by becoming actively involved…

Please contact us for more information.