WORLD-renowned child expert and best-selling author Penelope Leach will be presenting a pregnancy seminar in the RDS on Saturday at 10 a.m. as part of the Huggies Baby and Kids Show which runs 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily over the bank holiday weekend. Entitled "What To Expect Beyond Your Delivery Date", Leach's talk is just one of the weekend's events; characters from the world of children's entertainment, including Barney and Barbie, will give performances and more than 60 exhibitors will be presenting parenting-related products and services.
Tickets, which cost £6 for the exhibition only (children free); £8 for the exhibition and seated concert show (children £5) and £8 for the exhibition and Leach seminar, are on sale at HMV/Ticketmaster nationwide and Ticketline 014569569.
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland in association with Barry's Tea hopes to raise more than £300,000 on National Tea Day which will take place on Friday. More than 33,000 people suffer from Alzheimer's disease in Ireland and the disease is now the fourth largest killer in the Western world. Funds are urgently needed to help set up day-care centres in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Dundalk and to continue with the building of a centre in Mallow; money raised in each area goes directly towards providing and improving services for sufferers and their carers in that area.
In association with FAS, the society also provides trained personnel who can give home support to carers, thus enabling them to take a break from round-the-clock nursing. Anyone interested in hosting a tea break can register by contacting Barbara Scully in Alzheimer House, 43 Northumberland Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, tel 01-2846616. Barbara can also help anyone who would like more information on Tea Day activities in their area.
Young adults aged between 17 and 30 who have experienced parental death, separation or divorce may be interested in taking part in a weekend workshop on May 8th, 9th and 10th. It is organised by the YABA (Young Adult Beginning Experience) and takes place in the YMCA, Greystones, Co Wicklow. The weekend is not a substitute for counselling or a retreat but does have a Christian foundation. Further information from Anne on 01-8372606 after 6 p.m. or John on 012864754.
The Irish Association of Social Workers will hold its annual conference and general meeting on May 7th, 8th and 9th in Hotel Kilkenny, Kilkenny. The conference opens on Thursday at 7 p.m., with two presentations on social work with refugees in Ireland.
For additional information contact the IASW office, tel 01- 6774838, fax 6715734 or e-mail iasw@iol.ie
Volunteer collectors are being sought by the Irish ME/ CFS Support Group to sell blue ribbons during its awareness week running from May 10th to May 17th. All proceeds will go into researching this condition, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. For further details contact the Irish ME/CFS Support Group, PO Box 3075, Dublin 2 or tel 01-2350965.
A team from City University, St Bartholomew School of Nursing and Midwifery will visit Dublin on May 9th and will provide information on studying nursing in London in the Joyce Room, Gresham Hotel, O'Connell Street, Dublin between noon and 4 p.m. The school has a thriving Irish community, is situated in the centre of London (near St Paul's Cathedral), provides ac- commodation for all students and has been educating nurses and midwives for more than 100 years. Further information from Graham Goodwin, on 0044-171-5055752 (tel) or 5055717 (fax).
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is holding two training courses in the area of sexual abuse counselling during May: "Sexual Abuse: The Counselling Process" is an advanced four-day workshop starting on May 12th and "Sexual Abuse: Issues for the Guidance Counsellor" is a two-day workshop on May 21st and May 22nd. Interested professionals should contact the Education Department, Rape Crisis Centre, 70 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2. Tel 01-6614911.