Collaboration is at the heart of our vision, mission, strategy and day to day work at the Crann Centre.
We collaborate in Ireland and internationally, giving and receiving support, to build our capacity in service delivery, fundraising and advocacy.
Since 2017, The Crann Centre and Riley Children’s Hospital Indiana University School of Medicine, have worked together in a binational partnership to plan services, conduct research, and develop the skills of team members in both the United States and Ireland.There is a shared mindset and culture of collaboration, innovation, and a genuine commitment to creating improved outcomes for children and adults with a neuro physical disability. The principles of person-centered and family-centered planning are engaged together to address the comprehensive needs of persons and their families and support them in living their best lives.
Both organisations are committed to ensuring that programmes are evidence based and that the evidence is examined routinely. Together we bring to the table a community advocacy perspective, along with attention to best clinical service delivery and academic rigor.
Amongst our current collaborations is the development of a Personalised Mobility Programme which will be researched at the point of delivery. We plan to develop and deliver world class service and through a three-year research programme influence policy on how mobility services are funded and delivered.
This collaboration is funded by a grant from the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation.
We collaborate with the team at the Muscular Dystrophy Ireland creating opportunities for social interaction for the children, adults and families who use our services.
We collaborate on service delivery ensuring the best use of resources in both our organisations.
SII’s mission is to engage with people with a spinal cord injury and their family members, to address barriers to full participation in society and to empower members to work towards achieving personal, social and vocational goals. We are pleased to have an office for SII’s Southern Community Resource Worker based at the Crann Centre. We are happy to offer a range of services in collaboration with the team at Spinal Injuries Ireland.
We are collaborating with the School of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy on the development of an inclusive playground and leisure space at the Crann Centre. The team at UCC have undertaken a study to ascertain the views and perspectives of Crann service users to ensure the space meets their needs.
They are part of the design team and will carry out longitudinal research which assess the outcomes for service users who have an opportunity to use the services over time.
The team at the School of Physiotherapy are supporting us with a detailed study of the impact of an exercise programme for wheelchair users. This will be very helpful in informing the development and delivery of our Mobility Programme for children and adults.
Kerry Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association (KSBHA) is a non-profit organisation run by volunteers, a community-based support system for children and adults with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.
The Association helps and supports families, parents, individuals, and carers to come together to discuss and share ideas and work on activities and inclusion for everyone.
KSBHA are founding partners of the Crann Centre. A member of the association sits on our Programmes and Research Sub-Committee. We are grateful for their inputs into the development of our services, research, and advocacy.
Cork Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association (CSBHA) were founding partners of the Crann Centre. CSBHA are a registered charity supporting children, adults and families living with Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus.
A member of the association sits on our Programmes and Research Sub-Committee. We are grateful for their inputs into the development of our services, research, and advocacy. We are happy to have CSBHA members and their families use the facilities at the Crann Centre for sports and leisure.
The Crann Centre is proud to be associated with Ascend at The Aspen Institute and to have the opportunity to use the Two Generation ( 2 Gen) model as a guiding principle for building a suite of services which are simultaneously working with children and adults in their lives together.
It has enabled clarity of thought and vision and empowered our people to plan and deliver a suite of holistic services with a focus on innovation and an emphasis on gathering evidence to support continuous improvement.
Cork Sports Partnership is focused on increasing participation in Sport, Exercise & Physical Activity in Cork. Our collaboration is focussed on creating opportunities for clients of the Crann Centre and their families to access sports and fitness training and activities.
Cork Sports Partnership have kindly provided sports equipment at the Crann Centre and use our facilities for meetings and activities. We have delivered our A Moment for Me programme for parents of children with disabilities who are members of Corks Sports Partnership and Sport Ireland.
The Rebel Wheelers mission is to empower children with a physical disability by introducing them to sports in a fun and safe environment. They promote independence, healthy living, and well-being through participation in sport.
We are proud to have the Rebel Wheelers use the Crann Centre for their sports activities including their weekly Boccia group.
The Swiss Paraplegic Centre (SPC) in Nottwil (Canton Lucerne) is a nationally and internationally recognised private specialist clinic for spinal cord, back, and respiratory care, offering acute treatment and rehabilitation for life.The team at SPC supported the initial development of the Crann Centre with advice on services and building design. They are committed to supporting our programme development in particular our Personalised Mobility Programme and our Teenager/Young Adult Transitioning and Independent Living Programme.
We are a supporting partner of The Open Doors Initiative (ODI). ODI works with member companies and supporting partners to create internships, paid placements, training, support, and jobs in the mainstream labour market. We help organisations in becoming disability aware and culturally confident in their employment practices. The employees of Open Doors have lived experience of some of the issues these groups face – we understand the challenges and find solutions to them. The benefits of what ODI is doing are two-fold; we are opening up the labour market to some of those who have been unable to access it, and in doing so we will attract and retain our future workforces.
