Three Galway changemakers were among 19 people from across Ireland who took part in a residential bootcamp in Dublin this month – to equip emerging activists with strategic campaigning skills.

Sai Gujulla from Wellpark; Ruth Hegarty from Moycullen and living in Craughwell, and Edel Ní Churraoin from Indreabhán in Connemara were mentored in key campaigning areas over the four-day Alice Academy for Activists, hosted by the all-island public relations agency and supported by Community Foundation Ireland.

Sai, Ruth and Edel, together with the other participants, attended workshops and clinics delivered by campaign and communications specialists including feminist and LGBTQ+ activist Ailbhe Smyth; Scottish Labour politician   Baroness Margaret Curran; former RTÉ newscaster Eileen Dunne; former TD David Stanton, and community organising expert Stephen Donnelly.

By taking part in the Academy, food policy expert Ruth Hegarty is leading a campaign for the transformation of school food in Ireland.

Ruth’s campaign is calling for an overhaul of the current system to provide school food that nourishes children, the planet, and communities by ensuring every meal is healthy, respects the environment, integrates local sourcing, and instils lifelong good eating habits and joy in food.

Sai Gujulla is deeply involved in anti-racism movements in Co Galway, working with Love Galway Hate Racism and the Indian Cultural and Sports Community Galway as a committee member to organise awareness events, public discussions, and create social-media campaigns.

Sai is aiming to grow his anti-racism campaigning work by connecting schools, local youth groups, and migrant communities to co-create workshops on recognising bias and promoting inclusion, and shifting the response to racism from reaction to prevention.

Irish language culture activist Edel Ní Churraoin wants to ensure Gaeltacht voices are central to the Irish language revival as it’s her view that, too often, these communities are sidelined even as the language grows in popularity.

In her work, West Belfast-based Edel specialises in events and media, including with the Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich Irish language cultural centre on the Falls Road, Féile na Gealaí festival and the grassroots Irish-language rights campaign An Dream Dearg.

Founder and CEO of Alice Public Relations Martina Quinn said that her PR company was set up ten years ago to work with charitable organisations and progressive campaigners ‘who are seeking to bring about positive change on the island of Ireland ─ and indeed across the world’.

“We recognise that campaigners and groups sometimes don’t have access to specialist skills, training and supports, and networks of other like-minded people, so the Academy is all about addressing that need,” she said.

“The people who participate in the Academy including Sai, Ruth and Edel─ and the clients that we’re lucky enough to work with in Alice Public Relations every day ─ are among the many good people who want to make the world a better place. That has to give us all hope.”

Edel Ní Churraoin from Indreabhán in Connemara is presented with an Alice Academy for Activists certificate by Moninne Griffith (left), director of social impact, donor care and grant making, Community Foundation Ireland, and Martina Quinn, founder and CEO of Alice Public Relations.

Pictured: Edel Ní Churraoin from Indreabhán in Connemara is presented with an Alice Academy for Activists certificate by Moninne Griffith (left), director of social impact, donor care and grant making, Community Foundation Ireland, and Martina Quinn, founder and CEO of Alice Public Relations.