Projects

Changing Lives Initiative

If you would like to find out more you can find The Changing Lives Initiative website here.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

What is the Changing Lives Initiative?

The Changing Lives Initiative is a community-based project creating a better understanding about ADHD and providing an intervention programme for families with children (aged 3-7) experiencing behaviours consistent with ADHD.

The Changing Lives Initiative provides an evidence-based parenting programme that has succeeded in significantly reducing the impact of ADHD on the lives and functioning of children and families.

The EU funded project worked with over 2,000 families in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The project is now being delivered in Co Meath and Co Louth thanks to funding from the HSE. For further information please visit www.changinglivesinitiative.com or the dedicated Facebook page The Changing Lives Initiative | Facebook

Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive

In January 2025, a new cross-border, community-led early intervention project to address neurodevelopmental conditions, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism, commenced.

The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive project provides a range of early intervention supports to families of children with queried neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD and Autism. This exciting 4-year cross-border project is being supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Funding of €8.37m has been awarded to the project which will work with 8,700 children and families.

The project will be available to families in counties Louth, Cavan, Monaghan and the Belfast, South-Eastern and Northern Health & Social Care Trust Areas.

The supports are open to all parents and care givers in the project area who think their family might benefit. No diagnosis is required to access the supports. Parents can sign up themselves, or any practitioner (such as GP, teacher, family support) can link parents in with the project.

The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish & Thrive is a cross-border partnership – with two community/voluntary organisations: Archways, delivering the project in Ireland, and Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, delivering the project in Northern Ireland. Dundalk Institute of Technology, completes the partnership, providing evaluation and e-Health expertise.

Match-funding for the project has been provided by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health in Ireland.

Results & Project Report

April 2021 saw the successful completion of the EU funded phase of The Changing Lives Initiative project. By clicking the following link you can watch video interviews with some of the parents involved in the project.

Also, further information on the project and the results of the evaluations are available in the final Project Report below.

Recognition

The Changing Lives Initiative project was delighted to be a finalist in the prestigious 2022 Irish Healthcare Centre Awards. Our innovative early intervention programme was shortlisted in the category of Healthcare Initiative: Child Health & Wellbeing.

The Changing Lives Initiative was the proud recipient of Ireland’s 2021 Community Project Award (Excellence in Business Awards) from the Public Sector Magazine.

In May 2023, the Changing Lives Initiative was one of the first five interventions to be included in the What Works Ireland Evidence Hub. For more on this: What Works Ireland Evidence Hub: Search Results – WhatWorks

Our Achievements

New HSE funded project kicked off in Louth and Meath

During the INTERREG VA project over 2000 families benefitted

During the INTERREG VA Project, 1700 education and health professionals were ADHD trained by the programme

The CLI Project is/has been funded by:

The initiative’s three-year cross border project was supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).