A total of 5,284 ideas were logged on the Ideas Campaign’s website between the campaign launch on 5 March and 31 March, the deadline for this phase of the campaign. One of the ideas in particular was covered on yesterday’s Six One News on RTÉ 1.

Teresa Keogh’s idea

A stitch in time saves nine

Teresa Keogh of SmartSewing.ie

My idea is to open a sewing school. I have worked in the clothing trade for 30 years in all aspects of design and garment construction, and in the last 10 years I worked in retail and retail management. This was due to the collapse of the clothing trade.

Now in my 50th year, my husband was made unemployed and I have decided to develop my first love which is design and sewing. In 2008 I decided to start teaching this skill, and realised there is a market.

I teach children from the age of seven to hand sew, use a sewing machine, and make their own patterns. I am also teaching Fetac courses in design skills and sewing skills.

I have also devised a programme to teach teenage boys, where they will use their mechanical drawing and woodwork skills, and show them how to sew without it being sissy to them. I tried this on Transition Year boys and it went down a treat.

I am really excited about the future at the moment and scared at the same time. I am working alone at the moment but would love to have someone to bounce my ideas off and get instant feedback.

I would really love to talk with someone about my plans. Some people just laugh at me, my family are sick of me going on and on. But I can see how my ideas can help give people back some hope.

I am not great with business and don’t always go the right way about things. That is where I need help.

On 17 March a woman contacted the Ideas Campaign after seeing Teresa’s idea on our website, saying: “I am an engineer with complementary skills for the idea that Teresa proposed.” She is now helping Teresa to maximise her business potential.

Paul Mooney of the Advisory Group on RTÉ, 1 April

Paul Mooney, President of the National College of Ireland and member of the Ideas Campaign Advisory Group, said in the RTÉ news report: “During phase one of the campaign we received ideas ranging from one-liners to five-page essays.

“We are now sifting through the information and publishing a sample of ideas on the website daily. This will culminate in devising an action plan for individuals, communities and other groups and for Government based on the ideas submitted.

RTÉ’s Samantha Libreri finished the news piece by adding that “going back to basics can sometimes be the way forward.”

View the report about the Ideas Campaign, “Thousands submit ideas for economic recovery”, on the Six One News (requires RealPlayer)

Tags: Ideas Campaign, News, RTE

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Ideas Campaign, News.