The Haven is an Adult Education Centre in Basin Lane Dublin 8. The centre opened in 2008 to mark the 150th Anniversary of the death of Mary Aikenhead. The aim of this centre is to create opportunities for adults, build confidence and develop skills through courses and support services. In the past year the Haven had two exciting new projects – a large wall mosaic and the establishment of a little garden.
Wall Mosaic
A group of women and one man worked on a mosaic project telling the story of the Haven. The work was completed in June 2014 and the mosaic was mounted in October 2014 taking pride of place in the front hall. The work was tedious at times but the finished product is amazing and it has given the groups that attend the Haven a sense of pride and a realisation that it is possible to work together and produce great things.
The Haven Garden
The Haven is surrounded by flat complexes and buildings in the heart of Inner City Dublin. There are not many green spaces in the area as you can imagine. In the summer of 2014 a little garden was created in a disused courtyard area. A lot of work was involved in clearing the space, painting, putting up a little trellis for climbing plants and also building all the planters on site. The planters and the seating are built with wood so everything in the garden is environmentally friendly. A beautiful bay tree covered in climbing Passion Flowers is the centre piece. There are 24 paving slabs making a pathway through the garden. The garden project was to mark our 200th Anniversary of the founding of the Congregation and a beautiful wooden plaque has Mary Aikenhead Garden inscribed on it. In the fine weather in September and October last year, those who used the garden said it was a ‘little bit of heaven’ in the Haven. In the fine weather it will be a lovely place to have a garden party to celebrate the achievements of those who attend the centre.
