Students: CAO forms now available at your local Youth Information Centre, 130 The Quay Waterford. Also available copies of the 2009 prospectus for W.I.T. and you could pick up a free copy of Flying the Coop. (A guide to leaving home & going to college).

Make-A-Wish Foundation to receive 100% profit from the sale of their Christmas Cards at Tesco
Six year olds April Connolly and Zoe Duffy pictured at the launch of The Make-A-Wish Foundation Christmas Cards which are available exclusively through Tesco stores nationwide at €4.99 for a pack of six with 100% of the profit going to the to the charity to assist them in their mission to grant the wishes of children aged 3 to 18 years living with a life threatening illness. Tesco Waterford stores in Lisduggan, Ardkeen, Poleberry, Tramore have raised a fantastic €28,967 to date for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Tesco's charity of the year, and the sale of the cards will further contribute to the over €1million raised to date by Tesco staff nationwide for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

New Social Welfare leaflet for people with mental health problems welcomed by Deputy Kenneally
Deputy Brendan Kenneally has welcomed the launch of a new information leaflet on Social Welfare entitlements for people with enduring mental health problems and has encouraged people throughout Waterford who have family members with these problems to get a copy. The leaflet has been produced by Mental Health Ireland and draws together all the benefits and entitlements provided by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. "It is very important that everyone should have access to clear and accurate information,” said Deputy Kenneally. "Often there is confusion about what people are entitled to in terms of their benefits and entitlements. The last thing we want is for people with mental health problems to have to have difficulties in obtaining the correct information as to what they are due. Setting this information out in such a clear and concise manner will help avoid that problem.” I would encourage all people in Waterford with family members who suffer from such mental health difficulties to obtain a copy of the leaflet. Often people will not realise they are entitled to claim a particular social welfare payment and this leaflet sets out in clear language what they are due. People with mental health difficulties may not have the motivation to look into these matters so I would urge their family members to look into this further,” Deputy Kenneally concluded. Copies of the leaflet are available from Mental Health Ireland on http://mentalhealthireland.ie/pressreleases/MHI_Benefits_DL.pdf or by calling 01 284 1166.

Birthday greeetings
Happy 15th birthday to Megan Flynn, Fairfield Park, Waterford who celebrated this event on Wednesday last. Best wishes from her mam Elinore and dad Paul.

Launch of Lions Club/WLR fm hamper appeal carol concert
Waterford Lions Club are pleased to announce details of this year's hamper appeal carol concert. This very special event has become a Christmastide tradition for many. With apologies to the season of Advent, it has even been referred to as the "real” start of Christmas in Waterford. This year the choirs performing include the ladies choir Voci, Waterford Male Voice Choir and the Waterford based chamber choir, Madrigallery as well as the Newtown School Choir. Individual members from other choral groups in Waterford will also take part. As ever, the event will be accompanied by a large orchestra which includes members of the WIT Youth Orchestra, local professionals, amateurs and teachers. This very special event will begin at 4 p.m. on December 13 in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Barronstrand Street under the direction of maestro, Kevin O'Carroll with Billy McCarthy, compere. The concert will be recorded forWLR fm and will be broadcast over the Christmas season. Admission is free, although a collection for the Hamper Appeal will be taken up.

Race Night on December 13 for South East Simon Community
The South East Simon Community is urging the public to support a fund-raising event at Kilcohan Greyhound Stadium, a night at the dogs which takes place on Saturday, December 13. Through it, the group will help raise needy finance to house people experiencing homelessness and help and support those at risk of homelessness this Christmas. In 2005, the South East Simon Community worked with 21 men, 29 women and 51 children. In 2006, it worked with 73 men, 91 women and 134 children. Last year, it worked with 112 men, 154 women and 276 children. Each contacted the service looking for information. "We need to wait until the end of 2008 to check how many people accessed our service but we have seen a change. This year, so far, we have worked with and/or been contacted by 5 people/families who are threatened with homelessness due to re-possession. This is a new area for our community and we will need to step up to the mark, finding resources from public donations to meet this growing need,” Stan McIlvenny, Chairman of South East Simon states.

Waterford and district Probus Club
The first Probus Meeting in 2009 will be the Annual General Meeting on the 6th of January at 11am in the Tower Hotel, we would love to see as many Members as possible at the A G M, followed by: Donal Moore, City Archivist:The Photography of Annie Brophy.

WIT director commends De la Salle and Ballyhale on Hurling Championship title wins
Waterford Institute of Technology Director, Prof. Kieran R. Byrne, has commended the De La Salle senior hurlers on their epic Munster Senior Hurling Championship title win over the weekend and singled out man-of-the-match, Kevin Moran, who captained the Institute's Fitzgibbon Cup team to victory earlier this year. The Director also congratulated current and former students on the Ballyhale Shamrocks who scooped the AIB Leinster Club hurling title at Nowlan Park, also on Sunday. Despite being late off the blocks and not registering a single score in the first half, De La Salle came out gunning in the second half for a fairytale finale and a two point win. Ballyhale were quicker to take command of their game – building up an early, eight point lead which was never really threatened. Kevin lifted the Fitzgibbon Cup for WIT earlier this year. Waterford Institute of Technology was also represented yesterday by Seamus Richardson, a current student, and former team-mates such as John Mullane and Conan Watt. "The WIT influence was also very much to the fore in Ballyhale with players such as TJ Reid, Eoin Reid, Henry and Paul Shefflin, Mark Aylward and Aidan Cummins all having played in the WIT jersey in the past.

"It is wonderful to see WIT students and graduates contribute in this way to the advancement of an amateur sport which is a source of pride to so many in the regional community,” Prof. Byrne added.