Author(s): Deirdre Lovett, Ian Kelleher, Debbie Manning, Diarmuid O’Leary, Aoife O’ Sullivan,Alex Roe, Clare O’Keefe,PRO Best Buddies, B.C.S., Yvonne McCarthy , Brothers of charity Services, Cork

Department: Brothers of Charity and Ballincollig Community School, Cork.

Keywords: Disability, friendship

Reported: Frontline Spring 2007

Best Buddies is an international programme providing opportunities for one- to- one friendships between people with intellectual disabilities and their teenage peers in mainstream schools.It was founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in the U.S. in 1989 and is now running worldwide.
7 students from Our Lady of Good Counsel School were matched with 14 transition year students from Ballincollig Community School.11 other transition year students formed a committee to fundraise and support the programme.
Matched buddies enjoyed individual outings together and the full committee shared fundraising and large social group activities together over the school year.
Qualitative and quantitative information was gathered by means of questionnaires from teachers and participants from both schools and parents of pupils from Our Lady of Good counsel school.
The programme was met with enthusiasm and interest.Participants identified positive aspects and highlighted areas needing development.