Blackwater Welcomes Greek Hospital Staff to Cavan for Erasmus+ Job Shadowing

Blackwater Training & Consulting was delighted to welcome five staff members from the General Hospital of Ilias-Pyrgos in Greece to County Cavan for a three-day Erasmus+ KA1 job-shadowing mobility.

The General Hospital of Ilias-Pyrgos is participating in an Erasmus+ Adult Education project focused on strengthening staff digital skills, exploring energy-saving and environmentally friendly practices, and supporting employees to contribute to the continued development of their organisation.

As their host organisation in Ireland, Blackwater developed a programme combining professional exchange, community development, sustainability, adult learning and Irish culture.

Day 1 – Starting in Bailieborough

We began the programme close to home with a visit to the Bridewell Museum in Bailieborough, where Cultural and Tourism Officer Adam Pringle brought our visitors on a tour and introduced them to the history and heritage of the local area.

We then met Henry, caretaker of the Bridewell and Bailieborough Development Association, who brought the group to the BDA building, where Blackwater also has its offices.

Henry spoke to the group about the €100,000 awarded to Bailieborough Development Association through the Community Climate Action Programme and the work planned for the building. This was particularly relevant to our visitors, as sustainability and energy-saving practices are important elements of their own Erasmus+ project.

In the afternoon, we travelled to Newgrange and Knowth, giving our visitors the opportunity to experience two of Ireland's remarkable UNESCO World Heritage sites and learn more about our history and culture.

Day 2 – Professional Exchange at Cavan General Hospital

Day two was particularly important for our visiting group as we travelled to Cavan General Hospital for a professional exchange with members of the hospital's management and clinical team.

A special thank you to Minister Niamh Smyth for supporting Blackwater in making this visit possible.

The meeting provided an opportunity for healthcare professionals from Ireland and Greece to compare their respective systems and discuss some of the challenges they face.

Conversations covered Emergency Department pressures, increasing patient numbers, staffing and capacity, triage, communication between clinical teams, governance and the importance of developing effective patient pathways.

There was particular interest from our Greek colleagues in the use of Medical Assessment Units and how alternative patient pathways can help manage pressure on Emergency Departments.

The discussion also explored the practicalities of introducing new ways of working within a hospital – including developing policies, bringing different teams together, securing staff buy-in and ensuring effective communication between departments.

It was a valuable opportunity for our visitors to ask questions directly of their Irish counterparts and consider practices and approaches that may be relevant within their own hospital.

Our sincere thanks to Laura Waters, General Manager, and all of the management and clinical staff who joined us and shared their knowledge and experience so generously.

Day 3 – Community, Wellbeing and Inclusion

For our final day, we returned to Bailieborough for a visit to the Bexcourt Centre.

The centre supports rural and marginalised communities in East Cavan and brings together a range of community services and activities, including counselling, community gardens and Men's and Women's Sheds.

Our visitors met Centre Manager Padraig McBreen, who also volunteers as a counsellor with SOSAD, and Catherine Smyth, PEACEPLUS Coordinator, to learn more about community-based services, mental health, social inclusion and the importance of accessible spaces within rural communities.

We also had the opportunity to spend time with members of the Men's and Women's Sheds – and there was plenty of hands-on learning!

Together we made scones, enjoyed an art demonstration and had time to sit, talk and exchange experiences.

It was a lovely way to demonstrate that learning and wellbeing don't only happen within formal institutions. Community spaces, social activities and opportunities to share skills can all play an important role in keeping people connected and engaged.

Erasmus+ Bringing People Together

Across the three days, our Greek visitors experienced healthcare, community development, sustainability, heritage and informal adult learning in County Cavan and beyond.

But international mobility is never a one-way learning experience.

Hosting the group also gave Blackwater and our local partners the opportunity to learn about healthcare and working practices in Greece, compare experiences and build new European relationships.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who gave their time to welcome our visitors and share their work with them.

And, of course, a huge thank you to our five colleagues from the General Hospital of Ilias-Pyrgos for choosing to spend their Erasmus+ mobility with us in rural Ireland.

We hope they returned to Greece with plenty of new ideas, good memories and perhaps even a new appreciation for Irish scones!

At Blackwater, we are proud to create opportunities for international learning here in County Cavan and to connect our rural communities with organisations and professionals from across Europe.