Our Mission
Together Academy sees ability and potential; we are challenging stereotypes and giving our students the opportunity to show their capabilities and the value they bring to society.
Our Origins
We are only here because a number of years ago Peter and Mary Gaw fell in love. They had four fabulous children two of whom have Down syndrome and out of their love for their kids they set up the Down syndrome centre. Holding our little babies and finding our way in a new and at the time scary world. Our love for our children brought us to the doors of the Down syndrome centre and there a deep respect and a friendship developed.
How we started
Our founder Therese Coveney, in partnership with the Down Syndrome Centre, hoped for a better future for her daughter April. Together Academy grew from the shocking statistic that 90% of adults with Down syndrome are unemployed in Ireland. Therese saw this as a challenge in changing the employment landscape for people with additional needs.
Working Together
Therese was subsequently joined by Cathy Smith Mum to Alex, Zara and Saffron who shared her vision of inclusive employment and opportunity. Therese and Cathy visited exemplar projects across Europe to bring global best practice to Together Academy. The Together tribe grew when two fellow mums Laura O’Neill and Edel Lynch joined the leadership team to develop the brand and execute on the vision.The TA team now comproses of 12 employees who each bring a unique set of skills and expertise across education, culinary and employment.