Thanks to all who have helped to make visitors feel at home
The number of people asking to visit the Centre and see local services in action is growing all the time, so we would like to thank all of you that have allowed our visitors into your services. Expect us to be making many more requests for people to come along and learn from you.

Manchester Education Service
In December 2006 we were visited by Jenny Andrew the Assistant Chief Education Officer for Manchester along with Educational Psychologist Maria Heffernan who was trained by Judy to deliver the teacher classroom management programme. During their visit they got a chance to talk with Rhiain Gwyn, the seconded headmistress that undertakes most of the IY teacher classroom management and Dino school training in Gwynedd (see newsletter) and enjoyed a visit to Ysgol Abercaseg, Bethesda, to see Classroom Dino in action

Developing links with Australia
January 2007 saw the arrival of two CAMHS staff from Flinders, Adelaide, South Australia, Andy Lawrence, Consultant Nurse Specialist and Dorothy Abbott, Education Liaison Officer. Having been trained in Adelaide by Judy last May to run the parent programme, they came to Bangor to visit services and to take part in the ADVANCED parenting and the Therapeutic Small Group Dino training. Thanks to all who have welcomed them into their services.

Andy and Dorothy are being followed by Jenny Makros and a colleague from Victoria, Australia, who will be with us in early June to see services. So, with the visit by Anwen Williams from Perth earlier last year things are really moving down under. Anwen has funds to develop and research the parent programme with aboriginal families in Western Australia.

IY in Finland
January 2007 saw a visitor from Finland, Mikko Kampman, from the Research Centre, Tampere. Having undertaken parent leader training in October with Judy in Helsinki, he came to train as a teacher programme leader. During his visit he also met with Rhiain Gwyn and with the IY research team. There is growing interest in Finland who are hosting Judy for further training and consultation in May, again in Helsinki.

Jamaica
Judy is following up on the visit by Helen Henningham, originally from North Wales but now living in Jamaica, (see Newsletter) with a visit to see how the teacher programme is being received there. Congratulations to Helen who was awarded her Welcome Fellowship, and will be spending three months working with us, some time during the next year.

Other world-wide links
During the past year we have also welcomed people from Denmark, Sweden, The Philipines, Yeamen and New Zealand as well as Ireland and the home countries to our training courses.

Michigan State University                                                                                                                                                                        John S. Carlson, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Training, School Psychology Program, Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education, College of Education, Michigan State University, visited the School of Psychology and the Incredible Years Wales Centre as a part of a one semester sabbatical from MSU. Dr. Carlson gave a presentation on; Interdisciplinary leadership training in the transportability of evidence-based interventions to diverse populations: Addressing behavioral problems in early childhood.

Also several doctoral students on the training grant and one of Dr. Carlson's Co-PIs, Dr. Evelyn Oka also joined him at Bangor University for eight days to examine issues of global dissemination, implementation, and research being done on the Incredible Years. The Incredible Years Centre held a mini conference for the PhD students both from MSU and Bangor to present their research topics.

Finland                                                                                                                                                                                                   12 delegates from Finland visited the centre organised by Mette Kontio. The group included two managers and ten therapists. The delegates attended Toddler, School Age and Advance programme add-on training days and held a consultation day.

Norway                                                                                                                                                                                                   In the New Year two delegates from Norway visited the centre and attended a consultation day.

Welsh Assembly Government Ministers                                                                                                                                                  Huw Lewis, Minister for Children, National Assembly for Wales visited the Centre in May to discuss the WAG child poverty strategy and to invite the Centre to submit comments. The strategy is out for consultation until mid August.

The Welsh Assembly Government have extended funding to 2011 to enable Judy to continue to train leaders in delivering the IY Programmes. This funding is to enable the rolling out of the IY programmes throughout Wales.