Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Gateway to Education?

Gateway to Education is a community-based charity supporting people with disabilities through inclusive training, real-world work experience, and access to education.

We operate a charity shop and online store that sells a range of donated and second-hand items, including school books, uniforms, clothing, household goods, and bric-a-brac. We also accept donations from the public, which help us keep useful items in circulation and reduce waste.

A key focus of our work is providing affordable school books for primary and secondary students, helping families reduce the cost of education while giving books a second life.

All proceeds from our shop directly support our programmes, creating opportunities for learning, inclusion, and participation in the community.

Where are you located?

Our shop is located at 9 Wickham St, Prior’s-Land, Limerick, V94 N4FY – Shop tel: (061) 481633 and is open from 10am – 4:30pm Monday through Saturday. No parking available.

We also have a StoreRoom for drop off Donations, (Blue Door) Unit 1, Tait Business Centre, Limerick, V94 83V1  – Store Room Tel: (061) 403 101

What is I Can Work?

I Can Work is an inclusive training and work practice programme supporting people with disabilities to build confidence, routine, and practical skills.

What is Read to Grow?

Read to Grow is Gateway to Education’s education and literacy programme focused on improving access to books and learning resources.

What is Gift a Book?

Gift a Book is the public-facing campaign within Read to Grow that supports book-gifting initiatives.

Can people with disabilities volunteer?

Yes. Supported volunteering and training opportunities are available, with roles adapted to individual needs.

How are donations used?

Donations support inclusive training, participant support, education initiatives, and the delivery of community-based programmes.

How can I get involved?

We rely on the support of the community to do what we do. This means the generosity of donors and volunteers. If you’d like to offer your time to the project then please contact us by email at limericksgateway@gmail.com. There are many things we need help with such as administration, customer service and retail work, social media, stockroom management and merchandising.
 
If you have interest in helping us out then please feel free to get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
 

Where is best to donate?

We recommend donating at our store room at the Tait Business Centre, Lady’s Lane, Dominic Street, Limerick, V94 83V1 instead of our shop. The shop has limited storage and parking is very difficult on Wickham street. Our store room has a drop off  area for donations.

Are there any types of donations you don’t accept?

We don’t usually deal with bedding or children’s toys and baby items like strollers, cots etc. We recommend donating children’s items to NCBI Ireland who have a kids shop on William street, Limerick.

Do you accept out of date school books that are not used in Ireland any longer?

We aim to send out of curriculum school books to Africa. We have done this twice in the past, once to Malawi in 2018 and to South Africa in 2021. Currently, we are not accepting old editions of school books.