In a world where, all too often, those who are going through periods of difficulty are ignored, Maria O’Dwyer shows how a simple bit of kindness can make a world of difference.

Maria O’Dwyer describes herself as an “early childhood sociologist, researcher and logophile (nothing to do with trees)”. Maria – who’s from Limerick and worked with the PAUL Partnership for eight years before starting a consultancy – tweets under the handle @MiaBeetle and is well worth a follow.

As well as tweeting regularly about community development and social inclusion concerns, Maria frequently lets her humorous side out. As a logophile – a lover of words – she despairs when people misuse words, as her father did recently:

‪‪Aside from the occasional bursts of comedy, she tweets mostly on social issues connected with her work. Her views on early childhood learning (she has a PhD on the subject) are worth hearing and can challenge prevailing practice and wisdom.

In the past, Maria has carried out research within the emergency accommodation system, meeting many families with young children along the way.

This May, she posted a thread of tweets about a simple act of generosity involving a hotelier and long-stay guests.

Main photo: Leo Rivas/Unsplash