Transcript Slide 1
FORUM
A Rural Development
Partnership in North West
Connemara
North West Connemara is a region of
mountain and blanket bog, located on the
Western seaboard, sixty miles North West
of Galway city and covers an area of
approximately 800 square kilometres.
The population of the area is currently
8,895 persons and the population density
is one of the lowest in Europe at nine
persons per square kilometre compared to
a national average of 51 and an EU figure
of 143.
FORUM
Company Limited By Guarantee
Community Development Programme
FORUM’S History
Began as a Poverty Three Programme
1989-1994
Core funder became the Department of
Social, Community & Family Affairs 19942002
Now funded under the Department of
Rural, Community & Gaeltacht Affairs
Additional funding is received from a
variety of State Bodies and Agencies.
FORUM aims to:
Tackle the problem of rural decline and
peripherality
Develop locally based initiatives
Improve the lives of people
Target the disadvantaged and socially
marginalised
Through
Developing existing and piloting new
partnership arrangements between
statutory, voluntary and community bodies
Essential elements are
The empowerment of local people through
capacity building
Development of sustainable action
programmes
Integration of experience gained into
mainstream public policy and practice.
Management Structure
People
Of
North West
Connemara
Management
Committee
Working Groups
Community
Development
Family
Support
Adolescent
Support
Elderly
Board
Of
Directors
Personnel
Committee
Structures
Committee
Youth In
Action
Employment
Mediation
Staffing Structure
Director
Assistant Director
Administration
Two Full Time
Youth in Action
15 part time workers
Job Initiative & Community Employment Schemes
Four Supervisors
Social Care
15 part time workers
Social Housing Repairs
15 part time workers
Project Workers
Five Full Time
Two Part Time
Job Initiative
17 full time workers
FORUM Target Groups
Community Groups
Family Support
Elderly
Under and Unemployed
Youth
Community Groups
Aim:
Assist communities in North West
Connemara to tackle poverty and isolation
by empowering groups and individuals.
Target Group:
Community and Voluntary organisations
that are engaged in Community
Development
FORUM’S Involvement in
Community Development
Assisted by
Newletters/
publications
Community
groups (19)
Information
Training
Funding
Activities
Community
Development
Connemara
Community
Radio
Citizen’s
Information
Centre
Department of Rural,
Community & Gaeltacht
Affairs
FAS
Galway County Council
GRD
Comhairle
Other Agencies
Aim to develop 12
acres of land for
Tuam
Archdiocese
Connemara
West
Social Housing
Community
Services
Sports and
recreation
Foscadh
Community
Development Ltd.
FORUM
Small craft
enterprises
Tullycross
Credit
Union
Supporting Families
Aim:
Tackle exclusion experienced by
families in NWC by ensuring that
skills, facilities and educational/training
opportunities are made available to
encourage participation in economic,
social and political activities
Target:
Families, Women’s Groups, Lone
Parents and Young Parents
FORUM’s Involvement
Assisted by
Women
Childcare
Counselling
Family
Health
Promotion
Depression
Support
Education
&
Training
FAS
HSE
Failte Ireland
Teagasc
Galway City & Co.
Childcare Committee
Government
Departments
Other Agencies
Elderly
AIM:
Tackle problems of loneliness and
isolation by providing opportunities for
social contacts, networking and a flexible
range of services to meet the special
needs of the target group through
volunteer and professional expertise in
the context of partnership between
voluntary and statutory bodies
TARGET:
Older people living
alone
Carers
Disabled people
Active Retired
Housebound and
dependant older people
FORUM’S Role
Meals on
Wheels
Carer
Companion
Lunch
Clubs and
Coffee
Mornings
Resource
groups
Security
Clifden Day
Hospital
Elderly
People
Assisted by
Local community
volunteers
FAS - CE schemes
HSE
GRD
NUIG
Respite
Breaks
Laundry
Essential
Housing
Repairs
Minor
maintenance
to Health
Centres
Intergenerational
Carers
Support
Training
Staff
Carers
FORUM’S Role
Disability
Support
Elderly and
Disabled people
Disability
Awareness
Radio Series
Disability
Mentoring
and Training
Programme
Under and Unemployed
AIM
Support the under and
unemployed through a range of
activities
TARGET
Marginalised and low income
households in North West
Connemara
Shellfish
Cooperatives
REPS
Planning
FORUM’S Role
Assisted by
Employment
Mediation/
Advocacy
RSS
Under
&
Unemployed
Information
&
Assistance
With
Entitlements
Training
Programme
Environmental
Issues
Farm
Families
GRD
BIM
Teagasc
Farm
Organisations
Galway City &
Co. Enterprise
Board
Government
Departments
Disadvantaged Young People
AIM
To improve the lives of young people in North
West Connemara, particularly those experiencing
adversity, marginalisation and potential early
school leavers.
FORUM’S Role
Adolescent
Support
Young
People
Assisted by
Children
Parents
Family
Support
Youth in
Action
Parents
Teachers
HSE
FOROIGE
VEC
FORUM’S Role
Family
Youth in
Action
Support
Families
Calendar/
Fun Runs
Individual
work
Parents group
Adolescent
Summer
camps
Road Safety
Programme
Parenting
Programme
Schools
Programme
Support
Youth
Representative
group
Six
Foroige
Clubs
Schools
Programme
Schools
Sports/Arts
Programme
Youthreach
Two
Secondary
Schools
Developing
Mentoring
Programme
Individual
Case
Work
14 National
Schools