FORUMFORUMA Rural Development A Rural Development

Partnership in North West Partnership in North West ConnemaraConnemara

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.

FORUMFORUM

Company Limited By Guarantee

Community Development Programme

FORUM’S HistoryFORUM’S History

Began as a Poverty Three Programme 1989-1994

Core funder became the Department of Social, Community & Family Affairs 1994-2002

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 StructureManagement StructurePeople

OfNorth WestConnemara

Working Groups

BoardOf

Directors

ManagementCommittee

CommunityDevelopment

FamilySupport

ElderlyAdolescent

SupportYouth InAction

EmploymentMediation

PersonnelCommittee

StructuresCommittee

Staffing StructureStaffing Structure

A d m in is tra tionTwo F u ll T im e

Y ou th in A c tion1 5 p art t im e w orkers

S oc ia l C are1 5 p art t im e w orkers

S oc ia l H ou s in g R ep a irs1 5 p art t im e w orkers

Job In it ia t ive1 7 fu ll t im e workers

Job In it ia t ive & C om m u n ity E m p loym en t S ch em esF ou r S u p ervisors

P ro jec t W orkersF ive F u ll T im eTwo P art T im e

A ss is tan t D irec to r

D irec to r

Community GroupsCommunity GroupsFamily SupportFamily SupportElderlyElderlyUnder and UnemployedUnder and UnemployedYouthYouth

FORUM Target GroupsFORUM Target Groups

Community GroupsCommunity Groups

Aim:Aim: Assist communities in North West Assist communities in North West

Connemara to tackle poverty and Connemara to tackle poverty and isolation by empowering groups and isolation by empowering groups and individuals.individuals.

Target Group:Target Group: Community and Voluntary organisations Community and Voluntary organisations

that are engaged in Community that are engaged in Community DevelopmentDevelopment

FORUM’S Involvement in FORUM’S Involvement in Community DevelopmentCommunity Development

Assisted byAssisted by

Department of Rural,Department of Rural,

Community & Community & GaeltachtGaeltacht

AffairsAffairs FASFAS Galway County CouncilGalway County Council GRDGRD ComhairleComhairle Other AgenciesOther Agencies

Community Development

Newletters/ publications

Community groups (19)

Information

Connemara Community

Radio

Citizen’s Information

Centre

Funding Activities

Training

Foscadh Community

Development Ltd.

TullycrossCreditUnion

Tuam Archdiocese

Connemara West

FORUM

Aim to develop 12 acres of land for

Social Housing

Community Services

Sports and recreation

Small craft enterprises

Supporting FamiliesSupporting Families

Aim:Aim: Tackle exclusion experienced by Tackle exclusion experienced by

families in NWC by ensuring that families in NWC by ensuring that skills, facilities and educational/training skills, facilities and educational/training opportunities are made available to opportunities are made available to encourage participation in economic, encourage participation in economic, social and political activitiessocial and political activities

Target:Target: Families, Women’s Groups, Lone Families, Women’s Groups, Lone

Parents and Young ParentsParents and Young Parents

FORUM’s InvolvementFORUM’s Involvement

Assisted byAssisted by

FASFAS HSEHSE Failte IrelandFailte Ireland TeagascTeagasc Galway City & Co. Galway City & Co.

Childcare CommitteeChildcare Committee Government Government

DepartmentsDepartments Other AgenciesOther Agencies

Counselling

DepressionSupport

Education&

Training

HealthPromotion

Childcare

Women

Family

ElderlyElderly

AIM:AIM: Tackle problems of loneliness and Tackle problems of loneliness and

isolation by providing opportunities for isolation by providing opportunities for social contacts, networking and a flexible social contacts, networking and a flexible range of services to meet the special range of services to meet the special needs of the target group through needs of the target group through volunteer and professional expertise in volunteer and professional expertise in the context of partnership between the context of partnership between voluntary and statutory bodiesvoluntary and statutory bodies

TARGET:TARGET:

Older people living Older people living alonealone

CarersCarersDisabled peopleDisabled peopleActive RetiredActive RetiredHousebound and Housebound and

dependant older peopledependant older people

FORUM’S RoleFORUM’S RoleAssisted byAssisted by

Local community Local community volunteersvolunteers

FAS - CE schemesFAS - CE schemes HSEHSE GRDGRD NUIGNUIG

TrainingTraining

StaffStaff

CarersCarers

Elderly

People

Carer Companion

Meals on Wheels

Lunch Clubs and

Coffee Mornings

Resource groups

Clifden Day Hospital

Laundry

Carers SupportIntergenerational

Respite Breaks

Essential Housing Repairs

Security

Minor maintenance

to Health Centres

FORUM’S RoleFORUM’S Role

Elderly andDisabled people

Disability Support

Disability Awareness

Radio SeriesDisability Mentoring

and Training Programme

Under and Unemployed Under and Unemployed AIMAIM Support the under and Support the under and

unemployed through a unemployed through a range of activitiesrange of activities

TARGETTARGET Marginalised and low Marginalised and low

income households in North income households in North West ConnemaraWest Connemara

FORUM’S RoleFORUM’S RoleAssisted byAssisted by

GRDGRD BIMBIM TeagascTeagasc Farm Farm

OrganisationsOrganisations Galway City & Galway City &

Co. Enterprise Co. Enterprise BoardBoard

Government Government DepartmentsDepartments

RSS

Environmental Issues

FarmFamilies

TrainingProgramme

Information&

AssistanceWith

Entitlements

EmploymentMediation/Advocacy

Under&

Unemployed

REPS Planning

Shellfish Co-

operatives

Disadvantaged Young Disadvantaged Young PeoplePeople

AIMAIMTo improve the lives of young people in To improve the lives of young people in

North West Connemara, particularly North West Connemara, particularly those experiencing adversity, those experiencing adversity, marginalisation and potential early marginalisation and potential early school leavers.school leavers.

FORUM’S RoleFORUM’S Role

Assisted byAssisted by

ParentsParents TeachersTeachers HSEHSE FOROIGEFOROIGE VECVEC

Young People

Children

Parents

Adolescent

Support

Family

SupportYouth in Action

FORUM’S RoleFORUM’S Role

Adolescent

Support

Family

Support

Individual Case Work

Developing Mentoring

Programme

Parenting Programme

Schools Programme

Schools Programme

Youthreach14 National

SchoolsTwo

Secondary Schools

Six Foroige Clubs

Youth Representative

group

Individual work

Families

Parents group

Youth in Action

Summer camps

Calendar/ Fun Runs

Road Safety Programme

Schools Sports/Arts Programme