Community & Enterprise

Interagency Programmes:

1. Sligo County Development Board:
2. County Development Sub Committees:

   1. Social Inclusion Measure Group.
   2. Innovation /Job Creation Group.
   3. Inter Agency Tourism
   4. PEACE II Extension Programme
   5. RAPID Programme
3. Sligo County Council – Joint Policing Committee
4. Play and Recreation
5. Junior Achievement
6. Tidy Towns 2008
7. Sligo Pride of Place Competition 2008
8. Community and Voluntary Grants Scheme, 2008.
9. Burial Grounds
10. Community Smoke Alarm Scheme
11. Sligo Volunteer Centre 2008
12. Sligo County Community and Voluntary Forum
13. Sligo Arts Service

SLIGO COUNTY DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Sligo County Development Board (SCDB) brings together representatives from the Local Government and Local Development sectors, State Agencies operating at local level, and Social Partners, including the Community and Voluntary Sector. The purpose of the Board is to improve co-ordination amongst local service providers and to promote economic social and cultural development in County Sligo. Throughout 2008 the Board continued to work on delivering its key priorities as set out in its Action Plan for Economic, Social and Cultural Development for County Sligo 2006-2008.

Some of the activities of the CDB include:-

• addressing the nature and extent of poverty and social exclusion in County Sligo through research, publications, events and initiatives;
• building the capacity of the community sector to feed into policy making through the County Community Forum;
• promoting volunteerism and active citizenship through the Sligo Volunteer Centre and initiatives such as Sligo Comhairle na nÓg;
• promoting rural economic regeneration in South and West Sligo.
• progressing out the actions as set out in the Inter-agency Travellers Strategy 2007-2012 for better co-ordination of services for the Travelling Community;
• improved co-ordination of services to ethnic minority groups including migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers;

Many of these actions are monitored through various subcommittees of the County Development Board including Social Inclusion Measures Group and the Innovation Job Creation Working Group.

In October 2008, City and County Development Boards were requested by the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government to undertake a review of progress and experiences to date and focus on developing a limited number of agreed priorities for the period mid 2009-2012. Sligo County Development Board commenced the process with a series of review sessions with its members and sub committees to arrive at shared goals for the period 2009-2012. The Minister outlined the process which the review should take and requested Boards to pay particular attention to their core co-ordination role of local public service delivery and the need for sharing of resources to ensure efficiencies and value for money.

The County Development Board and its sub committees are facilitated by the Department of Community and Enterprise.

SOCIAL INCLUSION MEASURES GROUP (SIM GROUP).

The Social Inclusion Measures Group is a statutory sub-committee of the County Development Board. It provides a forum for co-ordinating the delivery of social inclusion activities in County Sligo and to identify and address any gaps and overlaps between agencies in the delivery of social inclusion work within the county.

Some of the main activities of the Group in 2008 include the work of some of its sub-committees:-

1. Lone Parents Initiative (PEPPA Project).
2. Interagency Traveller Strategy Group.
3. Development of the Comhairle na nOg and Sligo Youth Council.

LONE PARENTS INITIATIVE (PEPPA PROJECT)

Sligo County Development Boards Lone Parent Initiative was one year pilot programme, funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in 2007. The Initiative was short listed as a finalist under the Chambers Excellence in Local Government Awards 2008 in the County Development Board Category.

The purpose of the Initiative was to provide intensive career path planning and to improve labour market participation of lone parents in the county. County Sligo VEC took the lead in implementing the Initiative and it supported over 100 people parenting alone through the provision of education, related to individual need.

An independent evaluation of the Initiative was completed and it received very positive feedback from its participants. Identified as a good example of Inter-agency working the success of the PEPPA Project has been attributed to:- the outreach aspect of the programme, provision of one to one mentoring, focus on skills development and empowerment of the participants.

During the course of the Pilot an Interagency Advisory Committee was put in place to oversee the project, its membership was as follows: County Sligo VEC, Sligo County Council, FÁS, Dept of Social and Family Affairs, IT Sligo, Family Resource Centres in Sligo, Tubbercurry, Ballymote and Easkey, Sligo County Childcare Committee, Sligo Leader Partnership Company, Sligo County Enterprise Board, ICTU and RAPID AIT.

On the cessation of the pilot initiative Lone Parent Groups were set up through Family Resource Centres in Easkey, Ballymote and Tubbercurry and in Springboard Family Support Project, Cranmore along with Sligo Northside CDP.

INTERAGENCY TRAVELLER STRATEGY GROUP

The Interagency Traveller Strategy Group is responsible for monitoring progress on the implementation of the County Development Board’s Interagency Traveller Strategy for Co Sligo 2007-2012. The purpose of this Strategic Plan is to enhance interagency co-operation in the delivery of service and supports to the Traveller Community. The Strategy focuses on a series of integrated actions under the following thematic areas: Accommodation, Health, Education Training and Employment, Childcare and Youth.

The Actions outlined in the Strategy are funded mainly through the resources of the participating Agencies and some actions involve the pooling together of resources of a number of agencies. The Group is convened by the Office of Community and Enterprise and chaired by the Director of Service, Community and Enterprise, Arts and the Environment.

COMHAIRLE NA NÓG

Comhairle na nÓg Shligigh is a County Sligo Development Board Project set up as part of the National Children’s Strategy (2000), Comhairle na nÓg provides a forum for young people to discuss local and national issues of relevance to them. In 2008, the County Development Board was awarded an Enhanced Programme of Activities Grant of €15,000 by the Office of the Minister for Children to further develop the Comhairle na nOg (Youth Council) in the County. The initiative involves a working partnership between Sligo County Council’s Department of Community and Enterprise and County Sligo VEC. Following a tender process, Foroige won the contract to provide the support of a dedicated Youth Worker to the initiative. In developing the Comhairle na nOg the objective is to create  a model of best practice with emphasis being placed on increasing the participation of young people in the Comhairle na nOg AGM and in particular the participation of harder to reach young people. It also focuses on developing democratic elections for the selection of young members onto Sligo Youth Council.

The County Development Board hosted the 7th Comhairle na nÓg AGM on the 9th December, 2008 at the Clarion Hotel Sligo. 77 young participants representing Sligo secondary schools and youth groups took part in the event to express their views on topics deemed important to them. Topics discussed on the day were Teenage Alcohol and Drugs and Youth Friendly Facilities in County Sligo. An election also took place to fill twelve places on Sligo Youth Council. The election procedure reflected the County Council Elections with representatives from each of the electoral area being voted on to the Council.

Comhairle na nÓg AGM 2008.

Delegates at Comhairle na nÓg consider the issues of the Day.

Sligo Youth Council is representative of the voice of young people in County Sligo, they meet monthly taking part in various projects and campaigns which they consider important to the youth of Sligo. The purpose of Comhairle na nÓg is to give young people a voice at a local level and to elect youth representatives to go forward to represent the views of their peers at the annual Dail na nOg event organised under the auspices of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Dáil na nÓg is the National Youth Parliament of Ireland and gives young people the opportunity to represent, at a national level, the views of those under the voting age of 18.

Delegates at Comhairle na nÓg consider the issues of the Day.

INTER AGENCY TOURISM

In April 2007 Fáilte Ireland, under the NDP, announced funding opportunities for local authorities to develop a set of tourism facilities in the key product areas in 2008. The Fáilte Ireland grant of 75% was matched with 25% Local Authority funds. This represented a major opportunity to work in partnership with Fáilte Ireland to develop the infrastructure necessary for success in an ever more challenging tourism market. Two projects undertaken were:

Rosses Point Coastal Walking Trail Project (Phase 2)

Phase 2 extended and developed the existing location for the onset of increased visitor numbers through the enhancement of the area by improving its physical presentation through a series of improvements. The introduction of a dedicated looped pedestrian trail along the coastal headland has added significantly to the amenity of the area, for locals and visitors alike. Landscaping enhancements and trail information, seating and location map allied to the route also support the visitor experience.

Enniscrone Coastal Walking Trail Project

The project consisted of construction of a combined looped pedestrian and cycle trail, extending beyond the existing linear waterfront path. The exclusive off-road experience complimented with landscaping, trail information and viewing platforms with dedicated seating, enriches the trail experience. The looped walk clearly illustrates the benefits of a partnership approach to the development of tourism enterprise  initiatives which expand the visitor experience. Further development of the trail route is being investigated.

The projects adhere to the challenges outlined in the County Development Boards Integrated Strategy and in particular supports Priority 5 Tourism Development- focusing on developing quality tourism products appropriate to its economic, social and cultural characteristics. The projects also support a key objective of Sligo Local Authorities Corporate Plan 2004-2009 promoting Sligo as a tourism destination by facilitating development of tourism amenities in the county.

PEACE II EXTENSION PROGRAMME

Sligo County Council led Peace II Task Force (established as a sub committee of the County Development Board) has been involved in delivering the Peace Programme in Sligo over the past number of years. Under the Peace II extension Programme which ended in 2008 a total of €1,063,000 was granted to 26 projects throughout the county.

The main aim of the PEACE 11 programme is:

To promote reconciliation and help to build a more peaceful and stable society.

Funding focused on a wide variety of projects to encourage revitalization of areas, to support regeneration, development and enhancement of village and rural community facilities and to develop tourism related projects in order to reposition the area as a competitive tourism destination in the international market place.

Peace Play and Reconciliation Project

Kilmactigue Peace Project

The Sligo Peace and Reconciliation Partnership Committee hope to significantly contribute to the Peace Programme over the next number of years through the delivery of Priority 1.1 of the Peace III Programme.

ABOUT RAPID

The RAPID Programme (Revitalising Areas through Planning Investment and Development) was launched in 2002 by the Minister for State for Local Development Eoin Ryan T.D. The RAPID Programme is now managed by Pobal under the auspice of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. There are now 46 areas in cities and towns around Ireland involved in the RAPID Programme, including the following parts of Sligo Town:

1. Cranmore Estate
2. Forthill Estate / Cartron Estate
3. Garavogue Villas / Doorly Park
4. St. Joseph’s Terrace / St. Brigid’s Place / Pilkington Terrace
5. Maugheraboy / Jinks Avenue / Tracey Avenue

The RAPID Programme has three specific objectives:

1. To develop a specific integrated policy focus, across the Social Inclusion Measures identified in the National Development Plan, directed at the social groups who are excluded, especially where cumulative disadvantage is pervasive.
2. To tackle, in particular, the spatial concentration of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion within the 25 identified designated disadvantaged areas.
3. To stem the social and economic costs of social exclusion by developing a range of integrated measures such that the physical, social and community infrastructure of designated communities is developed to allow them harness the social capital and capacity necessary for economic and community development.

Cranmore Pride and Peace Carnival

RAPID Community Representatives Group

The following Principles underpin the implementation of the programme:

• Community Participation and Local Ownership
• Promotion of Strategic Planning
• Co-ordination of provision of State Services
• Targeting of additional services, investment and facilities
• Building on Existing Structures
• Complementing existing initiatives

Current Projects in RAPID Areas

The following are examples of projects and initiatives prioritised under the RAPID Programme:

Development of Community CCTV Schemes

After the announcement from DJELR / Pobal regarding the success of the two Community-based CCTV applications, the RAPID Co-ordinator progressed the proposal for CCTV in Cranmore and Forthill through the following process:

• Formation of a Steering Group comprising Sligo Borough Council, Gardai and Community Representatives to agree an action plan;
• Liaison with the Joint Policing Committee for their approval;
• Community consultation regarding the implementation of the CCTV projects in each community;
• A tendering process to satisfy Local Authority legislation and funders’ requirements;
• Developing the technical specification of the cameras and equipment to be used.

Fifteen cameras will be placed in strategic positions in the two estates with Monitoring Rooms in City Hall and the Garda Station accessed by approved personnel only. It is expected that the CCTV system will act as an aid to the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences and breaches of tenancy, improving the quality of life for local residents.

Illegal Money Lending Action Group

A sub group of the Community Safety Taskforce, the illegal money lending action group has been set up to examine the local problem of illegal money-lending since this has been identified as a key problem in RAPID areas.

Members of this group have met regularly since October 2008, to discuss the nature, extent and relief of the problems of illegal money-lending in Sligo Town. Representatives from Sligo Gardai, Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), Sligo Credit Union, Cranmore Regeneration Project, Focus Ireland, RAPID and Sligo Social Services want to raise awareness of this serious issue.

SLIGO COUNTY COUNCIL JOINT POLICING COMMITTEE (JPC)

Background

Joint Policing Committees were established under Section 36 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. They offer local authority elected members, An Garda Síochána, members of the Public and members of the Oireachtas, the opportunity to make a significant impact on the quality of life within communities, by working together as a collective body. A Joint Policing  Committee was established in the Sligo County Council Administrative area in December 2008.

• 13 local authority elected members with at least 2 from each local electoral area. Each political grouping on the County Council must be represented on the JPC. The Cathaoirleach is an ex-officio member.
• 5 members of the Oireachtas. Each political grouping represented by Oireachtas members should have representation among the five.
• The County Manager who is an ex-officio member and a person nominated by him.
• 2 Garda officers nominated by the Commissioner and accompanied by other Garda Officers as need arises.
• 3 persons representing the Community and Voluntary sector in the county.

Functions of the JPC

To serve as a forum for consultation, discussion and recommendation on matters affecting the policing of the Sligo County Council administrative area by:

1.  Keeping under review:

   • levels and patterns of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour in that area.
   • factors underlying and contributing to the levels of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour in the area.
2. Advising the Local Authority and the Gardaí on how best they might perform their functions.
3. Arranging and hosting public meetings concerning matters affecting the policing of the Local Authority’s administrative area.

JPCS are a facilitating body and a forum for discussion. They are intended as a means of building trust and confidence, bringing communities together in a way in which all participants feel comfortable. It is intended that the JPCs should engage with local community groups to the greatest degree possible as these groups are an important resource in tackling many of the issues addressed by the JPCs.

TIDY TOWNS 2008

Sligo County Council has worked in partnership with Tidy Towns groups providing advice and financial support for a long number of years.

This relationship has led to:

• the steady increase in group marks
• helped in the physical enhancement of towns and villages
• promoted community development.

Sligo County Council has run a local Tidy Towns competition for the past number of years and judging for the 2008 competition took place in late May with the judging panel comprising of staff from various departments within the Council. There were 92 entries from across the county including entries from schools and local businesses.

In addition to the competition the Tidy Towns Committees who entered the National Tidy Towns Competition were eligible for the Tidy Towns Grants Scheme and newly formed committees received a start-up grant. In 2008 a special award was given to three committees in recognition of their continuous high achievement in the National Tidy Towns Competition: Ballintogher, Coolaney and Riverstown.

Cathaoirleach Jude Devins with 2008 Sligo Tidy Towns Committees

PLAY AND RECREATION

“To make Sligo a child-friendly county in which opportunities for safe, challenging and varied play are accessible to every child.” this is the vision of the Sligo play policy developed in 2008 which focuses on children aged up to twelve years.

County Play Day

Sligo County Council recognises the need to promote, prioritise and formalise the provision of play opportunities and aims to work in partnership with children and other agencies to achieve this end.

In the development of the policy advice was given by Sligo Play Advisory Forum. This forum consists of various departments within the local authority and external groups including the Community Forum, County Childcare Committee, the Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership, Parents Organisations and others. The Chairs of both SPC 1 and SPC4 are also members of the Forum.

County Play Day

In addition to playgrounds, the Sligo County Council provides and/or supports a number of other services and amenities that facilitate children’s play and some structured activities. These include Community Centres and halls, football pitches, parks and libraries.

Cross Border Play Event

A number of play events were held throughout the county during 2008 venues included Dunmoran beach, Ballymote, Grange, Streedagh beach, Tubbercurry and County Play Day which was held in Doorly Park. As part of a Peace II funded programme a number of cross-border play events were also organised by the Play and Recreation Development Officer.

Play Day Grange

Play Day Streedagh

Play Day Tubbercurry

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

In 2008, Sligo County Council became a sponsor of the Junior Achievement Ireland Programme. Junior Achievement is a voluntary organization which works with public and private organizations throughout Ireland offering schools a range of 17 enterprise and science programmes for students aged 5-18 years. The aims of Junior Achievement are to teach enterprise skills to young people and to target those at risk of early school leaving. Programmes are delivered in primary and secondary schools by trained volunteers from participating organizations with support from the teacher. Ten volunteers from both Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council participated in and delivered the programme during the year.

Junior Achievement 2008 - Class J Achievement

Junior Achievement 2008 – Fire Department Volunteers

Junior Achievement Awards 2008

SLIGO PRIDE OF PLACE COMPETITION 2008

The Pride of Place Competition, a Co-operation Ireland competition, recognises and celebrates the vital contributions that community groups make to society. The focus is on people coming together to shape, change and enjoy all that is good about their local area. It differs from other similar projects in that they specifically recognise the involvement of the local community in all aspects of rural and urban life including regeneration projects, promoting social inclusion and cohesion, the promotion of heritage and environmental awareness. Nominations are made by Local Authorities, who see at first hand what is being carried out at local level.

Sligo County Council in co-operation with Sligo Borough Council once again came together to reward and honour communities/areas engaged in ongoing or recently completed projects which foster awareness and enhancement in the locale, promote civic pride and encourage full community participation.

New provisions for the Pride of Place Competition 2008 saw the introduction of specific designated themes in the Single Issue Category. These included:

1. Services for the Elderly
2. Community Facility
3. Care of the Environment

Two groups went forward to represent Sligo at the All Island Pride of Place Awards:

• CLASP (Community of Lough Arrow Social Project) - Quality of Life project.
• The Teeling Community Centre, Collooney .

CLASP (Community of Lough Arrow Social Project) - Quality of Life project.

The project is involved in home care, the delivery of meals on wheels and the organisation and delivery of programmes to 5 Active Age clubs. Staff and volunteers deliver around 1000 meals to people in very rural locations every month. Approximately 250 community visits are undertaken each month and an average of 120 people attend the active age clubs each week. Through the Quality of Life project, CLASP identified that one of the main blocks to achieving a good quality of life for many community members is the lack of transport available to those without access to a car. Funding through the Rural Transport Initiative enabled CLASP to set up a dedicated community car scheme using voluntary drivers.

The Teeling Community Centre

Collooney is a venue for sports, community development and childcare activities as well as a FÁS Training Centre for computer skills. It is also a facility which can be hired by those celebrating children’s birthdays etc. or those hosting sporting tournaments such as International Boxing Matches. There are several exciting new developments including Tír na n-Óg Community Childcare Centre.

National Pride of Place Awards Ceremony 2008

NATIONAL PRIDE OF PLACE AWARDS CEREMONY 2008

The Co-operation Ireland Pride of Place winners were announced on the 8th November at a gala awards ceremony in Cappoquin Community Centre, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford.

Although there were no overall prizes won by those groups representing Sligo the Teeling Community Centre was shortlisted in its category.

Community Smoke Alarm Scheme

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government allocated funding to Local Authorities in 2008 for the provision of smoke alarms to vulnerable households.

The objective of the Community Smoke Alarm Scheme was to target vulnerable households (non Local Authority housing) which might not be captured by other funding measures already available.

Sligo County Council with the assistance of the community and voluntary sector identified vulnerable households which were in need of smoke alarms and arranged for the supply of two free 10 year self contained smoke alarms per household. A total of 250 households benefited from this scheme. Sligo County Council acknowledges the support and assistance given by the community and voluntary sector in identifying the households and in the installation of the alarms. This scheme would not have succeeded were it not for their assistance.

Sligo Volunteer Centre

Sligo Volunteer Centre is an information and referral service for voluntary activity in County Sligo. They offer advice to people who wish to volunteer and also offer support to Not For Profit organisations who wish to involve volunteers.

2008 continued to be a year of growth and expansion for Sligo Volunteer Centre.

In July 2008, the Centre recruited another staff member to the role of Outreach and Development Officer with the Centre. This role complements the work that is happening with potential volunteers by offering dedicated support to Community and Voluntary organisations.

As is demonstrated in our figures, we continue to attract people to volunteer who have not previously been involved in volunteering. We see this as an important element of what we have to offer to the general public and indeed the sector as a whole. If we can continue to attract new people to volunteer it secures the future of participation and active citizenship.

In these changing and indeed challenging economic times, we continue to attract a high caliber of volunteer who have not only time, but a high level of skills to offer to Community and Voluntary organisations in County Sligo. Through the year ahead, we see an important role for the centre in harnessing and directing the skills and commitment of such volunteers who through circumstances have found themselves unemployed or underemployed.

Staff:

The staff and their roles within the centre are as follows;

Ms. Ciara Herity, Manager,

Ms. Alison Gately, Placement Officer (Part time post),

Ms. Paula Naughton, Outreach and Development Officer (Part time post started July 2008).

Staff of Sligo Volunteer Centre and Tommy Fleming pictured at Branching Out to Volunteer Event in Tubbercurry. From Left to Right: Ms. Alison Gately, Placement Officer; Ms. Ciara Herity, Manager; Mr. Tommy Fleming, Guest Speaker and Ms. Paula Naughton, Outreach and Development Officer

2008 FACTS AND FIGURES

• 211 volunteers registered with our service and were offered the support of our Placement Officer and other staff members.
• 65% of those volunteers who registered in 2008 had never previously volunteered
• 28 Community and Voluntary Organisations registered with our service. Between these and previously registered organisations 115 volunteer vacancies were registered.
• From January 2008 to the end of December 2008 Sligo Volunteer Centre made 145 placements within a variety of Community and Voluntary Groups. In relation to the total numbers of volunteers who registered in 2008, the placement rate was 69%.
• All placements made in 2008 generated 4,717 voluntary hours to local groups.

PILOT PROGRAMMES

On occasion Sligo Volunteer Centre takes the lead on programmes to meet a specific area of need or to promote volunteering to a particular sector. In these cases we may be the main lead or support the appropriate Community and Voluntary Group in getting the project off the ground. One such programme was the Cross Border Activity Day in March 2008.

Cross Border Activity Day March 2008

Sligo Volunteer Centre teamed up with our colleagues in Fermanagh Volunteer Centre on a cross border activity day in March 2008.

The day involved young people with learning disabilities from the Positive Futures Group in Fermanagh and their volunteer mentors as well as young people with special needs from Sligo and their local volunteer mentors recruited by Sligo Volunteer Centre. The group met in St. Anne’s Youth and Community Centre. The activity for the day was to paint their own pottery mug or plate with their own personal design and take it home with them. This activity was done through Rula Bula-Paint your own pottery studio at JFK Parade, Sligo. Each individual created their own masterpiece and will have something to remember the day by.

Lisa Moore and Emer McNulty taking part in the cross border activity day

James from the Positive Futures group in Fermanagh with his finished art work

Lunch followed the activity and it was fantastic to see the interaction between the participants from Sligo and from Fermanagh.

The activity was run in response to a need for young people with special needs to have a peer group to socialise with. This is a great example of partnership working and the promotion of active citizenship in local communities as well as in a cross border realm

Sligo 4Uth

Sligo Volunteer Centre were involved in the organising of a promotion event for youth aged 15-25. The event was called Sligo 4Uth and its aim was to bring a mix of information and activities on a range of topics including youth groups; volunteering; sport; community involvement; education and recreational opportunities to young people. Sligo Volunteer Centre were involved in organising the event along with a number of local agencies including Comhairle na nÓg, County Sligo VEC, Cranmore Regeneration Project, Foróige, Gaisce The Presidents Award; North Connaught Youth and Community Services; Scouting Ireland; Sligo County Council; Sligo LEADER Partnership and Sligo Sport and Recreational Partnership. Sligo Volunteer Centre hosted an interactive information stand at the event where young people had the opportunity to take part in a quiz about Sligo Volunteer Centre and to ask questions about volunteering. Sligo Volunteer Centre was also involved in sourcing a team of volunteers to assist with stewarding the event on the day.

GIVE IT A SWIRL DAY – THE NATIONAL DAY OF VOLUNTEERING 2008

Give it a Swirl Day is the national day of volunteering lead by Volunteer Centres Ireland and its member centres. 2008 was the second year of the event. Sligo Volunteer Centre along with the local communities spearheaded 5 projects for Give it a Swirl Day 2008. These projects were wide ranging and included coastal research; village tidy ups and various beauty and therapy events. In total 82 individuals and 4 corporate groups got involved and 375+ volunteer hours were generated.

Coastal Research - young volunteers turn researchers for the day

On Friday 26th September 1st, 2nd and 3rd class in St. Patrick’s N.S., Maugherow took part in Give it a Swirl Day as coastal research volunteers. The pupils took part in an educational workshop with Dr. Sarah Varian from Marine Dimensions to discover and learn about what they may find at the seashore. Then they headed to the seashore with clipboards in tow! Their finds were logged on the Marine Dimensions website and will contribute to their research on the movements of marine life around the Irish coast.

Children from St. Patrick’s National School, Maugherow who got involved in Give it a Swirl Day 2009

Clean up Collooney Day

25 volunteers took part in Give it a Swirl Day with Collooney Tidy Towns. Marian Harkin, MEP also came along on the day to see the volunteers in action. She presented them with certificates to acknowledge their participation in the event. The work that was carried out included litter picking and flower planting. The aluminium bridge on the approach to the town was power washed and on the following day the Kiernan Avenue residents painted the wall by the boy’s school all contributing to the Collooney makeover.

Above: Group of Give it a Swirl Day volunteers pictured with Marian Harkin MEP. Below: Volunteers getting stuck into the tasks at hand
 

Positive Ageing Week

Positive Ageing Week is a week of events organised by the Sligo LEADER Partnership and other agencies to focus on the positive aspects of ageing and to promote services available to older people. Independent therapists and therapists from the Wellness Centre in Sligo participated providing holistic treatments from reflexology and massage to colour therapy to older people from around the county. Sligo Volunteer Centre also held a stand at the event to give information to older people who wanted to volunteer and to older people who were already running community groups and needed additional volunteers to provide support for their activities.

 
People from a range of active age groups availing of the therapies offered by volunteers

Irish Cancer Society - Pink Ribbon Campaign

Sligo Volunteer Centre approached many local workplaces to get involved in the Pink Ribbon Campaign. Four work places took a box of merchandise to sell in aid of the Irish cancer society’s breast cancer campaign. They included a variety of Sligo County Council offices; Sligo Borough Council; HSE West and FAS. A total of €580 was raised by these organisations for the campaign.

Rural Beauty Day

Sligo Volunteer Centre approached North Connaught College, Tubbercurry to take part as volunteers in Give it a Swirl Day 2008. Twelve beauty student volunteers from the college gave up their time to provide a day of beauty treatments for clients from active age groups across County Sligo. The HSE Health Promotion Unit was involved in sourcing the worthy recipients from Active Age Groups. Volunteers from the Beauty Therapy and Tourism courses helped to run the day which benefited Active Age Group members from three active age groups.

The active age group members became clients for the day and received free treatments including hand massage, nail painting, mini facial and plenty of advice on beauty in general.

It is hoped that North Connaught College students will continue to volunteer and to link with the HSE in the future.

Member of local active age group receives treatment from a North Connaught College Beauty student

International Volunteer Day 5th December 2008

For International Volunteer Day 2008, Sligo Volunteer Centre decided to encourage people to “Give your Time in 2009”. The concept was to get out and talk to people about their options to volunteer. Information stands were held in Sligo County Library and Quayside Shopping Centre. Staff and volunteers were involved in manning the stands on the day.

Ms. Alison Gately and Mr. Frank Goodwin, volunteer encouraging people to “Give Your Time in 2009” on International Volunteer Day 2008.