Latest News
Downloads
INISHOWEN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP
The Inishowen Development Partnership is inviting applications from Inishowen-based groups under its Local Community Development Programme as follows:
Small Grants for Community Groups
Applications are welcome from community groups who are engaging in projects to promote social inclusion. Funding may be sought for project work, training and development.
INFORMATION EVENINGS
Monday, June 21st at IDP Offices, Buncrana 7.30pm
Wednesday, June 23rd at IDP Offices, Carndonagh 7.30pm
More information will be available at the information evenings. If your group wishes to apply for grant aid please contact John Jackson john@inishowen.ie or Denise McCool denise@inishowen.ie at the number below. Application forms can also be downloaded here.
CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COMPLETED APPLICATIONS
4.00pm Wednesday, June 30th 2010
Completed applications should be returned to John/Denise at Inishowen Development Partnership, St Mary’s Road, Buncrana, Inishowen, Co. Donegal
TEL: 074-9362218
“Support for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people is needed in Inishowen. Young people are realising they are gay on average by the age of 12 but not feeling able to tell other people till they are 19. This is seven years of enforced secrecy which can lead to emotional and mental health problems. Support would help them through this period.” Said David McCartney, Manager of the Rainbow Project in Derry at a recent meeting in Buncrana.
Nearly twenty people heard about a new drop in for LGBT young people called Breakout which meets in Letterkenny every Saturday from 2 – 4pm for young people between the ages of 16 – 23. Breakout has been established by the Donegal Youth Service in association with BeLonG To and the HSE.
“ There is a need for a drop in in Inishowen as some young people cannot get to Letterkenny due to transport or to not being able to tell their parents where they are going” said Martin Keeney, one of the Breakout workers.
The meeting discussed ideas for creating support for example getting information out across Inishowen about services, groups, helplines and websites available North and South, finding ways to help parents to respond appropriately to children who come out and offering workshops on sexual orientation.
A resource list of novels, films, books, DVD’s, music and helpful organisations/websites will be produced and launched in June.
“ There was a great energy and commitment in the room to get something done. It was great to be part of it.” Said David McCartney after the meeting.
For more information about Breakout contact 085 7411607 (Sheena/Marty) or email lgbt@donegalyouthservice.ie.
To contact the Rainbow Project ring: 04871 283030.
To hear more about developments in Inishowen contact Denise/Sean at 074 93 62218.
We all know that good transport systems and services are fundamental to our economy and our quality of life. Access to decent public transport services should be a right of every citizen wherever they live. It is true that many rural dwellers own a car but it is also true that there is a significant ongoing minority of rural dwellers who do not. We at Inishowen Development Partnership under the Rural Transport Programme therefore are determined to make public transport more accessible to those who have no transport and a far more attractive choice for car owners as well. If more people make more use of public transport, there could be less congestion on our roads and less pollution in our atmosphere.
Since November 2008 we have provided a minibus service to areas of the peninsula that had no public transport service. All our services are friendly, reliable and flexible. We provide a door to door service on most of our routes. Our services are open to all members of the public regardless of age. For the older generation it has meant that some have used their bus pass for the first time when they travelled with Inishowen Rural transport.
To encourage more people to use our services Inishowen Rural Transport in association with Supervalu, Buncrana are pleased to announce a free draw for an Easter hamper for people of all ages who use the Inishowen Rural Transport buses. There is no limit to the number of entries, so long as you travel on one of our services and leave the completed draw form in Supervalu, Buncrana. Coordinator Cormac Skinnader says ‘the aim of the Easter draw is to encourage more people to travel by bus to do the weekly shopping at their local store and thus help to protect our local economy and the environment’.
The photo shows Cormac Skinnader-coordinator IRT; Kieran Doherty-manager Supervalu, Buncrana; John McCarter, chairperson, Inishowen Development Partnership.
Several Inishowen women have joined Donegal Women in Business Network which supports all women in the county who work in a business, run their own business or who are thinking of starting a new business.
The Network was created in 1999 when an open meeting attracted more than 50 women. Since then the Women in Business Network has been supported by Donegal County Enterprise Board and membership has grown to over 90.
Membership is open to women working in all business sectors and includes Finance, Marketing, Retail, Health & Beauty, Design and Tourism. There are several Inishowen women on the Board of the Network: Annmarie Doherty of Greencastle-based Doherty White Digital Marketing and PR is President of the Network and Joan Heaney of Adopt HR, Moville and Rosemary Lyons, Enterprise Officer with Inishowen Development Partnership are both Officers on the Committee.
“We would like to see more women from Inishowen joining the network in 2010,” said Annmarie. “The network is a great forum for women to meet, discuss issues affecting their business and help each other connect with potential customers and suppliers”.
The Women in Business Network hosts monthly networking events with expert speakers on subjects such as ‘Social Media Marketing and Networking’ and ‘Stress Management and Relaxation’.
However there are also more light-hearted events such as cookery demonstrations and projecting the right image for women in business. The next major event will be held in Letterkenny on March 10th as part of Enterprising Donegal Week 2010. The guest speaker will be Kilcar native Margaret Sweeney, who is Chief Executive of Postbank.
Annual membership to the Donegal Women in Business costs just €50 with most events free of charge to members. To join, or for further information please contact Celine Carroll, Network Secretary, at Donegal County Enterprise Board on 0749160735 or email ccarroll@donegalenterprise.ie
The SCEPW is a women’s community-based education project based in Co. Donegal. It was set up in 1996 to meet the educational needs of women.
In Inishowen, the SCEPW under the Equality for Women measure is carried out in collaboration with Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP). The aim is to identify the needs of women in the area and deliver a support service to increase their opportunities to access training and employment. A Neighbourhood Work approach is used which involves meeting women one to one in their own homes providing encouragement and support to participate in life-long learning.
The project is linked with IDP Job Club and Donegal VEC Adult Guidance Service. It supports women to become more active in society and combats social exclusion. It moves women from feeling isolated and disempowered to feeling confident and empowered. It provides an opportunity for women to receive career guidance support, small group training, and taster sessions. Women are given the space to meet, share ideas and become aware of options regarding training/employment.
A New Year New You course will start on 24th February and run for six weeks 10am-12pm at Inishowen Development Partnership in Carndonagh. Topics to be covered include positive assertiveness, affirmations, positive thinking, goal setting and dealing with conflict.
You can check this website regularly for further updates on training opportunities.
Contact
Outreach Worker: Maria Mc Conalogue
Address: Inishowen Development Partnership, St. Mary’s Road, Buncrana, Co. Donegal.
Telephone: mobile 083 3557092
Email: maria2ndchanceeducation@gmail.com
The project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), through The Human Capital Investment Operational Programme and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform under the Equality for Women Measure and the National Women’s Strategy.
A local young person has become the first in her family to visit the grave of her great grandfather who died in Belgium during the First World War as part of a unique local youth project.
15-year old Sarah Lee Millar visited her great grandfather’s grave in Belgium as part of the ‘Youth 52 PEACE III– Securing the Future’ project, a project supported by the European Union’s PEACE III Programme.
Young people explored their common history and diverse cultures through 13 weeks of workshops and field trips before traveling to Messines in Belgium in November last year.
The three year project, funded under the European Union’s PEACE III Programme worth €642,357, was delivered by Inishowen Development Partnership, the Playhouse’s ‘What IF? community relations project took part along with Taughmonagh Youth Club in Belfast and Moville Family and Resource centre.
Young people were encouraged to research their own identities, culture and family history and to look at them in a modern context of peace and reconciliation.
The group then travelled to Belgium to take part in the OCN Level 1 accredited Conflict Transformation and the Messines Experience programme, developed by the International School for Peace Studies.
Through the project Sarah Lee was able to trace the story of her great-grandfather Samuel Stewart, who was from Scotland.
“I knew my great grandfather fought in the First World War but I never knew much about him” Sarah Lee said.
“He went to fight when my granny was very young. I knew his name so I was able to find where he was buried. I found out a lot about him.
“It was also good to understand more about the poppy during the project, the whole misunderstanding that it’s a protestant thing. We learned that it is an international symbol of remembrance.”
One of the facilitators, Community Relations Officer at The Playhouse, Siuán McLaughlan, also visited her great grandfather’s grave on the visit.
“The Playhouse got involved with Inishowen Development Partnership when they contacted us and asked would we be interested in becoming a partner on the project” she said.
“The group worked towards the Belgium visit with trips and workshops, they researched their own identities, their own culture. They visited the museum at Dunree Fort where they attended a lecture on history of World War One and the legacy of local men who fought and died in the war. Learning about the history of the War from a local perspective really brought it closer to home. The young people were asked to research their own family through talking to older family members, so there was an intergenerational element too.”
Siuán discovered through the project that she also had a great-grandfather, John Doran from Fountain Hill who also fought in the Battle of Messines and is buried in Elzenwalle Brasserie Cemetery in Ieper Belgium.
“It was just before we went that I found out my great grandfather fought in World War One. I never knew my grand parents and never really talked about my great grandparents. I was able to get his name and battalion so when we were out in Belgium I found out that he was buried in Ieper in Belgium. The two facilitators that organised the trip were able to make arrangements so I was able to visit his grave.
“I was surprised it was actually very emotional; I didn’t know him but when I saw the grave. There was still that family connection. On the way to visit the grave I was hoping it was looked after and in a nice place because I was the only family member to visit it we couldn’t look after it.”
If you’d like more information on this programme, please contact Bronagh/Sharon on 00353(0)749362218 or e-mail bronagh@inishowen.ie or sharon.skillen@farset.co.uk
Fears are growing for the future of 17 crucial community employment jobs in Inishowen after the recent An Bord Snip Nua report recommended the abolition of the Jobs Initiative Scheme.
Local community groups such as Cashel Na Cor Learning Disability Association, Buncrana Tidy Towns Initiative, Fort Dunree Military Museum and Burt GAA are provided with a paid employee under the programme, which provides full-time work to people over 35 years of age who have been unemployed for over five years.
Economist Colm McCarthy’s report identified the scheme, which is funded by FAS and managed in the peninsula by Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP), as one that could not be afforded in the current economy.
It recommended that 10 million euro could be saved by transferring the employees to different initiatives.
However, speaking to the “Inish Times,” Job Initiative Team Leader Pauline Coyle said the scrapping of the scheme would not just have an effect on those it employed, but also to the community as a whole.
The local groups who sponsor the programme are Buncrana Citizens Information Centre, which employs an Information Officer under JI, Burt GAA – caretaker/youth worker; Fort Dunree Military Museum – caretaker; Lifestart, Newtowncunningham – two family visitors, Cashel Na Cor Learning Disability Association – general worker, kitchen and food preparation assistant and clerical assistant; Inishowen Disability Network- clerical assistant; K&M Connolly Foundation – cook and general worker; Newtowncunningham Development Initiative – administrator, youth worker; CLG, Muff – caretaker; and Clonmany Mental Health .
Ms Coyle said the scheme was a lifeline for the non-profit groups.
She said: “The Government should do its utmost to keep this programme, allowing current employees of the scheme to continue working on a full time basis, thus helping none profitable organisations to stay functional in this economic crisis,” she said
“Employees of the programme are anxious to continue working in worthwhile positions contributing to the community by improving walk ways, litter control, building stone walls, working with the elderly, young mothers and children, and gaining job satisfaction while doing a job they love.
“Participants of the Job Initiative Programme did not benefit from the “Celtic Tiger wages” but were happy to receive a minimum wage in order to get back into employment after a minimum of five years absence with the hope of improving their self esteem and confidence.”
A campaign titled “Don’t Turn Out The Light – Work Is My Life” has now been launched by the IDP and seeks to ensure the recommended cuts are not implemented by the government in the December budget.
Ms Kathleen Doherty, manager of the High Support Unit in Clonmany highlighted the importance of the programme and stated it was “invaluable.”
She said: “I would hope that this scheme, which is supporting and enhancing community organisations will continue, as it makes a positive contribution to local communities and is invaluable to our organisation.”
Jobs Initiative employee Joe McCauley works for Buncrana Tidy Towns Initiative under the scheme and said the loss of the jobs would be “a disaster.”
In a letter to local representatives, where he pleads for the retention of the programme, he asked the “decision makers” to “stop and think.’
He added: “I take this opportunity to plead with you on behalf of the Inishowen Development Partnership participants for their jobs,
“There is no doubt these jobs provide an invaluable service to our local communities. Most of the team on the scheme are all of an age that they would find mainstream employment difficult to obtain, especially now in the present climate.
“The Tidy Towns Initiative for which I work enables us to maintain the high standards expected particularly for tourism, environment and the general presentation of Inishowen and Buncrana.”
Another participant said the more she thinks about the possibility of the withdrawing of the scheme, the “more frightened” she becomes.
She said: “I’d probably be in jail for non-payment of mortgage and loans, these were granted on the strength of my income.
She continued: “I have grown in confidence and these skills enable me to work effectively and efficiently in society. I take pride in the fact I am providing for and supporting myself.
“If I was unemployed, why would I get out of bed in the morning?”
By Laura Glenn, Inish Times
People from Inishowen attending a function to highlight the negative effects the proposed cuts by An Bord Snip Nua, would have on rural dwellers.
