Welcome to the latest edition of News from
Southside Partnership DLR
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Below you will find updates on the work that both the Partnership and our colleagues in hosted project are undertaking. You will also find information on key events taking place over the coming weeks.
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Southside Partnership stats for 2018
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Below you can see Southside Partnership DLR's organisational stats for 2018 which highlights our combined work throughout the organistion.
It shows the scale of the work that the organisation achieved and that all our staff were part of last year….definitely something to be very proud of !
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Recent changes in our team
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Brid O'Dwyer Healthy Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Project Coordinator is leaving our organisation. As you know, Brid has led the Healthy Ireland project in DLR over the last year. She made a huge contribution and she will be sadly missed. We wish Brid well in her new role in NUIG.
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Yvette McDermott has joined Southside Partnership DLR on the Enterprise and Employment team. She brings a lot of relevant experience to the Partnership and we all look forward to working with her. Yvette's main focus over the coming months will to be support low income workers through our SICAP programme.
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Our new Strategic Plan 2019 - 2022
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In June, the Board of SSP signed off on a new Strategic Plan for the organisation. The strategic planning process was guided throughout by a Strategic Planning Sub-committee, which was made up of Board members, management and staff. We are grateful to this committee for their input and guidance. We would also like to acknowledged the work of Emma O'Riordan, who led the process (and who has recently moved on to join another organisation). The work of all the staff who took part in the various stages of the development of this plan is greatly valued and we are now moving towards the implementation phase of the Plan.
The design and printing of the plan is currently underway and it will be available on our website shortly.
The 4 Goals in the plan are as follows:
1. Building Vibrant Communities
2. Supporting Economic Inclusion
3. Strengthening leadership and building collaboration
4. Strengthening our organisation
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Staff Day Out at Larch Hill
Southside Partnership DLR staff enjoyed a wonderful day of planning and team building at Larch Hill in June 2019. The whole staff was engaged with the 'implementation phase' of the Strategic Plan 2019 to 2022. In the afternoon, staff enjoyed archery, gutterball and precision, all vital components of strategic planning!! See our Facebook page for more photos from the day.
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The DLR Age Well Expo took place at the Pavilion in Leopardstown Racecourse on Sunday, June 9th 2019 to celebrate and showcase services and products available to older people. Keynote speakers included: Christy Kenneally and Rosemary Smith and there were presentations by the DLRPPN and DLR Volunteer Centre. The dlr Age Well Expo provided an opportunity to connect, engage and hear about topics of interest, particularly around the subjects of participation, health and security.
Southside Partnership DLR made a huge contribution to this event including representation from: Healthy Food made Easy; Care 'n Repair including the Tús IT team; Healthy DLR; Living Well with Dementia and the DLR PPN. One of our collegues, Sean O'Kelly was a key volunteer at the event.
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The Southside Partnership Local Employment Service, in association with Dundrum Town Centre, held a Jobs Fair at The Town Centre on the 30th May 2019. The Fair was packed to the rafters with many job seekers queuing for the CV Clinic, which was at full capacity with the Job Club staff and all of the LES Guidance Officers. Excellent information was co-ordinated and provided by our Information officers too. Following the Fair, one employer reported that they had hired 6 cleaning and security staff and reviewed other CVs received for Customer Service roles. Another employer hired 2 new staff, with another reporting that they hired 5 staff. We also had a Job Club participant secure work from the event. Thanks to all staff in the Partnership who made this Jobs Fair a great success story.
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One of our board members, Fardus Sultan and Marese Hegarty from our Women's Team, took part in a workshop at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation on 20th May 2019. The workshop was one of a series organised by Nadette Foley and Louise Keating of Glencree. The aim of the series is to contribute to an inclusive and diverse Ireland based on collective experience and cross-cultural communication. It was attended by migrant women, women working with migrants and women from both communities in Northern Ireland, all of whom are active in development, some for decades. The theme was ‘Invitation’ – an examination of the importance and frequent lack of inclusion of women’s voices in decision making.
The workshop was included in a day of activities taking place during the visit of the President, Michael D. Higgins and First Lady Sabrina Higgins, both of whom are committed to equality and diversity, and HRH Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. All four dignitaries were spending a day together in Co Wicklow. Their visit to Glencree was a symbolic commitment to communication and friendship between Ireland and the UK, especially during this time of Brexit negotiations. The four visitors joined the women’s workshop at the end for feedback and discussion.. For some of the women, who had come here as refugees, it was truly significant to be listened to respectfully.
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ILDN Enterprise Award 2019
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Southside Partnership DLR’s client, local business owner Daniel Nugent of AMBR EYEWARE ambreyewear.com/ has won the Joint Runner-Up Award at the 2019 ILDN National Enterprise Awards, which took place in Tullamore on the 16th May 2019. There were 17 finalists competing for the awards. Businesses on the shortlist ranged from manufacturing to agriculture, fashion, food, online, beauty and health. Regina Doherty, Minister for Employment Affairs & Social Protection was in attendance, together with Paul Geraghty, Principal Officer at the Social Inclusion and Communities Unit of the Department of Rural & Community Development. Pictured below from left to right are: Cormac Shaw (SSP); Esther McGearty (SSP); Sacha Cahill (Ambr Eyewear) and Finn McGuirk (SSP).
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The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Local Community Development Committee (DLR LCDC) and The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Children and Young People’s Services Committee (DLR CYPSC) launched The Healthy Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Plan 2019-2022 on the 9th May 2019 in Marlay Park. The launch was held in conjunction with the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnership’s “Daily Mile” event which saw over 1,300 children from schools across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown come to Marlay Park to run or jog, at their own pace, with their classmates, making them fitter, healthier, and more able to concentrate in the classroom. Healthy Ireland, A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013-2025 is the national framework for action to improve the health and wellbeing of Ireland. The Healthy Ireland fund is provided to LCDC and CYPSC across Ireland to support the health and wellbeing needs of each county in Ireland. The development of this plan was led by the Healthy Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Steering Committee which includes cross-sectoral representation from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the Health Service Executive, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC), Southside Partnership DLR, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnership, University College Dublin and TUSLA Child & Family Agency.
The plan aims to support the county of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in becoming a healthier county by working to achieve its vision “where the Community of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is supported to access opportunities to achieve good physical health and positive mental health and wellbeing”
The Healthy Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown plan is available to view online at https://dlrcoco.ie/sites/default/files/atoms/files/healthy_dun_laoghaire-rathdown_plan_2019-2022.pdf.
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From left: Siobhan Fitzpatrick (HSE); Dr Jason Last (UCD); Brid O'Dwyer (Healthy DLR); Greg Straton (Healthy Ireland); Lorna Kerin (TUSLA); Dearbhla Lawson (DLR CoCo) and Cormac Shaw (Southside Partnership DLR).
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Southside Partnership DLR is currently finalising a Pre-Budget Submission to influence policy makers and ensure that economic inclusion and the building of vibrant communities is reflected in the Government's upcoming Budget. Key areas include:
- the extension of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance beyond the current two year limit;
- re-engage people onto Community Employment after a three month period;
- ensure that tendering for the LES contract has a focus on the most disadvantaged;
- reducing the inter-Tús qualification period from three years to one year, together with extending Tús contracts for those requiring further support;
- increase eligibility criteria and extension of Tús contracts for those aged 62 or over.
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Community Work Experience Fair
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The Partnership organised a Community Work Experience Fair on the 2nd July 2019 in Ballybrack.Our Tús Team Leaders, along with most of the CE Supervisors in DLR, were there to promote the 100+ positions that were available across the county. Those who attended were able to explore a wide range of work experience opportunities in the community and voluntary sector.
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Coolevin, Ballybrack Art Group
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We are delighted to support the Coolevin, Ballybrack Art Group with their upcoming Art Exhibition in the Pop up Shop, Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre, Monday, July 29th - Sunday, August 4th 10am - 6pm. Late evening opening every Thursday, 6pm - 7.30pm. Congratulations to all the artists on some very beautiful pieces! This Project is supported through the Southside Partnership SICAP programme.
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DLR Festival of Inclusion
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Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will host the Festival of Inclusion from Friday 4th to Saturday 12th of October 2019. The theme of this year’s Festival is “Celebrating the Generations”. Southside Partnership DLR is planning three events for inclusion as follows:- The Road to Self-employment for The Traveller Community; Why staff THRIVE over 55… and how employers can share in the rewards - Benefits of the mature employee and What is a Social Enterprise? We will be providing more details this Autumn.
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Our Holly House Community Resource Centre has recently organised lots of great activities for children in the community during our 3-week Summer Project in Holly House, Loughlinstown. Gymnastics, Dance, Toasted Marshmallows, Archery and boat trip on Dalkey island were only a few of the activities organised for the children and and teens. It's great to spend time with friends and to have some fun.
If you would like to see more pictures from the summer project, please click here to visit the Hollyhose facebook page.
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Launch of National Social Enterprise Policy
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''Today is a great day for social enterprise’' (Minister Michael Ring)
Southside Partnership DLR welcomes Ireland’s first National Social Enterprise Policy, which was launched by Michael Ring, T.D., Minister for Rural and Community Development. We look forward to continuing to build awareness of social enterprise in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, and supporting our new social entrepreneurs and existing social enterprises.
Click here to download the policy.
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Traveller Summer Celebration
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Southside Travellers Action Group (STAG) held their annual 'get together' in DLR this summer. There was music, dancing and fun enjoyed by all. This event was a great example of celebrating peace and togetherness among all cultures, in a fun and relaxed atmosphere suitable for all ages.
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New Traveller Employment Report Launched
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Recently a new report, 'What Next for Traveller Employment' has been published by the St Stephen's Green Trust: https://www.ssgt.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/TEGPreportwebsiteMay19.pdf
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