Local and Community Development Programme

The Local & Community Development Programme (LCDP) was established in January 2010, and allowed for the integration of the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) and the Community Development Programme (CDP).

The LCDP aims “to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government and its agencies and people in disadvantaged communities”. In other words, it is designed to help people who experience poverty and social exclusion to develop the skills, confidence and contacts necessary to create change in their own lives and communities.

The LCDP has four goals, and CWP operates a number of actions within these goals.

GOAL 1: Promote awareness, knowledge and uptake of a wide range of statutory, voluntary and community services

Community Information: In 2010 CWP worked towards meeting this need by:

* Continuing to be involved in the management and overseeing of the County Wicklow Community Directory website

* Running 2 Information Days focusing on options for the unemployed.

* Facilitating Baltinglass Active Retirement Group to develop an Information Event aimed at providing people with information on and contact details for vital services including gardai, fire service, medical centres, etc.

* Supporting Wicklow Area Community Network to increase membership to 40 groups by the end of the year, and to promote the various services and informing both network members and the public of the services available.

* Running Arklow Youth Space to provide information (and referral when required) on a wide range of services in the areas of health, education, employment, addiction and recreation.

GOAL 2: Increase access to formal and informal educational, recreational and cultural activities and resources

1. Arklow Youth Centre: Work to develop the Arklow Youth Centre in order to provide a range of educational, recreational and cultural activities.

2. Youth work & Peer Mentoring: Peer mentoring is a training programme developed by CWP which was designed to develop leadership skills among young people, and to combat anti-social behaviour. It provides youth with the skills and confidence to lead their peers into making good life choices, and representing themselves in a positive way. It also promotes participation in community life and engagement in policy and decision making in their schools, communities and even families. Other youth work involves running various activities such as summer camps, band nights, social networking workshops and individual programmes initiated on a needs basis.

3. PX 2 Course: Provide PX2 (personal development) training to disadvantaged young people with the option of completing FETAC Level 3 or 4 in Personal Effectiveness.

4. English Language Training: CWP collaborates with the VEC, Wicklow Multicultural Group and Glenealy IT Centre to provide English language classes in a range of formats suitable for varying levels of capacity, and to run the classes in appropriate settings. It also offers the “Failte Isteach” informal language training in Arklow and Wicklow towns.

5. Positive Parenting Training: CWP Facilitators provide Parenting Courses and workshops to parents of teenagers (13-18 yrs) at risk.

7. County Wicklow Volunteer Centre: CWP provides funding to County Wicklow Volunteer Centre, and also sits on the CWVC board.

8. Women’s Groups: Advise and support a number of Women’s Groups to run a range of activities.

9. Residents Groups: Advise and support residents groups to identify issues, apply for funding, and lobby for services. Provide training in committee skills and other required competencies.

10. Intercultural Groups: Support a range of activities to be run by and for Intercultural/Multicultural Groups

Enjoying a workshop

GOAL 3: Increase in people’s work readiness and employment prospects

1. Employment Support Service: Given the steep rise in unemployment during last year and into this year, people all over the county require support to cope with unemployment. The Employment Support Service supports people who are unemployed; the service works with individuals to assess their existing status in relation to employment, education, social networks etc, followed by referral to appropriate services (eg VEC, FAS), linkage to other community/voluntary services, and practical skills in CV prep, job seeking, interview skills, etc.

2. STEPs programme: The STEPS Course is designed to provide participants with a high level of skills in personal goal-setting, decision making, preparation for seeking work and/or entering/re-entering education or setting up a business. It is accredited at FETAC Level 4.

3. Enterprise Support Service: CWP works collaboratively with three Social Welfare Jobs Facilitators (North, West and South County Wicklow) who refer their Back to Work Enterprise Allowance clients to CWP for assistance with completion of the Back to Work Business Plan. The one-to-one service also supports individuals to think through enterprise ideas, identify feasible ideas and follow them up.

4. Start Your Own Business Courses: CWP runs courses on Starting Your Own Business and Bookkeeping and Taxation for new businesses. The courses concentrate on delivering key skills and business mentoring to clients who have accessed the one-to-one service, and who are likely to establish mocro-enterprises.

5. Youth Employment Development: During 2009 CWP found large numbers of young people were becoming unemployed, having in many cases left school early to work in the construction industry. With the crash in the economy, these jobs have been lost. CWP works with youth with a low skills base to develop a new focus, gain new skills and develop a career path.

GOAL 4: Promote engagement with policy, practice, and decision making processes on matters affecting local communities

1. Collaborative Working/Committee Membership: CWP is directly represented by staff and/or board members on the County Development Board, SIM committee, Arklow Domestic Violence Group, Arklow Social Inclusion Network, School Completion Programme (Wicklow,Rathnew, Ashford & Newtownmountkennedy, and Arklow, Rathdrum & Dunlavin), Wicklow Local Education Committee, County Wicklow Network for Older People, Comhairle na nOg and local community fora such as Wicklow Community Platform, Anti-Racism & Diversity Strategy working group. This representation is designed to capture the needs and issues of the various target groups with which the Partnership interacts and bring them directly to the policy makers.

Participants at ARDS workshop

2. “Copping on”: This programme is designed to support and enable young people likely to become or already engaged in anti-social behaviour to change course and make good life choices. CWP works with the Gardai and the Probation Service to identify participants and deliver the training.

3. Community leadership & committee skills: CWPprovides training in committee skills to various local community groups; as part of this training, groups will benefit from a module on community leadership.

Work sheet from Committee Skills training in Wicklow Town.

Croi Rath Naoi