Community Information Day Thursday 23rd March - Manorhamilton

Leitrim PPN, Leitrim Development Company, Leitrim County Council, An Garda Síochána & Muintir na Tire have organised a Community Information Event on Thursday 23rd March from 11.00am to 2.00pm at The Bee Park Resource Centre, Manorhamilton.

This is a FREE Community Event and a wonderful opportunity for the public to come and learn about the resources and supports available in North Leitrim. The event will provide you with a chance to meet and talk to representatives from Leitrim County Council and An Garda Siochana, along with a vast selection of local health, educational, social and support organisations too.

Free blood pressure and blood glucose health Screening will be available and live talks will be delivered by An Garda Síochána, Muintir Na Tíre, Animal Welfare and the HSE. Light refreshments will be served, and everyone will receive a goodie bag worth over €30! 

The overall aim of the event is to connect people to their community and to enable people to take the steps needed to live well, safely, and independently in their own homes. The focus of this event is aimed at all members of the community over 55 years of age in particular, but everyone is welcome.

A similar event will be run in the South of the county later in the year.

Don’t miss out on this community information day for invaluable information, networking, advice, and free health screening on Thurs 23rd March in the Bee Park, Manorhamilton.

Completing Funding Applications Training Held

Lovely to have this group of 17 participants on board on 8th March for "Completing Funding Applications" course facilitated by Office & Training Solutions provided by Leitrim PPN free to member groups.

First Aid Training

On Wed 15th Leitrim PPN provided a free First Aid training course to 12 participants in Drumshanbo. Next First Aid will be on 4th Sept in Manorhamilton and 5th Sept in Drumshanbo.

Upcoming FREE Training for Member Groups

• Building an Effective Marketing Strategy
  4th April 7-9pm, online.
• Canva 18th & 19th April 11am-12 noon, online.
  
• Voluntary Committee Skills/Roles & Responsibilities
  18th April 10am-1pm, online.

Love Where You Live Competition Now Open

Leitrim's Love Where You Live 2023 competition is open!

It recognises the huge effort made in our communities in making Leitrim a great place to live, work and visit. Closing date for entries is Monday 24th April. Leitrim County Council sponsors the Cleaner & Greener/Tidy Towns, Housing Estates, Heritage and Primary Schools awards, while Leitrim PPN sponsors the Social Inclusion and Community Resilience awards. 

 A ‘Flipping Great Idea’

Members of the WoMeN’s (Western Midlands and Northern) Regional Caucus marked International Women’s Day on Wednesday, March 8th with a ‘flipping great idea’; for one day only there was a complete reversal of the gender balance in a number of county council chambers throughout the West, Midlands and Northern region.

Leitrim PPN took part with many other organisations at Leitrim County Council chamber.

The novel idea of a ‘gender reversal’ of the council chambers is just one of many ambitious projects that the 42 female county councillors who make up the WoMeN’s Regional Caucus will action this year as part of their programme of work for 2023.

Specific agendas differed between Local Authorities with a range of topics and guest speakers on the day.   

€22.1 million Glas Payments for 36,000 Farmers

The payments which will commence from Friday 10th March will issue to 84% of GLAS participants.

Payments will continue to issue in outstanding cases on a regular basis. The Minister encouraged any farmers with queries in relation to GLAS to direct them by email to GLAS@agriculture.gov.ie.

Private Well Grant

Did you know the Government gives grants of up to €3,000 for improvement works to an existing well and up to €5,000 for a new well?

To apply, contact your council's Rural Water Section.

€20,000 Grant for electrification of small public service vehicles (SPSV)

The eSPSV Grant Scheme for taxis, hackneys and limousines has been renewed for 2023, offering continued cost savings to SPSV owners who switch to electric vehicles.

Be part of Ireland’s National Climate Delegation

Department of Environment, Climate and Communications together with National Youth Council of Ireland, are delighted to announce a call for applications for one young person from Ireland aged between 18-25 years to be part of Ireland’s National Climate Delegation in 2023 to 2024. The role is intended to run from March 2023 to August/September 2024 and will involve attending international climate change negotiations.  #COP28

Minister Joe O’Brien announces expansion of the Empowering Communities Programme

The programme aims to empower local communities to craft their own response to area based poverty, social exclusion and the resulting consequences, with the support of the relevant Local Community Development Committee (LCDC).

Leitrim County Council develops new funding programme to support community festivals in the county

Closing Date: Midnight, Thursday 30th March 2023

Leitrim County Council provides direct investment to organisations in Leitrim that produce unique, high-quality festivals that engage with the fabric of the county, providing valuable opportunities for residents and visitors alike to come together, to celebrate and to explore new experiences.

The purpose of the community festival strand is to support the development of festivals that encourage a strong sense of community spirit, that make significant efforts to be inclusive in the organising of the festival, and engagement of the wider community for the events held.

Leitrim Sports Partnership Bike Week Grant Application Now Open

Leitrim County Council in partnership with Leitrim Sports partnership are delighted to announce that they have secured funding of €12,000 for National Bike week 2023. Bike week is a celebration and promotion of the benefits of cycling and opportunity for people of all ages to get back on the bike for recreation or just for the sheer joy and fun of it. This year’s National Bike Week events will take place from Sunday 13th  – Sunday 21st  May 2023.

Leitrim Sports Partnership are now inviting all schools, community groups, sports clubs, active age groups, childcare service providers and organisations who may be interested in hosting an event during National Bike Week 2023 to apply and submit a grant application.

For more information, please contact Leitrim Sports Partnership, 071 9650498, 

email: sports@leitrimcoco.ie.

Disability Participation and Awareness Fund Inviting Applications

A new €3m Disability Participation and Awareness Fund has been announced by Rethink Ireland in partnership with the Department of Children, Equality, Disa-bility, Integration and Youth, which aims to enhance the lives of people with disa-

bilities. Rethink Ireland is making an open call for applications to innovative non-profit organisations working to support people with disabilities in communities across Ireland including charities, community groups and social enterprises.

Applications for the 2023 Disability Participation and Awareness Fund will be open until 31 March.

The Fit For Life Awards

Every year, the Fit for Life Foundation awards grants of EUR 100,000 each to 3 non-profit organizations or social

enterprises that are pioneering projects to promote life-long fitness, mobility, and health in aging societies

around the world.

Fresh Funding Call for Groups that Support Disadvantaged

Funding of €1 million will be available for this new call in 2023 which will provide new organisations with an opportunity to access support to employ additional staff in line with the programme’s re-defined sub-programmes and new vision, which were approved in 2022.

National Lottery Good Causes Awards

We want to celebrate your inspiring work that you do within your community.

The National Lottery are seeking entries to this year’s Good Causes Awards. The competition will culminate with a National Final awards ceremony which will take place in October 2023.

Closing date for applications is Friday 31st March.

Local Enterprise

Did you know the Green for Micro Programme is open to ALL businesses operating for at least 6 months with an annual turnover of €30,000?

AIC Scheme Mentoring Award - closing date 8th May 2023

Create invites expressions of interest from collaborative socially engaged artists, or artists interested in/transitioning into collaborative socially engaged arts, who wish to avail of a focused period of mentorship to develop and consolidate their practice. The closing date for Expressions of Interest is 5pm, Monday 8th May 2023.

The Mentoring Award is funded through the Artist in the Community Scheme (AIC), managed by Create on a devolved basis for The Arts Council. 
There will be an information session happening online, on Wednesday 5th April. Here you will learn more about the Mentoring Award, and an Artist mentor will join the session and explore some of the principles of collaborative socially engaged arts practice. We strongly advise potential applicants to attend this session. 

Community Services Programme

Applications are currently open for the Community Services Programme. The programme benefits groups providing services and creating employment for the disadvantaged. An online information session will take place on Tuesday, 21 March. 

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is accepting applications for its Human Rights and Equality Grant Scheme 2023-24. 

Grant Scheme Information Sessions

The Commission is running a number of information sessions, on the Zoom Platform, to provide details about the Grants Scheme to civil society organisations and trade unions working to advance equality and human rights who are interested in applying.

Register for the information session by emailing RSVP@ihrec.ie with the date of the session you would like to attend in the subject line:

11am-12.00pm, Friday 24 March 2023 (ISL Interpretation)

14.00-15.00pm, Tuesday 28 March 28 2023

11am-12.00pm, Wednesday, 29 March 2023

Please let IHREC know when you register if you are happy to be contacted for other events.

Closing date for applications is strictly 3pm, Wednesday,

26 April 2023.

This year the Commission is supporting projects under the following strands:

Strand A: Advancing Access to Justice and Rights

Strand B: Promoting the Eradication of Ableism, Ageism,
Racism, Sexism, Homophobia and Transphobia.

Applications can be made for small grants of up to €6,000 and general grants of up to €20,000.

Activities Supported

Activities eligible for grant support include:

• Training and capacity building
• Education and training resources
• Research, legal and policy analysis
• Conferences, seminars, and workshops
• Creative and participatory engagement initiatives
• Campaigns and digital resources

Open Government National Action Plan

A Public Consultation is now open on the Open Government National Action Plan 2023-2025 

This consultation will remain open until 6th April.

Developing tourism in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands – in the area of Cavan, Leitrim and North Roscommon

Following on from the successful community consultation workshops held over the course of the last month or so, Fáilte Ireland are hosting a further series of Drop In sessions before Easter 2023 at six different venues across Cavan, Leitrim and North Roscommon.

These provide another opportunity to meet personnel from the Destination Development team, and on a one to one basis. Once again, interested individuals, community groups, businesses, and local organisations are invited to find out more about the Destination and Experience Plan process and/or to share their information about tourism projects and ideas that they are involved in or are considering over the coming years.

There is no need to register and everyone is welcome.
Leitrim: Tuesday April 4th
Leitrim Council Offices, Carrick on Shannon 10.30am-12.30pm
Rainbow Ballroom, Glenfarne                      2.30pm-4.30pm 

Survey

If you are not able to go to any of the above Tourism Consultations in the Community events, Fáilte Ireland have designed an online survey to collect your views which will be incorporated into follow up discussions to ensure all relevant ideas and projects are captured as they start to develop the DEDP and its contribution to the development of Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. 

Fundamentals of Volunteer Engagement

Fundamentals of Volunteer Engagement is a 2-module online course designed to meet the needs of volunteer managers in a changing world.

This two-module course is for those who are new to the topic of volunteer management and leadership or who wish to improve their skillset. This two-module course takes place on a variety of day and times until the end of the year. The sessions are delivered by trainers from the Volunteer Centre Network and Volunteer Ireland. You will need to attend both modules and in the two sessions you’ll explore the following topics:

• Planning for Volunteer Involvement
• Changes in Volunteering
• Diversity and Inclusion in Volunteering
• Volunteer Motivations
• Volunteer and Organisation Expectations
• Barriers to Volunteering
• Volunteer Engagement
• Screening and Selection
• Day to Day Engagement of Volunteers

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

Be clear about how volunteering fits into your context and the opportunity it provides.

Understand the importance of volunteers and be able to communicate this to volunteers and other stakeholders.

Understand that volunteering is a two-way process with gains for all involved.

Join us online for a bite-sized training session at a time to suit you.

Bring your sambo and a cuppa and join Volunteer Ireland and the Volunteer Centre network for these hour long, interactive, lunchtime sessions designed to give you a fundamental understanding of some important volunteer engagement topics.

 

Volunteer Policy - The Fundamentals designed to help demystify the idea of a volunteer policy for your organisation.

Join other volunteer managers to discuss the basics concerning:

• Why you should consider a volunteer policy for your volunteer involving organisation.
• What benefits it could bring you and your volunteers.
• How you might think about designing it.

Supporting Volunteers -
The Essentials

Join your fellow volunteer managers to discuss the basics of Volunteer Support such as:

• The importance of supporting our volunteers
• The four principles of volunteer support
• The difference between Support and Supervision
• Different ways of supporting our volunteers

Farming Webinar

The National Rural Network, in collaboration with the Teagasc ConnectEd, Dairy Sustainability Ireland, and Food Drink Ireland Skillnet, are holding an upcoming Signpost Webinar Series, which looks at the science and advice underpinning Farm Sustainability in Ireland.

This webinar takes place on Friday, March 24th, from 9.30 am to 10.30 am.

Key features

The webinar is free to join; all you need is to register and have internet access from your pc, laptop, tablet, or phone (download Zoom free app).

Speaker: Prof. Frank O’Mara, Director, Teagasc

Have your questions answered.

Access to leading experts in the field of farm sustainability.

All sessions will be recorded and published on the National Rural Network YouTube channel.

The Future of Social Innovation 

What is the Future of Social Innovation in Ireland? What challenges are we facing? How can we innovate further? Join the discussion.

Broadband Connection Point Development Strategy

Message below from Etain Hobson, Regional Development & Innovation Unit, Department of Rural and Community Development:

We are currently in the process of drafting a Broadband Connection Point Development Strategy. As part of this process we are hosting workshops across the country to gather the views of those involved with the Broadband Connection Points. We would like to invite you to attend a workshop in The Sligo Southern Hotel on Tuesday March 21st. The event will take place from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.  

RSVPs can be sent to rdi@drcd.gov.ie.

The purpose of the meeting is to find out from those most closely involved what is working well in the BCPs, what can be improved and what the future could look like. We want to hear the ideas BCPs have for how best to serve their communities, and what barriers may be in the way of these ideas being achieved.

 We will hear from some of the organisations that have run successful programmes in the BCPs in the past which will hopefully inspire a lively conversation about what is possible in the future. The goal of the BCP programme has always been to serve the community and we know that every community in rural Ireland is unique and will utilise their BCPs in different ways, we hope these workshops will help inform us in DRCD how best we can support those differences and enable each BCP to become even more of an important community asset than they already are.

Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland

Making the decision to donate organs is the most important gift we can ever give.

Make sure friends and family are aware of your wishes on organ donation and take the key steps towards saving lives.

Registration Now Open

Why not join us this Easter for some fantastic walks around the Leitrim countryside? It will be great to see familiar faces and new faces alike.

'Hello, How Are You? Day'

Mental Health Ireland are very excited to be celebrating their second annual 'Hello, How Are You? Day' on March 30th !

It's not always easy to find the right words when someone needs to talk. Don't underestimate the power of asking 'How Are You?' and really listening #HelloHowAreYou