VOLUNTARY & COMMUNITY CAPACITY

A POLITICS DIVIDED
PROXIMITY TO SETRVICES

RURAL CRIME

CAVAN COMMUNITY FORUM PEACE III KINGSCOURT

ISSUES
THE LOCAL ECONOMY

LOCAL AMENITIES

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

SOLUTIONS

THE AREA OF KINGSCOURT IS BEAUTIFUL & PROMISING. IF LOCAL LEADERSHIP COULD FIND COMMON GROUND TO WORK TOGETHER IT MIGHT RAISE THE AREA EVEN MORE! IT WAS FELT THAT EVENTS & PROJECTS SHOULD NEVER BECOME SEGREGATED INTO CAMPS OF ALLEGIANCE.

PROJECTS OF COMMON INTEREST SHOULD BE DRIVEN AT LOCAL LEVEL TO PROVIDE PLATFORMS FOR PARTNERSHIP AND THIS WILL AID IN DISSOLVING INDIVIDUAL GRIEVANCES OR MISUNDERSTANDINGS.

THE ELEPHANT IN KINGSCOURT ROOM! LOCAL POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IS RIVEN BETWEEN 2 CAMPS IN THE AREA & THIS AFFECTS THE OVERALL COMMUNITY AT TIMES.

FUTURE POLITICS PARTICAPANTS LOOK TO A FUTURE IN KINGSCOURT WHERE LOCAL LEADERSHIP CAN WORK IN PARTNERSHIP FOR THE LOCALITY.

A POLITICS DIVIDED

DEVELOP KINGSCOURT AS A HUB OF SERVICES IN THE EAST OF CAVAN TO CATER FOR THOSE FALLING OUT OF THE SPECTRUM FOR SERVICES IN THE AREA.

SOLUTIONS

DEVISE NEW STRATEGIES TO COMPENSATE FOR CUTTING SERVICES E.G. SKYPE DOCTOR FROM COMMUNITY HALLS OR CAR SHARE SCHEMES OR VISITING COMMUNITY WELFARE OFFICERS

SEEK ALTERNATIVE TRAINERS FOR THE LOCAL AREA SUCH AS CRAOL OR GREENWORKS WHO WILL TRAIN TRAINERS TO DELIVER CERTIFIED TRAINING FOR LOCAL PARTICIPANTS.

AS EAST AS CAVAN GETS DISTANCE FROM CAVAN MAKES SOME SERVICES IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCESS, E.G. DOCTOR ON CALL & SOCIAL WELFARE ARE A FAR JOURNEY TO MAKE FOR PEOPLE IN THE AREA

DECENTRALIZE SOME OF THE TRAINING IN CAVAN TOWN TO OTHER TOWNS TO DEPLOY A WIDER NET OF SUPPORT FOR UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE.

PROXIMITY TO SERVICES

A CENTRALIZED POLICY TRAINING SERVICES ARE ALL LOCATED IN CENTRAL AREAS, THIS POLICY OF CENTRALIZING IS UNFAIR IN A PREDOMINANTLY RURAL COUNTY SUCH AS CAVAN

SOLUTIONS

THE HALL WONDERFUL AS IT IS, THE COMMUNITY HALL LACKS IN USE AND THE POTENTIAL THERE IS NOT TAPPED INTO AS MUCH AS IT COULD.

GIVE OVER THE COMMUNITY HALL TO ALTERNATIVE USES AND PROMOTE IT AS A REGIONAL AND NOT JUST LOCAL PLACE FOR EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES.

THE GROUNDS AROUND THE HALL ARE FULL OF POTENTIAL AND SHOULD BE DEVELOPED. POSSIBLY A COMMUNITY GARDEN OR ALLOTMENTS AREA WOULD FIT NICELY HERE.

LOCAL AMENITIES
TOURIST FACILITIES KINGSCOURT IS THE KING OF TOURISM IN THE EASTERN HALF OF CAVAN BUT WITHIN THE TOWN MORE COULD BE DONE TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE LOCALITY.

SIGNAGE AND LEAFLETS PROMOTING KINGSCOURT AS A DESTINATION, NOT A STOPOVER SHOULD BE DEVELOPED. BEGIN MARKETING THE TOWN IN SOME WAY & SETTING UP POINTS OF INTEREST ON THE MAIN STREET, PERHAPS HISTORICAL ELEMENTS.

LOCAL ECONOMY

UNEMPLOYMENT AS EVERYWHERE, THERE IS A GROWING NUMBER GROWTH IN A TOWN WITH AS OF UNEMPLOYED. WHAT CAN BE DONE MANY PEOPLE, TO KEEP THEM RESOURCES, ACTIVE & ENGAGED SKILLS & BEAUTIFUL PLACES WHILE ON THE LIVE REGISTER? WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIND ALTERNATIVE GROWTH PATHS FOR THE AREA TO SUSTAIN ITSELF?

ESTABLISHING AMENITIES OF ENGAGEMENT SUCH AS COMMUNITY GARDENS & DAYTIME ACTIVITIES CAN HELP THOSE WHO FIND THEMSELVES UNEMPLOYED WITH SOME SUPPORT & HELP.

POP UP SHOPS ON MAIN STREET WILL HELP TO GIVE ENTERPRISING PEOPLE A CHANCE WHILE MAINTAINING A BUSY & SUCCESFUL LOOK TO THE TOWN.

HR & MARKETING SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINEESES SHOULD BE PROMOTED TO HELP PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO SELL THEMSELVES & SUPORT A PROACTIVE & RESILIENT LOCAL ECONOMY! FUNDING SCHEMES SHOULD BE DEVELOPED TO HELP THE ABOVE.

SKILLS-SHARE & TIME BANKING PROJECTS WOULD BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO BUILD AN ALTERNATIVE ECONOMY LOCAL PEOPLE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO AND BE A PART OF. THIS WOULD BRING ABOUT GREATER LOCAL MORALE & WORK INCLUSIVELY TO SUPPORT THOSE AT RISK OF BEING LEFT OUT.

SOLUTIONS

VEHICLES FOR COMMUNITY VOICE SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED AND SUPPORTED FULLY BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THESE WOULD INCLUDE COUNTYWIDE NETWORKS AND CAVAN COMMUNITY FORUM.

CUTS TO ALL COMMUNITY BASED GROUPS SHOULD HAVE JUSTIFICATIONS ATTACHED AND ONLY AFTER OTHER SPENDING CUTS EXAMINED. WHERE THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, PAYMENTS IN MATERIAL ETC SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OF CAPITAL.

BACKBONES OF IRELAND COMMUNITY & AGRICULTURE WERE FELT ARE THE BACKBONES OF IRISH SOCIETY. CUTS INFLICTED HAVE SHOWN AN UNHEALTHY LACK OF RESPECT FOR BOTH.

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL & COMMUNITY ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP & OFTEN DO BUT COMMUNITY IS ALWAYS VIEWED AS THE JUNIOR OR SUBORDINATE PARTNER.

TOKEN COSULTATION MUST END IN FAVOUR OF ACTIVE COLLABORATION BETWEEN COMMUNITY GROUPS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES. BOARDS OF FUNDING BODIES SHOULD EMPOWER THEIR COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES & COMMUNITY MATCH FUNDING FOR B.I.L. BROUGHT FROM 25% TO 10% AS IT IS FOR BUSINESS FUNDING!

SOLUTIONS

INSTALLATION OF ON THE BEAT GARDAI IS ESSENTIAL AS A VISUAL DETERRENT TO CRIME. THE RECENT LOSS OF THE GARDA PATROL CAR IN THE AREA INVITES CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. PROVIDE MORE FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY BASED SECURITY SYSTEMS SUCH AS TEXT ALERTS, CCTV AND NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH BUT DONT SIMPLY EXPECT COMMUNITY TO DO CRIME PREVENTION FOR FREE.

RISING INCIDENTS & LESS SERVICES EAST CAVAN HAS SEEN AN EPIDEMIC RISE OF CRIME IN THE RECESSION AND AN EQUALLY HIGH % OF CUTS TO GARDAI SERVICES. HOW CAN LOCAL COMMUNITIES COPE?.

PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE CRIME PREVENTION IS ESSENTIAL. LAUNCH AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, PARTICULARLY TO ELDERLY IN ISOLATED AREAS.

RURAL CRIME

WHERE THERE ARE GARDAI, FREE THEM UP FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF PAPERWORK THEY HAVE TO DO! LOBBY GARDA STATIONS TO PROVIDE REGULAR DRIVE ABOUTS IN AREAS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, NO MATTER THE DISTANCE THAT MUST BE COVERED. THE LACK OF VISUAL PRESENCE IS CREATING FEAR FOR LOCALS & CONFIDENCE FOR CRIMINALS!

SOLUTIONS

USE DUN NA RI AS A BASIS FOR GROWING LOCAL YOUNGER INTEREST. DEVELOP AN ACTIVE SCOUTING OR SUSTAINABILITY GROUP IN THE AREA TO BRING YOUTH & OUTDOORS TOGETHER. EXAMINE MEDIA PROGRAMS YOUTH LIKE (X-FACTOR ETC.) AND REPLICATE THEM ON A LOCAL LEVEL USING LOCAL TALENT. GREATER SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY GROUPS IS ESSENTIAL. THIS IS PIVOTAL TO ENGAGING YOUNGER PEOPLE NOW.

LIFT COMMUNITY SPIRIT THROUGH SOME KIND OF COUNTY BRANDING OR CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY. A COMPETITION OF ACTIVITIES BETWEEN COMMUNITY GROUPS MIGHT RAISE PEOPLES AWARENESS & INTEREST IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTIVITY. LOCAL MEDIA SEEM TO SHUN LOCAL EVENTS. MANY FIND IT VERY HARD TO ACCESS NORTHERN SOUND & ANGLO CELT. ALTERNATIVE COUNTYWIDE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER OR RADIO?

SOLUTIONS

YOUNGER ENGAGEMENT YOUNGER PEOPLE SEEM NOT TO BE ENGAGING WELL IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITY. WHAT STRATEGIES MIGHT WE USE IN THE LOCAL AREA TO PROMOTE YOUNGER INVOLVEMENT?

WEAKENED COMMUNITY SPIRIT THE CELTIC TIGER BROUGHT INCREASED MONEY & DECREASED COMMUNITY SPIRIT & LEFT US EVENTUALLY WITH NIETHER!

VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY CAPACITIES