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Cavans Fleadhtastic Adventures!!!

Fleadhbulous times were had this summer with our final of three Fleadhs in a row for Cavan. Never before has the Fleadh been brought to such heights of success and brilliance as it has these last three years in Cavan. Events spilled out onto the streets of Cavan and beyond with cultural and historic tours reaching out to every corner of our beautiful county. The knock on effect of these events have brought over 1 million people and 100 million into our locality. We could never have succeeded without the local people of our county and the volunteer spirit of Cavan folk. The rich artistic talent, the musical flavours, kind hosting and great festival organisation of all who took part put Cavan truly on the map nationally and proved to the country and the world that this county is a place to visit and appreciate. Now, lets continue the pace we successfully set ourselves over the last 3 years and gather our energies to make Cavan a key Gathering place to be in 2013!!! Well done Cavan!

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Breffni Belles Ladies Activate Their Citizenship! From Wednesday 19th of September until Wednesday 24th of October Breffni Belles, Cavans Womens Group, will be providing women from all areas of life the opportunity learn how to activate their rights and stand up for them. This invaluable course will be run to deliver an empowering quality to its participants so they can actively seek their rights and stand up for them in todays society. Were looking forward to the great impacts these courses will have on our local communities through their participants. If you are interested in getting engaged in Breffni Belles, contact breffnibellescwn@gmail.com or check www.breffnibelles.ie
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Cavan Community Forum News

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Issue 31 September 2012

Welcome Note from Daniel! Cana House, A new space for our communities! Going Digital on your TVs!!

Community Roadshows Ahead!!!

Cavan Community Forum is to roll out a series of Community Roadshows supported by PEACE III. The aim of these local gatherings is to build stronger community links which will nurture local support for areas around the county.
WHY GET INVOLVED

for support and inspiration.

WHY PEACE?

The Virginia Show

Dun na Ri Sculptures Social Farming Fleadhtastic Times were had!!!

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Social Farming An Opportunity

BHP Insurance is an insurance broker that specializes in We promote Social Farming as a vi- community based insurance schemes. BHP have managed able option for achieving improved community insurance policies quality of life for people who use health and social services and for farm for many years now and aim to families, through enhancing social in- deliver: clusion and connecting farmers with Competitive premiums their communities Significant savings Social farming is about family farms Comprehensive leading www.socialfarmingacrossborders.org offering services that promote social market cover inclusion. The farm remains a working socialfarming@ldco.ie Excellent service. farm where people in need of support (071) 964 1772 Anyone wishing to receive a can benefit from participation in farm quotation for their community activities in a non-clinical environment. group should contact Mark Lee Social Farming Across Borders covers at mlee@bhpinsurance.ie or Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Derry, info@bhpinsurance,ie or phone on 1890 666111 Louth, Monaghan, Tyrone and Sligo.
Printed and published by Cavan Community Forum. Cana House, Farnham Street, Cavan.

For a Friendlier Society!

Our Elisha and Chef Neven Maguire catching up on some Forum News!

Cavan Community Forum has a new worker. Daniel Downey has been volunteering in County Cavan with the Forum for the past 2 years. A big welcome to him in his new role in The Cavan Community & Voluntary Forum!!!!

In post-boom Ireland, the main strengths of our country are coming to the fore; farming and community. In the case of community, there is a real richness to the quality and quantity of work being done in rural areas of Ireland. Getting involved in these roadshows not only highlights the great work of community groups but will also build links between people and groups to the benefit of all. In an era of less and less funding we have to look to ourselves

On an island with diverse communities identities and beliefs are the real building blocks of common and lasting peace between people, it lies in the issues at grass roots level. At government level treaties can be signed and funding granted but the real peace building takes years in the common work between us all, especially in counties on the border. So, links built now will have a lasting effect for peace at a local level and we also get to generate greater community spirit in the process. Its a great plan, so lets get involved!
HOW IT WORKS

roadshow there will be refreshments, light entertainment and some small information on the Forum and PEACE. Then the real work begins. We will facilitate so you can all have your say in a world caf style workshop, fleshing out the issues and harvesting them for general discussion afterwards. You never know, the solutions to your issue might come from your next door neighbour!
COMING TOGETHER
As in some previous events, we hope to make it interesting & fun!!

Its all about the local! Cavan Community Forum will be facilitating roadshows in YOUR locality, reaching out to as close to you as possible. When these are on in your area simply come along and bring you, your ideas, successes and issues for your community. We will be contacting local groups before each event. At the

So, if youre interesting in coming to such an event, if you want to celebrate the great things and solve the not so great things in YOUR community then contact us at the Community & Voluntary Forum at daniel.a.downey@gmail.com Cavan Travellers Newsletter Published Now Contact Bernard Joyce on 0879277481 for a copy

Cavan Community forum has a new chairperson. A warm welcome to Mr. Jerry fitzpatrick of Gowna to the position. Jerrys work with the forum and his locality has been enormous. We look forward to a great year with him!

Breifni Belles works to bring Cavan ladies to the table. See back page!

Cana House, Your New Community Space

Cavan Community & Voluntary Forum have moved offices and are now located in Cana House, behind Saint Felims School on Farnham Road in Cavan. Our new offices are always open to anyone and we intend it to be an active and open community information point for individuals hoping to learn whats on in their local area or groups hoping to share what they are planning and doing. Cana House is also housing facilities to help community groups get the word out on their activities through Cavan Community Radio with regular meetings here each week. Added to this is the Digital Switchover Champion, Elisha McCaffrey, helping to ensure we make the switch before Oct 24th (see below for more details). So, if you want to find information on community activity, funding opportunities, getting word out on your community and more then call in to Cana or contact us on: daniel.a.downey@gmail.com or 0863512308

Include Yourselves in Social Inclusion!

Community and Voluntary Groups are invited to take part in this years Social Inclusion Week, taking place from 2227 October. The aim of the week is to raise awareness of poverty and exclusion, to highlight examples of good practice and show how people can get involved in addressing these issues. Last year, there were 45 separate activities for the week, ranging from sports inclusion events, exhibitions, information sessions, poster campaigns, multicultural work, arts events, estate awards, training and information sessions. The theme for this years Social Inclusion Week is the same as for the EU Year 2012 Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations, so activities that have a positive ageing or intergenerational theme are particularly appropriate, although a broad range of ideas will be considered. If you would like to run an event during the week or get involved in some other way, please contact Emer in the Social Inclusion Unit so that your activity can be listed in the programme. Contact (049) 437 8581 siu@cavancoco.ie

ISSUE 31

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If you go down to the woods today...

Cavan Community Forum in collaboration with Cavan Arts, Kingscourt Forum and Chamber of Commerce were proud to launch Joey Burns new sculpture collection in Dun na Ri forest Park. Joey had worked tirelessly for months on the spectacular pieces and the deployment of them in the park in Kingscourt was the cause of quite a stir last month. the imagination and interest of all generations. Joey reflected on the pieces becoming the foundation of a local mythology to the park he was proud to have been able to bring them to somewhere he knows and loves so much.

apparitions of British garrisoned uniforms, floating in the air above as a reminder of possible ghosts and to build a legend of warning to children not to enter the dangerous and derelict ruin. The pieces each told a story and on the day Joey delved into these stories in detail for us. It is with great thanks that we now have these pieces to appreciate in the Dun na Ri forest park. The opening of the guided tour of the new attractions was facilitated by Cavan Community Forums Chairman, Jerry Fitzpatrick, and it drew a huge crowd of appreciators of Joeys wonderful pieces. Standing to attention atop ruined walls of a derelict building in the forest were the Red Ghosts,

Its time to get switched & go digital!

working properly. Key activists are located in diverse groups around the county including: Cavan Community Forum, Breffni Integrated, Cavan Area Rural Transport, ICA, MACRA, Irish Farmers Association, Cavans Access Association, Social Inclusion Unit, O50 Cavan, Cavan Travellers Network, Rural Enablers, Community Resilience Cavan and the Cavan Garda Community Liaison Officer. If you have contact with any of these you have a contact point to get the info to anyone you might know at risk of being left behind. Its happening soon folks and its only our comGet Your Keys to Activate Your munity groups who can help to bring Switchover! everyone in their locality on board. Reaching the information is easy, collecting it is more difficult but we Contact Elisha on 0871727435 or need to know if everyone is making Elisha@cavancommunity.ie for the right steps to ensure your TV is more information! The time is soon approaching to make the switch and move to digital TV. With the aid of 20 key activists Cavan Community Forums Elisha McCaffrey is bringing the know-how to your communities as part of the reach out and switch over national campaign. Through community links the campaign hopes to inform those most at risk of not hearing about the Switchover and making sure no ones Television set goes blank this October. Page 2

A Small Note From Your New Worker, Daniel

I just wanted to say thank you for the fantastic opportunity to support Cavan Community Forum. I have been a member of the Forum for 2 years now and I aim to help the great projects that come from the many groups that make it a voice for community in the county of Cavan. In a time of recession, its a blessing to get a job, but its a miracle to get a job in an area you love, giving back to your home county. I look forward to working with you all and helping Cavan Community Forum and your community groups to flourish and grow! Thank you!
C A V A N C O M M U NI T Y F O R U M N E W S

Among the pieces put in place were a giant hare which caught

Virginia Show Shows Sheer Brilliance!

On August 22nd the Virginia Show took place and what a show it was! Cavan Community Forum was invited to host a Community Road Show on the day to celebrate the activities of volunteers and community activists across the county. Building on the success of previous years partnership with the Virginia Show we saw our communities come out in force with photos, products, demonstrations and members to chat with. It was a fantastic advertisement and celebration of the rich work in our community! Special thanks to the following groups: Cavan Community Radio, Community Resilience Cavan, Cavan Traveller Movement, Breffni Belles, East Cavan PTAA (Pioneers), Angels Family Support, Cavan Anglers, IADA, Drumlane Gardens, Fairgreen Gardens, Tullacmongan Womens Group, Gowna Housing Association, Macra na Feirma, Irish Wildlife Trust, Rural Enablers and especially to O50, winners of the Ann Tully Trophy for best community group this year! A great thanks goes out to our very own Kathleen Duffy, the Virginia Show member of the Cavan Community Forum

for helping to make it happen and for all the volunteers and activists who showed up to show off their great work. Also it would be nothing without the people who attended and a huge thanks to them for coming along to see what the Cavan Community Forums affiliated members had to offer from and for the community.