Birr & South Offaly Community Development Initiative

In 2001, an informal multi-agency group began working in partnership to identify options for addressing the lack of local development infrastructure in the South Offaly area. With funding secured from FÁS, West Offaly Partnership succeeded in putting in place pre-development initiative in the Birr/South Offaly area, which focused on undertaking and supporting a local development process and subsequent community-led actions in the Birr/South Offaly area.

The core of this initiative has been to ensure that South Offaly develops in line with other parts of the county and region, encouraging a vibrant social and cultural life, economic climate and good environmental quality. This will provide the basis for improved self-esteem and a high quality of life for all its residents. Significant support in the form of capacity building and facilitation is crucial to ensuring the future sustainability of this initiative through a number of core actions including:

- The ongoing development and enhancement of appropriate community structures, projects, and/or facilities, throughout South Offaly, meeting the needs of each community as identified through their Local Action Plan;

- Working with communities to capitalise on funding opportunities in the pursuit of developing their local area and/or support of target groups therein;

- Engaging with other agencies in pursuit of a coordinated inter-agency approach to local development within the area in order to make best use of resources for the benefit of all involved;

- Supporting actions that promote a pride of place and sense of ownership and belonging;

- Facilitating the continued expansion of South Offaly Area Forum which generates networking and sharing of experiences among the community & voluntary sector within South Offaly.

For further information contact:
Caitriona O Sullivan
West Offaly Partnership
Crank House
Banagher
Tel: (057) 9151622
Email: COSullivan@westoffalypartnership.ie