Co-operation Fingal: About Us

Our Mission is "to support the people of North Fingal to develop the skills, resources and opportunities necessary to create an equal and inclusive community. We do this by providing innovative programmes, which offer advice and guidance, together with education and training opportunities, to men and women who are unemployed. We also offer support to individuals and community groups who are currently excluded or marginalized in any way. We believe that working in partnership with the community, with service providers and statutory agencies is the key to success. We also believe in a community-led approach, where programmes are delivered in response to identified need, and where the outcomes of our actions lead to a better quality of life for all in North Fingal ".

Our key objectives are:

• To improve options in the labour market for long term unemployed men and women
• To support new and established community groups to participate fully in local development opportunities
• To enhance the social and personal development of young people at risk of early school leaving, drug misuse or anti-social behaviour
• To work with statutory bodies and Government departments so that all local services can be integrated and informed by the needs of the community.

The guiding policies underpinning all our activities are:

• To use a partnership approach when dealing with local issues, working with the local community, statutory bodies and the local authority
• To promote social inclusion, equality and access to opportunities for individuals and community groups
• To target the benefits of social and economic development to people living in disadvantaged circumstances in North Fingal .

Based on funding allocated through the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, staff work to establish and support initiatives under three key measures:

• Services for Unemployed people
• Community Development
• Community based Youth Initiatives

From an initial emphasis on community development activities, support is now provided across all three measures, with a corresponding increase in results on the ground.

Building on the success of previous years, Co-operation Fingal continues to make great strides to strengthen partnership working through development of new initiatives in collaboration with key statutory bodies and ensuring ownership by local agencies through establishment of project-specific Steering Committees.

Key programmes and initiatives currently supported by Co-operation Fingal include the following:

Employment and Enterprise:

• One- to-one advice & guidance on education, training, employment and enterprise opportunities.
• Tailored training supports for people currently out of work.

Community Development:

• Supporting the development of community facilities/Childcare.
• Supporting Groups such as Immigrants, Lone parents & People with disabilities.

Traveller Programme:

• Delivery of Primary Healthcare Training for Traveller Women.
• Supporting Traveller Community Health Care Workers.
• Support for Traveller men, women and youth.

Disability Project:

• 0ne-to-one advocacy support for people with disabilities.

Attendance Monitoring Project:

• Working with local schools to build models of best practice for monitoring students' attendance and supporting students and their families with attendance issues.

FÁS Local Training Initiative for Unemployed People:

• Supporting unemployed people to improve skills and build capacity to gain employment.

The area we work in stretches from Lusk and Rush, through Loughshinny and Skerries to Balbriggan, and includes the rural towns of Ballyboughal, Garristown, Oldtown and the Naul.

Research has recently been completed on the needs of communities living in parts of County Fingal that do not have access to the Social Inclusion Programme. This includes the areas of Swords, Portrane/Donabate, Sutton, Baldoyle, Malahide, Portmarnock as well as parts of Dublin 15, such as Carpenterstown and parts of North Lucan.

The outcomes from this research will assist with the implementation of the Government's directive to make the social inclusion programme available nationally. This in effect will ensure access to supports through the social inclusion programme for individuals and/or communities living anywhere in the County. Co-operation Fingal are currently involved in implementing structures for improved cohesion and access to local and rural development programmes through one primary organisation operating in Fingal (in all areas east of the N2) so that full county coverage can be provided through this newly established entity in addition to the support available through Blanchardstown Area Partnership, which will continue to provide social inclusion support in Dublin 15 and all areas west of the N2.