Traveller Community Development Programme

Based in Matt Lane Traveller Resource Centre, the community development programme aims to support Travellers to identify and address issues affecting their active participation in the community. A broad range of initiatives is on-going and includes the following:

• Community Development supports, which operate at various levels. The Community as a whole is supported through:
• Supports for residents associations
• Supports for activity based groups, e.g. football, computers, exploring culture and summer projects
• Supports for help groups such as homework support
• Supports for community representation on local committees
• There are also supports for community representation on local, national and multi agency structures such as:
• Traveller Programme Advisory Committee
• Regional Drugs Task Force
• National Drugs Task Force
• Local Accommodation Consultative Committee
• Inter Agency Committee
• Issue based sub-groups of The Irish Traveller Movement

Individual members of the Community can avail of help and support to:

• Access assistance with form filling, literacy and numeracy support
• Link to VEC literacy and numeracy programmes
• Pass the Driver Theory Test
• Learn to browse the internet and use it as a tool for enterprise
• Explore self-employment, training, and return to work options
• Job seek, including training and practical help such as CV preparation
• Work with agencies such as Social Welfare, FAS, Fingal County Council, the HSE, etc.
• Seek accommodation
• Link with national support groups such as Focus Ireland , FLAC, MABS, etc.
• Assess advice and link with national support groups such as Pavee Point, the Irish Traveller Movement, the Equality Authority, the National Women's Council, on cultural and rights related matters.

The programme is based at the Resource Centre in St. Macullins Park, Matt Lane , Balbriggan. The Resource Centre is owned, maintained, and made available to The Traveller Programme through the generosity of Fingal County Council. It is hoped the Resource Centre will be the focus of many community led Initiatives to develop the local Traveller Community and individual travellers in the coming years.

If you are a member of the Traveller Community and wish to avail of any of the above supports or suggest supports we need to put in place, or if you would like to volunteer to assist in any of the programmes, we would love to hear from you.

For more information contact the Community Development Worker, Nick Murphy, on 01 802 0504, or by email at nmurphy@co-operationfingal.ie