Longford Community Resources Ltd

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Longford Community Resources Ltd

• Longford Community Enterprise Centre, Longford,
  Ireland

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A Development Company Covering County Longford

• AIM To Promote Positive Change in Social,
• Economic and Environmental
• Development in Co. Longford
• Key focusTackling social exclusion and social
  economic disadvantage

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Membership of Longford Community Resources Ltd.

• Company Status
• Limited by Guarantee, with Charitable Status
• 19 Board Members from 4 sectors
• Community/Voluntary and State Agencies
• Social Partners/Elected Representatives
• Relevant Substructures that support the numerous
  programmes

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Key Statistics on County Longford

• Area Size 257,970 acres
• Population 31,066
• 29 Persons per square kilometre
• 36.2 of population are age dependent (32.3
  nationally)
• 41 of population left school by 15 years (35
  nationally)

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Main Barriers to Development in Co. Longford

• Low population density and imbalanced age
  structure
• Significant educational disadvantage and early
  school leaving
• Over reliance on agriculture and lack of
  indigenous industry
• No third level institution or vocational training
  facilities in the County
• Infrastructural weakness and concerns around the
  sustainability of the environment
• Inadequate tourism development (.6 of
  international arrivals)

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Strategic Aims

• To support and encourage rural and community
  development in Co. Longford
• To actively promote social inclusion in Co.
  Longford
• To influence policy and lobby for change and
  social justice at all levels
• To strengthen LCRL as a company and maximise its
  resources

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TO SUPPORT ENCOURAGE RURAL COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT

• 2-pronged approach develop a capacity building
  programme
• To address lack of local community development
  capacity throughout the county.
• To raise the capacity of very socially excluded
  people to help themselves

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TO SUPPORT ENCOURAGE RURAL COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT

• Promote awareness of the need for better
  utilization of natural resources leading to new
  and sustainable employment opportunities both on
  and off farms.
• Develop a coherent local rural development
  strategy

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Groups Issues Supported

• Youth Early School Leaving its Prevention
• Older People Rural Transport
• Travellers
• Long Term Unemployed
• Rural Community Development Groups
• Disadvantaged Women Lone Parents
• Low Income Farmers
• Refugees Asylum Seekers
• Tourism Development

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Programmes/Funds Secured Managed by Longford
Community Resources

• 1995 - 2000 LEADER II Programme
• 1996 - 2000 Local Development Programme (to
  tackle long term unemployment social exclusion)
• 1997- 2000 Equal Opportunities Childcare
  Programme (to improve quantity quality of
  community private childcare in our region)

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Programmes/Funds Secured Managed

• 2000-2006 LEADER Programme
• 2001-2006 National Rural Development Programme
  (Tourism funding)
• 2001 -2003 CAIT Initiative (provide information
  technology training to socially excluded groups)
• 2002 -2006 Millennium Fund for Disadvantaged
  Students in 3rd level

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Programmes/Funds Secured Managed

• 2002- 2006- Rural Transport Initiative (provision
  of rural transport services in North Longford)
• 2000-2008- Longford Traveller Project (build the
  capacity skills of the Traveller community
  enabling the development of a group that is
  Traveller led to tackle issues eg accommodation,
  health, education, unemployment discrimination)

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Programmes/Funds Secured Managed

• 2005-2007 Co. Longford Youth Service from Dormant
  Accounts the Dept of Education (provision of
  youth service in region to support youth
  communities)
• 2005-2007 - Community Development Work- Dormant
  Accounts Fund (providing 2 workers as community
  development support to specific disadvantaged
  areas)

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Programmes/Funds - continued

• 2005-2007 Rural Social Scheme (provide p/t
  employment to low income farmers by providing
  them with pay for community work eg caretaking of
  halls, village enhancement, social care,
  developing walks amenities
• 2006 Co Longford Youth Service-Dept
• of Health
• 2006- 2008 Equal Opportunities Childcare
  Programme 4 After School Services (for
  disadvantaged children identified by the schools
  as requiring extra support)

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Total Funding to Date

• Also involved in 2 EQUAL Programmes to support
  women into enterprise with Longford EQUAL
  Partnership and an Equality for Women Programme
  for a Skills Agency
• Funding secured by Longford Community Resources
  since its establishment in late1995
• 17m

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LCRL Staff Team

• 1 Manager
• 2 Administrators
• 2 Social Inclusion Co-ordinators
• 2 LEADER Project Workers
• 2 Traveller Development Workers
• 2 Community Development Workers
• 1 Rural Transport Co-ordinator
• 1 Enterprise Worker
• 1 Employment Mediator
• 1 Farm Family Development Worker

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LCRL Staff Team

• 1 Youth Service Co-ordinate 3 Youth workers
• 1 Rural Social Scheme 2 Supervisors
• 54 workers on Rural Social Scheme in region
• 1 After School Co-ordinator 13 p/t childcare
  workers
• 1 Education Co-ordinator
• 1 Secretary 1 p/t Volunteer Co-ordinator
• LCRL contract 1 Womens Development Worker 1 p/t
  Refugee Support Worker to Womens Centre

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Benefits of Management of Multiple Programmes

• Reduced Administration costs - shared Manager,
  Administrators Secretary
• Shared Buildings and Office Equipment
• Greater collaboration and integration between the
  staff and resources of the different programmes
• Greater ability to respond more effectively to
  the issues and difficulties facing the region

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Benefits of Management of Multiple Programmes

• Greater integration between the programmes
  administered as they are all contained within one
  company
• Multiple responses to the problems of the region
  eg to tackle early school leaving of Traveller
  children in a no. of ways
• More holistic support to the people and
  communities of the region.

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Benefits of Management of Multiple Programmes

• 1 Local Contact Point for Government Depts.
• One company administering all so less confusing
  to our customers
• Greater awareness by the agencies of the
  individuals circumstances
• Familiarity with the other supports provided by
  Longford Community Resources for communities,
  families and individuals.

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Difficulties in Multiple Programme Management

• Less Time to spend on the programmes planning
  delivery due to all under 1 roof
• Needs Co-ordinators for all Programmes to support
  staff and integrate our work
• Need wide expertise at Board level
• More demanding on Board Manager
  Administrators
• Need a Human Resources Manager at this point !!

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Contact

• Longford Community Resources Ltd.
• Longford Community Enterprise Centre
• Ballinalee Road
• Longford
• Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
• Email enquiries_at_lcrl.ie
• Web www.lcrl.ie