Social Inclusion is a pillar spanning many programmes within Offaly Local Development Company.
The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) provides support to tackle poverty and social exclusion through local engagement and partnerships between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies.
The aim of SICAP in Offaly is to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality through supporting communities and individuals using community development approaches, engagement and collaboration.
Staff of Offaly Local Development Company's SICAP teamwork across Offaly, in both urban and rural communities to address barriers to social inclusion. Providing assistance to community groups ensures that a sense of place exists in each community, while supporting individuals strives to future-proof Offaly as a county ripe with sustainability and skill.
The SICAP team is holistic in their approach, responding to arising needs and circumstances as required.
Youth Initiatives
Our community development workers coordinate a number of initiatives aimed at engaging youth living in disadvantaged areas. This includes developmental activities such as summer camps and seasonal workshops, initiatives to address early-school leaving and youth-led community grants. Youthbank is managed by young people aged 14-25 years and provides small grants for youth-led community projects.
FLOW - Youth Engagement Programme: New youth engagement programme in Birr. Designed and delivered by Offaly Local Development Company, in collaboration with Green Offaly. FLOW has been designed to re-engage young people, aged 16-25, through holistic and nature based activities. Over a 12 week period, one day per week, participants take part in a series of tailored workshops which deliver practical knowledge in traditional craft-based skills and a reconciliation of self and belonging in community. The majority of activities are ran outdoors at the Irish Heritage School and Birr Castle. This programme is person-centred and workshops are designed to be flexible to participants’ needs and goals. See HERE for more information
For further information contact: Hazel 087 700 2521
Comhairle na nÓg:
Strengthening Community Groups
Development workers support local community groups via a socially-inclusive community development approach. This work supports collective community engagement and the development of sustainable, stronger communities.
Eligible community groups which represent or work within disadvantaged communities and SICAP target groups can avail of these supports. Direct supports include needs identification, community planning and capacity-building to deliver social, recreational, developmental and cultural activities. Practical supports are also provided to ensure equality and inclusion measures are in place and facilitation to participate in local and national decision-making structures.
For further information contact:
Declan 087 699 1226
David 087 178 2989
Claire 087 779 9853
Martina 087 661 0274
Community Integration
Community integration ensures that everyone has access to the full spectrum of social, educational, and professional opportunities, with these opportunities deeply rooted within the existing communities. At its core, community integration involves ensuring that each person has the opportunity to pursue their interests, desires, and goals.
Within Offaly Local Development Company, various supports are offered to people from all backgrounds to promote inclusion and integration. Individuals and groups who find themselves marginalised, isolated or segregated due to disability, gender, race, origin or any other reason are supported to engage and positively participate in a host of activities and programmes with a focus on meaningful integration in their communities.
Community integration opportunities are available through a variety of health and wellbeing programmes, employment programmes and other ad hoc events.
Failte Isteach:
Social Walking:
Community Food Projects
Offaly Local Development Company runs multiple programmes with the support of Safefood and HSE funding, which have the aim of educating the community on healthy eating and creating an opportunity for the development of skills and knowledge around food, healthier shopping, and cookery skills.
Safefood: OLDC is one of thirteen community based organisations that received funding for the Community Food Initiatives Programme 2022-2024. CFI is delivered across County Offaly in the form of two community events and three small projects annually.
The community events for 2022 took place in Clonbullogue National School and Walsh Island National School where students, parents, grandparents and the wider community came together for a fun day of cookery demonstrations, taste tests and sporting activities.
The small projects support participants over a number of weeks. In 2022 these projects took place in the form of interactive cookery classes in conjunction with Scoil Bhride Edenderry, Mucklagh Community Centre and Tots and Teas Shinrone.
For more information on Safefood in Offaly contact Claire: 087 7799 853 or chall@offalyldc.ie
Healthy Food Made Easy: Healthy Food Made Easy is a 6-week programme based around nutrition, education and cookery. It was developed to promote healthy eating and build basic cookery skills. It will equip individuals with the necessary nutritional knowledge to help them make practical and wiser food choices, overall it encourages positive changes in eating habits. The programme is delivered over 6 sessions lasting roughly 2.5 hours. Each session includes a theory section and a cookery session.
Able 2 Cook 4 Health: is a modified version of Healthy Food Made Easy designed to meet the needs of people with low literacy skills and people with intellectual and learning disabilities.
Cool Dudes: A 5 session programme aimed at children 8-12. All 5 sessions include practical cookery and participants choose what they would like to cook from a range of recipes in the handbook provided. This course is available to schools and youth activity groups.
For more information on any of these programmes in Offaly contact Claire: 087 7799 853 or chall@offalyldc.ie
