The purpose of the Ballyhoura Local Development Programme is to tackle economic and social exclusion with the aim of ensuring that the most marginalised and disadvantaged individuals living in Ballyhoura Country have access to opportunities and options to bring about their own development and the development of the society in which they live.

The overall objectives are:

- To identify, target, engage and empower local partners (socially and economically excluded) through both practiced and new methodologies;

- To raise awareness and broaden the agenda of existing groups to become more sustainably inclusive;

-To enhance the effectiveness of existing mainstream services and to identify and fill service gaps;

-To remove the barriers preventing individuals from accessing and availing of opportunities and options to bring about their own development;

-To find innovative solutions to the problems facing the socially excluded.

There are three measures categorising programme activities:

• Services to the Unemployed, Enterprise Development and Training;
• Community Development and Infrastructure;

Community-Based Youth Initiatives.

Of the 55,556 people living in Ballyhoura Country, there are 14,909 classified as disadvantaged falling into the sectors listed below:

In general the strategy adopted by the programme is to build the capacity of the excluded, raise awareness among the included and encourage influencing agents to facilitate this inclusion process supported by skilled personnel and appropriate structures. Therefore, the initial phase of the programme involved the established of outreach centres each with a development officer and information officers to improve accessibility to and enable the most marginalised and excluded take up opportunities and options. Employment and enterprise clinics held with individuals provided one to one support and guidance. This phase also involved raising awareness of the programme among the broader community, facilitating them to establish their own projects and optimising the voluntary/community contribution to local development.

As the programme developed, so too did the relationship with the statutory agencies leading to valuable brokerage of resources for programme activities. The success of the partnership model both at local area and national level has led Ballyhoura Development Ltd. to extend this strategy to local community level. Partnership at community level brings the different organisations in a community together under one umbrella legal entity which represents all interests in a common vision for the community.

A number of key structures and partners were necessary factors in setting up and implementing the Ballyhoura Local Development Programme and in promoting the sustainability of initiatives.

Ballyhoura Country has a strong tradition of community and voluntary activity and it was through the community forum, called the Community Consultative Committee, that the submission for the Local Development Programme was made. Throughout the life of the programme, this committee has been involved in promoting participation in community initiatives.

The Social Inclusion Committee, made up of community, the disadvantaged and statutory agencies was set up to steer and guide the programme ensuring a central focus on the most disadvantaged.

Given the limited programme budget, linkage with the statutory agencies in the area was very important in securing brokerage of resources to extend the scope of the programme and to fill service gaps locally.

The development officers have provided one-to-one support necessary to encourage individuals to break out of the cycle of disadvantage, bring about their own development and take up existing opportunities in employment and education. Activities have been specifically targeted at the disadvantaged sectors leading to more efficient and effective use of resources.

One of the main obstacles in implementing the Local Development Programme has been the difficulty of engaging the most disadvantaged in development activities. In particular, low-income farmers and long-term unemployed men have been targeted with a limited number engaging. However, as the relationship between the development officers and the target group develops, an increased number have become involved in programme activities.

By nature social and economic exclusion in rural areas in generally hidden and complex and it has taken quite a lot of time for the development officers working with community members to identify and target the most marginalised members in the community.

Physical barriers to inclusion include lack of transport services to allow individuals to return to work or training, lack of childcare services and a general lack in support services and structures locally.

Qualitative Impacts of Local Development Programme 1997-2000

• Raised awareness on the levels of social exclusion

• Built capacity among communities and development of more inclusive agendas
• Confidence-building and skill-building among those experiencing disadvantage
• Emergence of leaders and facilitators from among the Programme partners
• Increased effectiveness resulting from linkages between state agencies and community groups
• Optimisation and better targeting of interventions
• Opportunity to try things differently
• Benefits of networking and joint ventures
• Valuable levels of experience and expertise were acquired during the Local Development Programme
• Trust built up between Travellers and programme staff
• Participation by target group nominees on the Social Inclusion Committee and the board of the

Local Social Capital Programme and the board of Ballyhoura Development Limited

 Quantitative Impacts of Local Development Programme 1997-2000

* The four development fora were not established during the 1997-2000 period. This is attributed to the fact that communities were not ready to network at district level and felt that this role was met by the Community Consultative Committee structure. In addition, the amount of animation and facilitation necessary to bring them to this ‘readiness’ was underestimated. Much facilitation was carried out with individual communities taking them through a community planning process which resulted in a cluster of communities expressing an interest in meeting at district level towards the end of the Programme.

The impacts and outcomes reflect the success of the strategy, the delivery and management structures put in place. On reviewing and evaluating the impacts of the programme, a number of lessons were drawn from the experience and will be used to enhance the effectiveness of further programme activities:

Main Lessons From Local Development Programme 1997-2000

• The effectiveness of the outreach approach
• The strength of the partnership approach
• The impact of using a formal Sub-Board (later the Social Inclusion Committee) to draw attention to and tackle social inclusion in Ballyhoura
• The need for ongoing animation, capacity building and mentoring despite the initial success of projects
• The need for Ballyhoura Development Ltd. to fulfil differing roles in different communities at a facilitation level in weaker communities and at a brokerage level in stronger communities

• The need to recognise and resource the broader brokerage role which is essential for effective long-term local development
• The importance of a flexible approach to designing and piloting interventions
• The need to remove access barriers (e.g. opening a first bank account) and lower the threshold for entry into training and employment
• The extent of isolation and loneliness among rural dwellers
• The difficulties in addressing emotive issues such as depression, domestic violence, alcoholism and suicide in a rural context
• The worrying levels of early school leaving and adult literacy problems
• The value of mainstreaming successful interventions e.g. SKY youth development programme
• The need for a holistic approach to address early school leaving
• Excluded groups want to be involved in community activities and want their issues on the agendas of the broadly based community groups.

Policy Implementation
Underpinning all actions targeting the creation and development of enterprise in the Local Development Programme is the key aim of developing an enterprise culture among local partners. This objective recognises the potential within the local partner segment of the population to be proactive in addressing their own economic exclusion and contributing to Ballyhoura Development Ltd.’s and its partners (statutory, voluntary and commercial) overall policy of creating a sustaining economic base in the area.
The enterprise strategies implemented under the Local Development Programme to achieve this economic goal incorporate entrepreneurship development tools and know how transferred from successful models applied by public agencies and local development companies in creating the conditions under which entrepreneurship can flourish. The specific achievement of the Local Development Programme is to ringfence resources and target those resources at local partners who are particularly disadvantaged in relation to enterprise creation. Invariably local partners lack access to the financial resources which is critical to benefit from mainstream supports and also pilot initiatives such as LEADER II (where despite continual requests from LEADER Action Groups since 1992, no revolving loan fund mechanism is allowed).
The key to enterprise creation is to create the conditions whereby the target population has the confidence to take calculated risks. Risk taking is a worrisome activity for local partners because if the risk fails, they generally have no spare resources to take setbacks which are almost endemic in developing a business. This conundrum is addressed by the core strategy of easing access via technical support staff in liaising and accessing agency resources. The operational objectives regarding local partner entrepreneurs development are to focus on their specific needs; to achieve a balance in delivering the support measures and actions (safety net as distinct from creating a dependency mentality); and to create effective linkages to other resources in the Ballyhoura partnership (not forgetting the voluntary time which commercial partner managers are prepared to give to budding entrepreneurs).

Example of Specific Action

Local Partner Enterprise Courses and Seminars: A series of courses and seminars were organised to meet the needs of all potential entrepreneurial local partners.

Enterprise awareness seminars were held to disseminate information on supports available to potential entrepreneurial local partners and to introduce clients to the relevant personnel from statutory bodies who could assist with support. At these seminars, individuals who had completed business training courses were presented with certificates in recognition of their achievements. During 1999 3 seminars were organised, in conjunction with the Department of Social Community & Family Affairs, FAS and TEAGASC. 260 individuals received certificates.

An enterprise training programme was developed in response to the training needs of local partners wishing to set up in business. The aim was to equip local partners with the necessary skills to develop their business. During 1999 2 such courses were held with a total of 48 receiving training, of which 39 have set up in business and 9 are researching their business idea. These courses were held in conjunction with Department of Social, Community & Family Affairs.

In addition, enterprise and computer business courses were brokered for the area from FAS. 48 individuals were trained with 18 now in full-time employment, 9 having commenced business, 9 participating in further training, 8 researching their business idea and 4 seeking employment.

Mr. X who came through enterprise clinic and training

The promoter, aged 35 is married with three children. He left school at the age of 11 due to lack of interest and inhibitions caused by a bad speech impediment. He worked as a farm hand in his early teens and was later employed in a commercial where he eventually served his time and qualified as a diesel mechanic. In 1984, the garage lost its main dealership and closed down. He worked at various jobs for the next three years and was unemployed for 10 years before calling to the Community and Enterprise Information Office in May 1997 with an idea of setting up an ‘on site’ mechanical repair business to the construction, farming and plant hire industry.

Over a six-month period, fortnightly meetings progressed the promoter through the research stages of setting up his business covering business concept, feasibility of the service, test marketing and business planning. Contacts for work were secured but the promoter lacked the confidence and finance to commence at this time. Given his negative school experience, a lot of encouragement was needed for him to attend a business foundation course. He and his wife attended over three months. Care was taken to ensure that the course was pitched at the correct level for participants.

At the start-up stage, the local partner was supported with completion of paperwork e.g. Back to Work and Tax Registration, financial projections and tendering quotations for sub-contract work. Business commenced in June 1998 and follow-up meetings over the next three months dealt with the practicalities of book-keeping and cash flow at the initial stages of business.

By October he had taken on an apprentice and was getting a lot of repeat business. In January 1999 his wife, who supported him with the book-keeping, had secured part-time work in a nearby nursing home. In March the promoter applied for and was approved for a grant under the Local Development Programme to assist with the purchase of equipment. He called to the Development Officer the following month to discuss employing a qualified mechanic. A community Employment Scheme participant was referred and taken on with the support of the Back to Work Scheme. The promoter attended an enterprise information and certificate presentation ceremony in June.

To date, the Development Officer has had 47 consultations with this local partner and is currently providing support through the procedures for grant draw down.

ACTION 2 - Services to the Unemployed

Policy Implementation

The development of the potential of the unemployed is the key aim underpinning all related service actions to the unemployed in the Local Development Programme. The unemployed segment of the local partner population is seen as a key resource in the three pronged core strategy within the Ballyhoura Local Development Programme: easing access via technical support staff in liaising with accessing agency resources.

The key to providing services to the unemployed is to create (added value) the conditions whereby the target population has the confidence to engage proactively in addressing its own social and economic exclusion. The operational objectives regarding providing services to the long term unemployed are to focus on the specific needs of the unemployed; to achieve a balance in delivering the support measures and actions (encourage initiative as distinct from reinforcing a dependency mentality); and to create effective linkages to other resources in the Ballyhoura partnership (especially with employers).

Example of Specific Action

Networking with Employers: Every opportunity was used to network with employers and encourage them to consider the longer term unemployed. Meetings took place with 19 employers and arising from these contacts 255 job opportunities (leading to 235 placements) and the specific skills shortages were identified.

Employment Services with DELL

In September 1999, TRIL (Technological Resources International Limited) Recruitment Agency made contact with the Employment Development Officer requesting assistance with the recruitment of people to work on temporary contracts with TRIL in DELL Computer Components Limerick. TRIL offered to supply transport (25 miles from Kilmallock to Limerick) and to pay employees while in transit. The two Development Officers in the Kilmallock office acted immediately using contacts already established with local partners through other Programme initiatives e.g. Survey of Local Authority Housing Estates in preparation for an Estate Management Project. The local partners needed support with filling in application forms, CV preparation, presentation for interviews and opening bank accounts.

Within weeks, 85 people attended for interview at the Kilmallock office. Seventy-five local partners, 8 of whom were travellers, were offered 6 week contracts with DELL. The direct benefit to the town was estimated at £85,000. These individuals now have work experience to be included on their CVs.

In October, two groups of 25 local partners were given temporary full-time contracts, while an additional 30 were given part-time contracts with DELL. In association with TRIL, a further 16 were linked to Fullerton & Cook Ireland, Annacotty; Asdium, Ballysimon Road; Banta Global, Turnkey and DELL, Raheen.

Given the success of this intervention, a meeting was organised with the Human Resource Manager in DELL and resulted in the establishment of a social economy business unit in Inclusive Employment Services.

ACTION 3 - Education & Training

Policy Implementation

The link between poor educational level and unemployment forms the basis for the Ballyhoura Local Development Programme policy on education and training. A dual approach has been adopted in order to prevent ‘at risk’ young people from evolving into the cycle of disadvantage and to assist, through education and training, local partners who are experiencing disadvantage. This approach goes some way towards tackling the barriers to participation and allowing equality of opportunity for all in the Ballyhoura Local Development Programme area.

The main aims are to, firstly, put preventative measures in place to support potential early school leavers; secondly, to stimulate a decline in early school leaving by building the competencies and coping skills and thirdly, to link young people at risk and other local partners to second chance educational opportunities. Furthermore, there is a need to create specific educational opportunities and pathways for the long-term unemployed and other local partners which will promote their integration into the labour market and contribute to local and community development. The measures have been classified accordingly into Preventative (at Primary/Preschool and Secondary level) and Complementary Education & Training.

SKY Project: This project is an early school leaving response pilot which is based on the North Mayo Schools Project. It is a partnership project in conjunction with Foroige and was initiated in 1998 to enable young people form the Charleville and Mitchelstown areas involve themselves consciously and actively in their own development and in the development of their community. One school was targeted in each town for a Potential Early School Leavers Programme, 15 first years in Charleville and 15 second years in Mitchelstown. Feedback from parents and teachers was very positive at the end of 1999. The project also supported the establishment and development of four youth clubs in the community and provided training for seventeen potential voluntary group leaders. The Youth Worker also established three other small groups to support individuals having difficulty participating in the main groups.

Other projects during 1999 included summer activities, drugs awareness, St. Patrick’s Day parade and Christmas project in which 97 young people were involved.

Mainstreaming of the pilot (for the original target area) was achieved by the combined efforts of Ballyhoura Development Ltd., Foroige and Co. Cork VEC with funding secured from the Department of Education.

SKY – Thursday night group

As part of the SKY youth development project, community based youth groups are supported in establishment and development. As the project evolved, it became apparent that some individuals were having difficulty being part of a bigger group. In Charleville, a group of seven 13-15 year olds formed their own group in March 1999. They meet one evening per weekly in a room made available by the Community Council and the group is led by the SKY Youth Worker and a local volunteer. The majority of the group are known to the Gardai.

The youth workers aim is to provide support and information to the group in order to reduce the risk of them becoming involved in crime. Specific objectives are that:

• they will be informed about drugs issues and will be in a position to make better decisions about their own personal health;
• they will have gained a realistic view of the impact of their actions; and
• that they will contribute to the community in a meaningful way.

Meeting in a safe, secure and supportive environment, the group is able to openly discuss and share information about drugs and other issues with the youth worker. During 1999, the group prepared for and participated in the St. Patrick's Day parade. By the end of the 1999 the individuals had progressed well and had taken responsibility for painting their meeting room.

Policy Implementation

The engagement of the disadvantaged in, first of all, identifying the issues of importance to them, and then articulating proposed solutions is the key to achieving Local Development and as such is the key aim of the Ballyhoura Local Development Programme. Again, the core strategy of technical support staff as facilitators to enable the disadvantaged progress from where they are now to a stage which will allow them to participate in mainstream development and access opportunities and agency resources comes to the fore.

Community Development facilitators are especially necessary in areas which experience disadvantage to encourage the involvement of local partners and therefore inclusion of local partner interests in the development process.

In the Ballyhoura area, communities are at different stages of development but can be broadly classed into three main groupings. The work of the Local Development Programme with individual community groups was pitched accordingly as illustrated below. The emphasis on community planning continued in 1999 with a view to strengthening community groups by facilitating them to compile a common vision for their area and establish appropriate structures.

Focus of Local Development Programme in relation to development stage of individual communities in the Ballyhoura area during 1999

As a result of the above targeted focus of the Local Development Programme, there has been a shift in the number of communities at the different levels.

Example of a Specific Action

Community Planning: Throughout 1999, the Development Officers worked with individual community groups to assist with a reviewing and planning process in order to build the capacity of the organisations to continue to develop. Particular emphasis was placed on the inclusion of disadvantaged people and related issues in the agendas of the broadly based community groups so that all interests are represented.

This work intensified in June with the assistance of two post graduate students from the Rural Development Masters at UCD under the guidance of their lecturer for three month. A planning process was developed for Level II and Level III communities taking them through a series of meetings to develop a coordinated plan for their area. The process involved:

• a public meeting mapping the area/parish in order to gather baseline information and raise awareness about the boundaries the area that the group was well as representation. At this stage, the attendants are encouraged to invite more community members to attend;
• review of existing organisations by sector and activities and plans of each;
• for each sector listing what is needed for the development of the area;
• meeting all the partners agencies servicing the area (e.g. local authority, TEAGASC, VEC, etc.) to discuss plans of both parties and decide how both can work together for the development of the area;
• public meeting to present feedback on draft plan and decide which organisation is responsible for each action;
• set up a steering/monitoring committee to oversea implementation of plan with representation from each organisation;
• set out plan of action for the next five years.

The main objectives of this process is to;

• promote inclusion of all sectors and interests and to challenge existing community representatives to invite others to become involved;
• foster a better communication between the partner agencies and the community in order to optimise services to the area;
• ensure efficiency of voluntary time by coordinating the efforts of all organisations within the community;
• place groups in a better position to avail of resources.

By the end of 1999 10 groups had completed plans and 16 groups were at draft plan stage. With an average of at least 30 individuals involved per community group, 750 community members had participated in the process by the end of 1999. This process has also resulted in greater community activity and involvement in the Community Consultative Committee and the Local Development Programme.

Caherconlish Community Group

Caherconlish is a small village situated in East County Limerick on the main Limerick to Mitchelstown Road. In 1992 the community engaged a facilitator from the VEC funded by FAS to work with the community on drafting a plan for the area. As there was no meeting area in the village for clubs and organisations, the main priority was to build a multi-purpose centre. A survey was carried out by the Marketing Department at the University of Limerick to assess the needs and wishes of the local community.

A steering group was elected to implement the building project. The target date for completion was the Millenium. Fund-raising commenced and is presently ongoing. Building commenced in 1996 supported by FAS CYTP Scheme and 33 youths were trained and are all now linked to full time employment in the building trade. The building was completed and officially opened in the last quarter of 1999.

The aptly named ‘Millennium Centre’ consists of a sports hall, community hall, viewing area, meeting rooms, kitchen and service area. Support for the project was secured from Limerick County Council, National Lottery, Ballyhoura LEADER II Programme and FAS. The Development Officer worked closely with the community in applying for additional funds. In 1999 this project won the AIB Local and Munster Community Award worth £5,000 and was granted a National Millenium Grant of £10,000.

This facility has addressed the needs of rural communities surrounding this village. Sporting and drama groups from an 9 mile radius use the facilities. Work with the Estate Management Group in the area has resulted in computer training (with assistance of a £3,000 grant from Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs) being held in the centre. There is a computer club for children being run at the centre and sporting facilities are free to children outside peak times.

Arising from a community planning process facilitated by the Development Officer during 1999, this active community has decided that a river walk and social housing are the next projects to be undertaken by the community.

The gaps in infrastructure provision in the Ballyhoura area pose a physical barrier to local development by blocking access to educational and employment opportunities, thereby, adding a further layer to the disadvantage experienced by local partners. The lack of adequate services and facilities in the area have a direct effect on the quality of life of rural dwellers. Therefore, the aim of the Ballyhoura Local Development Programme is to fill these gaps and overcome these blockages by the core strategy of the disadvantaged being given easy access via technical support staff in liaising with and accessing agency resources.

The key to implementing is achieving this aim is targeting available resources at optimising the potential of the existing infrastructure to overcome blockages.

Assistance for Small Scale Infrastructure: In order to address the problem of accessibility to information and services for rural communities, support was made available to community groups to upgrade community facilities in order to have a venue for training courses, etc. to be run locally. During 1999, 23 communities were approved for grant assistance and four more were preparing applications.

Also, in order to make information on educational and employment opportunities, supports and community interests more accessible, work has been carried out in conjunction with the Community Consultative Committee with a view to erecting 50 community notice boards in the Ballyhoura area. The location of each board is the decision of the community and the use of the boards will be their responsibility to encourage a sense of ownership and optimal benefit to the community. During 1999 22 notice boards were erected by communities.

Anglesboro Community Hall Upgrading

The Community Council in Anglesboro used to be very active, but by 1999 meetings were held only once or twice per year. When approached by the Development Officer about community planning, they were not convinced that the community would get involved. However, following a few more motivational visits, the Development Officer was invited to facilitate a planning process with the community as a whole.

Participation in the process was very positive and the two main issues arising were:

• A need to upgrade the community hall for use by all the community members;
• The closure of the creamery depot by Dairygold in the village.

A £1,000 grant was approved from the Local Development Programme towards upgrading. New members were drafted onto the hall committee and a race night was held raising £2,670 allowed work on the toilets, dressing rooms, fascias and soffits to be carried out. The council also raised £400 at a church gate collection.

With regard to the closing of the creamery depot, a working group has been formed to approach Dairygold about the future of this building. This groups is looking at the possibility of building social housing for young families currently on the County Council housing list.

By the end of 1999, Anglesboro had become a very active community again, with an upgraded centre for community activities and plans underway to further develop their own community.

Policy Implementation

An underlying factor that has impacted on almost all of the Local Development Programme activities has been the scattered and underdeveloped nature of Childcare provision in the Ballyhoura area. For young mothers and lone parents in particular, the lack of services operates as a significant barrier to their participation in employment, training or adult education activities. To this end, Ballyhoura Local Development Programme took the approach of appointing a Development Officer with responsibility for Preventive Education, including a focus on Childcare Services, to facilitate the involvement of local partners in filling this gap.

As a result of meetings and consultations with those involved and interested in Childcare provision in the area, a range of supports were put in place, including support in establishing facilities as mentioned in the Environment & Infrastructure section. In relation to all other programme activities, steps have been taken by the Development Officers to ensure that the lack of Childcare has not prevented local partner participation e.g. crèche facilities have been provided for parents attending training courses.

The Development Officer has developed a good working relationship with the IPPA and Mid Western and Southern Health Boards over the course of the programme. Their cooperation has greatly enhanced the effectiveness of programme activities and will impact significantly on the remainder of the programme.

Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme

During 1999 Ballyhoura Development Ltd. was granted £20,000 under towards the development of local childcare facilities from the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme. A meeting was held with all the partners (IPPA, VEC Limerick Social Service, FAS, local partners involved in childcare provision) involved in this sector to discuss the main issues and agree on a strategy. It was agreed that the most immediate need is the provision of training both in childcare and running a sustainable business. There is also a need to assign human resources to support this sector and work with existing providers to build their capacity in order to avail of and maximise use of the increased resources to be committed to this sector. By the end of 1999, 13 childcare workers were participating on a High Scope training course. Preparation was underway for another course to commence early in the new year. A portion of this budget will support specific human resources in this sector.

Charleville Community Playgroup

Charleville and District Community Enterprise Ltd. have been running a playgroup since 1994 catering for 14 children as part of a family services centre operating from No. 1 De Valera Place in Charleville. Plans are afoot to open a top of the range Family Life Centre at a central location which will allow a full complement of family services to be delivered to Charleville and the surrounding areas.

The group approached the Local Development Programme for support with furnishing and equipment for the existing playgroup in order to provide a better quality service. A grant was approved on condition that only mobile furnishings and equipment were purchased and therefore could be moved to the new centre when it opens.

Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, 13 childcare workers and volunteers involved in the centre are currently participating in High Scope training. The aim of the group is to open the new centre as a High Scope Centre.