Sligo County Community Forum welcomes the delay in cuts to CE schemes:

“COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES will not be forced to close by funding cuts for the next three months, the Minister of Social Protection has pledged.  Joan Burton made the commitment in a meeting yesterday with a delegation from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Union officials had aimed to highlight the impact any closures would have on local communities”.  However we intend to keep the pressure on to ensure that these cuts are not imposed down the road….

It was confirmed following last year’s Budget that all such schemes would be subject to financial review by Government officials, sparking fears that many could be closed.

Sligo County Community Forum, on behalf of its membership groups, is asking TD’s to use their influence to protect CE schemes in County Sligo:  ”No cuts should be imposed until a thorough review has been carried out.  The maintenance of the materials grant is vital to cover the core costs of running the scheme.  In addition the training needs of each scheme should be examined and funded accordingly”.  Letter to TD’s re CE cuts, jan 2012

We have had a great response from all our membership groups who have chosen to renew their membership for 2012.  We have decided to extend the deadline for renewing your membership until February 2012 to give everyone a chance to get their forms back to us in time.  An election of members to the forum executive will be taking place in 2012 so it is important that you are a registered member to participate.  For more information contact Claire or Sharon at the forum office.

Sligo Forum is a voluntary group established to support the needs of the community and voluntary sector in County Sligo.  As a member of Sligo Forum you receive our monthly e-bulletin service, access to information and support, community based training, access to Sligo County Council community grants and representation at a county and regional level.

Sligo County Community Forum is currently asking all membership groups and E-Bulletin subscribers to renew their membership with us by Feb 28th 2012 (extended deadline).  Just fill in the membership form attached and send it to us at the Development Centre, Cleveragh Road, Sligo.  Unfortunately any group that does not renew will no longer be considered a member of the forum.

Group membership brochure

Easy to use Group Membership Form

Find attached our latest E Bulletin!  News on funding, training and events.  Keep up to date with the Sligo County Council Winter Ready Campaign by logging onto sligococo.ie.  December EBulletin pdf

Fermanagh’s Sounding Board participants nominated for Pride of N.Ireland Awards.

Sounding Board, the music technology programme led by Sligo LEADER is full of pride after learning that 4 of its participants are up for a Special Achievement Pride of N.Ireland Award. The participants, all from Co Fermanagh were part of the cross border Open College Network training course RAPP (Reconciliation and Leadership) organised by Sligo LEADER and delivered by YMCA, Belfast. It ran during the summer months.

Nominees are Shea Daly (Lisbellaw), Cona Gallagher (Belcoo), Louise O’Neill (Belleek) and Hayley McCauley (Belleek).

Majella Flanagan, Sounding Board Development Worker, explains how this has come about. “The four participants were part of a group of 11 young people from Fermanagh and county Sligo. The cross border cross community RAPP training was expertly delivered by 2 great tutors from YMCA, Jill Caskey and Darryl Petticrew, August to late September. The group showed a great commitment to the training as it was over 90 hours and was often very challenging but they all completed it with great humour to receive the OCN II Diploma. I am so pleased that their hard work has been acknowledged by other people and in such a high profile way. I am familiar with the Daily Mirror Pride of N.Ireland Awards and important role that they play in supporting N.Ireland’s youth sector. We are all very proud of our 4 Special Achievers and wish them all the best. I and the rest of the training group will be attending the Award ceremony to cheer them on.”

The Pride of N.Ireland Awards is on Saturday evening Dec 3 in Stormont Castle and promises to be a memorable evening for all.

Michael D’s Active Citizenship Alive and Well in County Sligo

It was with great interest that the members of Sligo County Community Forum listened to the inaugural speech of our new president elect, Michael D Higgins, on Friday last.  Michael D’s promise to encourage active citizenship and build social solidarity between people, spoke directly to the aims of the Community Forum in Sligo…. Press Release re active citizenship

Sligo LEADER and Sligo Council Arts Service joined forces for the innovative finale of the Arts Service’s project, Games Without Frontiers, Oct 29, 2011.

Games Without Frontiers was a 6 week visual arts and technology games project for young people in the borough of Sligo. Its finale was a showcase of the participants’ work in Doorly Park. Participants, their families and friends attended to look and try out the many games created. Andy Parsons was the principal artist facilitator.

SOUNDING BOARD is Sligo LEADER’s music technology and tuition programme for the county’s young rural people. It has been delivering workshops for over 12 months and has trained participants in composition, recording and performance. It will continue until August 2012, delivering workshops, offering day trips to music production companies, gigs and summer schemes.

Sligo Arts Service invited SOUNDING BOARD participants to attend as a documentary crew to capture opinions and images, sounds of the games/art works. Participants carried out interviews, photographed the works as well as created soundscapes based on the event. Some of these will be available to see on www.youthgroupsligo.com so keep visiting the site for updates.

The SOUNDING BOARD crew was made up of Matthew Hallinan, Ciaran Harte, Nathan Healey, Keelan Mitchell Hughes, Clara, Evan, Jordan and Leona McSharry and David Woods. Tutors were John Crowe and Darren Dwyer.

Majella Flanagan, SOUNDING BOARD Development worker at Sligo LEADER explained the value of this collaboration. “Games Without Frontiers was a very innovative event that uses creative tools, much like Sounding Board, to enrich our local community and its young people. Both myself and Andy saw that bringing the 2 programmes together would spread the benefits of the resources out there. It was a great day, as the footage shows. Thanks to Sligo Arts for including us.”

 For information on the day and upcoming opportunities in SOUNDING BOARD, please contact Majella on mflanagan@sligo leader.com, 071 9141138

National Recreation Week – Friday October 28^th –Thursday November 3^rd 2011

Events are aimed at young people between the ages of 12 and 18 years

Enquiries in relation to any of the above can be directed to Community & Enterprise, Sligo County Council. Tel: 071 9111802