From disability support to rural tourism, the Donegal Local Development CLG (DLDC) will help boost a wide range of Donegal community groups through flagship programmes in the coming years.
DLDC recently launched its new LEADER 2023-2027 and Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2023 – 2027.
LEADER and SICAP are flagship programmes of DLDC, focussed on community development, nurturing small business innovation, supporting the climate agenda and combatting social exclusion and poverty in our catchment areas in Co. Donegal.
The Community Development team at DLDC
Margaret Larkin, Padraic Fingleton join the LEADER team at DLDC, Esther McCleary, Sinead McLaughlin, and Anne Marie Rodgers
Through LEADER, DLDC’s catchment area has been allocated €3.9 million to invest in local communities and rural enterprises over the next four years. The previous 2014-2022 LEADER programme saw many achievements in Co. Donegal, such as supporting the award-winning No Barriers Foundation in the purchase of its first ground-breaking Exoskeleton, which improved disability support in Donegal, supporting rural youth with the refurbishment of Killygordon Youth Club, and boosting rural tourism with the funding of the Sliag League Allure passenger boat in Killybegs. Other notable achievements include the enhancement of local heritage sites and the development of community-led renewable energy projects.
Through the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2023 – 2027, supports are provided to communities and individuals to tackle poverty and social exclusion through local engagement and partnerships between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies. The programme provides training and employment support to individuals, helping them to secure jobs or further education opportunities, supporting community groups in capacity building, allowing them to serve their local areas better, and launching targeted initiatives aimed at reducing social isolation among the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
Margaret Larkin, Head of Operations, DLDC, Johnny Loughrey No Barriers Foundation, Padraic Fingleton, CEO, DLDC, Sinead McLaughlin, Rural Development Manager, DLDC
Padraic Fingleton, CEO, Donegal Local Development Clg said: “We are delighted to officially open our new LEADER and SICAP programmes. Last year, we successfully tendered for and secured both programmes, which is a testament to the hard work of our teams on the ground over the past few years. As we transition into the new programmes, our goal is to build upon the accomplishments of our previous work and introduce new initiatives to improve and empower communities across Donegal. We are excited to collaborate with individuals, communities, and businesses to bring about long-lasting positive change.”
Further information on LEADER and SICAP is available at www.dldc.org.
