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Bere
Island Projects Group Ltd Workplan for 2005 – 2006 |
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Profile of the Bere Island Projects Group BIPG was set up in 1987 with an objective to
create employment, using FÁS Community Employment Schemes, Part-Time Job
Opportunities initiative and student schemes.
In 1997 we received funding from the Department of Social,
Community & Family Affairs to run a Community Development Project on
Bere Island. We first employed a full-time Project Co-ordinator and in
2000 were granted further funding to employ a full-time Project
Administrator. As this was new to the group training was
identified and carried out with David McCarthy on employment and staff
management. Teamworks then helped with the role of support for the
management committee and began to set up structures, which were never
implemented due to their company dissolving. This year we began working
with Mid West Support Agency which the Management Committee feel are very
professional and will be an immense benefit to the project. One of our
first tasks was to review and evaluate our previous workplan for 2004. Out
of this came our achievements and challenges, which are listed below. Background
and outline of work to date Achievements: Ø
Successful
hiring of a new Project Co-ordinator Ø
Official
opening of Martello Tower Ø
New
management members elected onto the committee by secret ballot which was a
recommendation made from the Bere Island Conservation Plan Ø
Successful
European application through Interreg to fund the development of an old
school and to participate in Transnational working groups on three themes.
These are o
Role of Government o
Island Tourism o
Cultural landscape of islands Ø
Reviewing
and evaluating our workplan with the help of Mid West Support Agency. We
feel it is vital to have the support of professional agency to keep the
project running efficiently. Ø
Successful
hiring of a Project Co-ordinator to implement the recommendations from the
Bere Island Conservation Plan, in 5 key areas: Agriculture, Aquaculture,
Tourism & Heritage, Waste Management and the setting up of an Island
Council. Through this work 10 farmers have joined Reps 3 and have
increased their annual income and an aquaculture group has been formed (14
members) with 8 already after carrying out training that will help the
group to set up their own business. A new waste management and recycling
system has also been developed with the Tourist & Environment Group
with every member of the community being encouraged to recycle.
Ø
We
feel our project has more recognition due to the networking with Comhdháil
Oileáin na hEireann, County Development Board, Community & Voluntary
Forum, South West Regional Forum, Co-ordinator and Administrator Network,
Beara Forum (recently established) Ø
The
level of support to other local groups on the island (e.g. GAA, IFA,
Active Retirement Group, Community Childcare, Youth Group, Festival,
Community Alert, Aquaculture, Tourist & Environmental Group, Theatre
Troupe) has increased over the past year. We feel this is a positive
indicator for community development. Ø
SPEAK
training has been carried out and is now is use in the project. This has
given the volunteers encouragement as they can now see the results of the
work they contribute to. Ø
Through
our work with Community Alert we have supported the group with the
implementation of the Caring Peninsulas Project. This project is a
visiting service for the most isolated and vulnerable in our community. We
also hired an outreach worker through the Community Employment Scheme to
visit the elderly on a weekly basis. Funds have also been drawn down to
install security equipment in homes of the elderly and isolated to help
them feel more secure in their own homes. Ø
The
Active Retirement Group previously set up has grown from strength to
strength and hold regular social gatherings. This gives people most
isolated in the community a chance to get out and about and socialise.
This also gives us a chance to meet people in an informal way to discuss
their needs and to come up with solutions to help them. E.g. home help,
and direct them to relevant agencies to ensure they obtain their
entitlements. Ø
In
the past year alone the local Theatre Troupe has staged numerous plays
both on and off the island, which the island community came out in huge
numbers to support. This project was carried out in conjunction with BIPG
who applied for the funding and made it possible for the Troupe to visit
Newfoundland and stage their play. It was also possible to bring Agnes
Walsh, Poet and Playwright to Ireland to carryout workshops in creative
writing and drama for the Bere Island Community. The situation in
Newfoundland is very similar to Bere Island and both communities have
learned form each other. We see using the arts as a great form of
community development as it is filling a recreational and educational need
for the Troupe who are all members of the island community and also a
social outlet for the whole island community who attend all the plays. Ø
We
also carried out a number of classes on and off the island. Furniture
restoration and Art were very popular over the winter months and were
carried out in the community centre. A weekend 1st Responder
course was also held in Castletownbere with a large attendance from the
island. In all 14 people attended first aid courses. The public access
computers have proved a huge success over the past year. Bookings are now
taken to ensure all the community are getting a fair chance to avail of
them. Ø
We
also avail of students who are on student placements to help us with our
work. This year two students under Has Den Bosch College, Holland (which
is the top Rural Development College in Holland) spent three months on the
island and carried out various pieces of work with the youth and the
childcare project. We also availed of a student from UCC to help start the
childcare building project. Ø
We
compile and distribute quarterly newsletters. Every group on the island is
asked to contribute to this newsletter in order to disseminate information
to the community. The newsletter is also available online and from the
overall feedback to date it has been very positive. Ø
The
Bere Island website www.bereisland.net
was carried out originally as a training exercise with John Sawyer, Cape
Clear. From this training the website was created and published to the
internet. The Project Administrator then carried out further training on
website development and marketing and now updates the website on a regular
basis. Ø
Even
though our wind energy project did not go ahead this year a lot of work
was undertaken and achievements made to get the project as far as we did. o
Planning permission obtained o
Power Purchase agreement obtained o
Licence to generate electricity obtained o
Funding in place for sub sea cable, to connect turbine to mainland o
Joint funding application with ESB international to the EU. This
application was unsuccessful therefore the project did not go ahead. Challenges: Ø
No
development with Wind Energy project due to lack of funding Ø
Not
enough information for new Management members (no induction pack but
planned for next year) Ø
Inadequate
space to provide the amount of training requested by the community. Ø
Lack
of facilities for the youth Ø
Lack
of funding to carryout projects to their full potential Ø
No
support agency for approx 8 months Ø
No
proper structures for sub groups. Teamworks had begun this process before
they dissolved. Ø
Inadequate
funding for networking, travel etc. We feel that it is important to
network with other groups/ agencies but due to our geographic location we
have insufficient funds to carry this out to its full potential. Bere Island Projects Group Ltd - Board of Directors & Management StructureChairperson:
Jack Sullivan Vice
Chairperson: Pauline Hanley Secretary: Helen Riddell Assistant Secretary: Marie Orpen Treasurer: Maria Sullivan Assistant Treasurer: Colum Harrington Public Relations Officer: Michael Harrington Staff Member: Bernie Murphy Member: Daniel McCarthy Member: Clyde Carroll The Board of Directors of BIPG is the
Management Committee, which are divided into the three working sub groups,
Staff Liaison, Financial and Organisational Development. Membership of
BIPG is open to all of the Bere Island community with all those over 18
yrs automatically entitled to a voting right in the company. The
Management Committee structure has changed a lot in the past few years. In
2003, Teamworks started work with us on the formation of a Financial
Working Group and an Organisational Development Group as we already had in
place a Staff Sub Committee. This work was not finished and we are now in
the process of reviewing the sub groups with the help of Mid West Support
Agency. The Staff Liaison group has been working very effectively over the
past few years and involves three members of BIPG management committee and
the staff. Following a review of the overall structure two of the three
Management Committee members attend in rotation. Please see attached
policy and contract for Staff Supervision and Support. The committee originally met fortnightly, and then monthly but are again meeting fortnightly due to the increased workload of the staff and also to give extra support to a new member of staff. The meetings usually cover:
Both the Management Committee and staff
agree that this structure works very well and everyone is clear on their
roles and responsibilities. With the help of Mid West Support Agency we
will review this structure on an annual basis to ensure it works as
efficiently as possible. The Management Committee agree good communication
with the staff is the key to successful community development. One rule of
the staff sub committee is that them and only them can tell the staff what
to work on. This rule prevents the staff from being given different jobs
by different committee members or members of the community. The staff plus
the committee find this rule works extremely well for all concerned. Staff
required by the project: The project has had two staff members for the last five years and this
has allowed the group to take on new projects and develop their programme
considerably. The workload is now such that we had to find extra staff to
work on specific aspects of our programme. As there are no resources for
extra staff for the CDP we applied to the EU Leonardo Programme this year
and as a result two Dutch students Jules Bongers and Aajon Lucas came to
the project on a college placement from Has Den Bosch, Netherlands for 15
weeks each. Jules worked with the youth and the childcare project while
Aajon worked on the implementation of the Conservation Plan. To implement
the Conservation Plan Rita Kearney was also hired at the beginning of the
year through resources obtained from the Heritage Council. Please see
attached job descriptions for both Co-ordinator and Administrator. Strategic Aims/ Objectives for the
funding period 2005 – 2006: Our overall vision is: To make Bere Island a better place to live and work for this generation and future generations, to further instil a sense of pride in the uniqueness of our island culture and to encourage people of all ages to participate in their own development and that of the island making it a more viable and vibrant community. We have eight main aims:
Specific objectives are outlined under each aim
in the action plan. Accountability
to the local community: In preparing this workplan we first reviewed and evaluated our 2004
workplan. This was done by the Management Committee and the community of
Bere Island. Open days were held at various venues on the island where the
2004 workplan was exhibited. Everyone was invited to come along and feed
into the evaluation process and into the compiling of our new workplan.
Over two days 11 groups contributed into the new workplan. Once this was
completed the Management and staff compiled the workplan overseen by Mid
West Support Agency. Another open day was held at the community centre
where every member of the community was invited to come and see the
workplan and make any changes necessary. Following full community
agreement the workplan was then forwarded to the Department. Election of Management Committee & AGM: Up until this year the Management Committee
were elected at the BIPG AGM from those present at the meeting.
Nominations were made and proposed and seconded and the individual was
then elected subject to them agreeing. We found this system to have a
negative impact in four ways:
To resolve these issues Dr Harriet
Emerson was hired to consult with the community on how best elections
could take place. The results showed that people wanted a secret ballot
election. In June 2004 BIPG held their first ever election. Nomination
papers were given to every member of the community over 18 yrs. Candidates
had to get their nomination paper signed by 5 members of the community for
it to be a valid nomination or else they could be nominated by 5 members
of the community subject to them agreeing. 4 nominations from different
town lands of the island were received for three vacant seats on the
Management Committee. On June 2nd the elections took place at
the community centre by secret ballot. 97 people came out and voted on the
day, which is the highest level of participation in our elections ever. BIPG’s AGM took place on June 3rd
with the three nominees welcomed to the Management Committee A lot of
people who normally wouldn’t attend an AGM were present to see their
representative take a seat on the Management Committee. We felt that the
whole process was a huge success and could be used as a model for other
groups. Dr Emerson’s report was sent to Minister O'Cuiv who has
indicated he will use this as a model for an overall Island Council to be
used on all the islands of Ireland.
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Webpage created and modified by Bernie 15/08/2006 Email: bereisle@eircom.net |