South Inner City Community Development Association (SICCDA)

This time last week, we were at the serene grounds of Bloomfield House Hotel, Leisure Club & Spa in Mullingar for a convening of grantees, partners, and experts to discuss about 'Climate Goals & Community Roles'. As a philanthropic hub with a thematic focus on #SustainableFutures, we are eager to shape political priorities on climate and nature as well as ensure community is involved even as we continue our mission of #EqualityForAll. For highlight of the event - https://lnkd.in/ezgHvhpy To learn more about our work in climate & biodiversity - communityfoundation.ie Deirdre Duffy Diarmuid Torney Jim Breslin Rose Wall George Marshall Collette McEntee Seán McCabe Róisín Greaney Davie Philip Karen Ciesielski Leon Diop Cian Walsh John Barry Oisín Coghlan

Many thanks to Third Space Café (Sean Mullan, Chloe Snell & co!) for dedicating their October 'Square Meal' to The Liberties Community Project. Every month Third Space Café nominate a different local charity to be beneficiary of their 'Square Meal' initiative - Third Space staff kindy volunteer their time, Third Space covers all food and overhead costs, attendees pay what they think the meal is worth at the end of the night and all money raised is donated to that months beneficiary charity. € 1,375 was raised for the Liberties Community Project in October- this money will be used to deliver front line services in The Liberties area of Dublin 8. Many thanks to the Square Meal for hosting this year (and consistent support of Robert Emmet CDP since time immimorial) and many thanks to our supporters for their ongoing contribution and particiaption. The Liberties Community Project is the legal voluntary amalgamation of Robert Emmet CDP & South Inner City Community Development Association (SICCDA) and will formally launch on November 7th 2024. Please contact info@thelibertiescommunityproject.ie if would like to learn more about what we do or would like to engage with or support our work.

Describing 'central Dublin' as empty of people and reducing 'central Dublin' to one specific element of it- the North Inner City- is both inaccurate and dangerous. What inner city Dublin needs most is an equitable allocation of resources and appropriate policy- not additional gardai and /or additional population. Many thanks to the The Irish Times for publishing my response today to David McWilliams "Dublin's O' Connell Street has just one resident left. What the area lacks most is not gardai, it is people", Opinion, October 19th.

Are you a Chartered Accountant? (if you are read on, if you're not share this post with someone who is!) Would you like to add value and join the voluntary board of a fun & impactful community development organization? The Liberties Community Project are recruiting for a vacant Treasurer role on our Board of Directors. Take the first step to joining an exciting organisation at an exciting time- click on the link to find out more.

Health Equity is a key indicator of a fair, just and functional society. This relates to both the variation in accessibility to essential health services according to an individual’s socio economic status and the contributory role that socio economic status plays in expected health outcomes in the first place. Routinely collected health data can be and should be utilised by duty bearing agencies to inform resourcing and policy decisions- the lack of an apparent data informed approach to development all too easily leads to the politicisation of decisions and the inequitable, consistent allocation of resources to already well resourced politically literate communities. I am privileged and excited (& surprised!) to have been asked to be an Instructor on Trinity College Dublin Institute of Population Health's ‘Health Equity Training Module’ available to Primary Care Staff. I'm very much looking forward to talking about the relationship between health and socioeconomics especially how rightsholders- in partnership with academics, professionals and community development sector organisations- can directly collect and express data to direct policy and resourcing decisions related to them in the absence of leadership from duty bearing agencies in this regard. Robert Emmet CDP South Inner City Community Development Association (SICCDA)

Robert Emmet CDP / South Inner City Community Development Association (SICCDA) are delighted to have grown our Community Food Programme once again in recent weeks! The programme was initially launched by Robert Emmet CDP in March 2020 as a response to the Covid19 pandemic and associated lock downs but required to be reduced from a high of distributing c.2,200kgs per week to community members in need to the provision of food to individuals accessing charitable services that we deliver. The winding back of this programme was required by a reduction in available space, funding and staff time when our regular activities returned to full swing after lockdown restrictions were lifted in 2022. In recent weeks- thanks to engagement with FoodCloud Growers Project- Robert Emmet CDP / South Inner City Community Development Association (SICCDA) have been able to grow capacity once more and distribute over 600kgs of fresh produce per week to community members in need. Delighted to be back at it.

Happy to have had the opportunity to be included in a star studded roster of community development practitioners as part of South Inner City Drugs and Alcohol Task Force's 'Care in the Community' event in the Mansion House on Wednesday. Well done to Emily Maskas and Keri Goodliffe for organizing a successful event and to Ali Warner for the very inclusive and enjoyable facilitation on the day. It's always fun to have an opportunity to discuss the relationship between environment and community outcomes with an engaged and passionate group- especially when it is generally agreed that clarity and strategic action, in addition to charity, are required to overcome significant structural disadvantage in an area like the SWIC. The lack of relevant data collected by duty bearing agencies is challenging in this regard but it remains possible for community organisations to work collectively to: develop data on the level of provision of relevant resources, the correlation between availability of relevant resources and health / wellbeing outcomes of the local population, steps being taken by duty bearing agencies to remedy the situation and to lobby duty bearing agencies to take remedial action as required / ensure duty bearing agencies are acting in accordance with Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act. If not us, who? If not now, when?' (my catch phrase for the week first heard on Tuesday!)