Let’s make sure that ALL voices are heard!

Let’s make sure that ALL voices are heard!

**Everyone who lives in Clare can vote in the Local Elections!**

In preparation for the June 7th Elections, we (along with some of our other community organisation friends!) will be running two public stalls in Clare, for National Voter Registration Day on April 30th, to remind everyone to check the register and to get registered in plenty of time.

These stalls will be on from 4- 8pm April 30th in Shannon Town Centre and in Clare Museum Ennis. Please come along if you want help registering. Also remember you can register yourself online at www.checktheregister.ie.

#WeAreCLDC

Poetry shows us what is possible

Poetry shows us what is possible

The poem you see here was written by Daniel Meehan, a participant in our “Stepping Stones” programme. Stepping Stones is a personal development programme that supports people to develop both personally and professionally. Daniel shows us poetically the impact that this programme can have. Thanks to Geraldine Lyons of Breaking Beyond for her fab facilitation!

Describing the programme, Geraldine says,

“I love to watch participants as they cultivate awareness of themselves. Appreciating how their beliefs can influence their behaviours, helps them to realise that change is possible and make a difference in their own lives. Add some action into the mix and this is where the magic happens! My heart soars as I witness them taking responsibility for the steps that are required, and the weekly sessions offer a safe space to explore challenges and successes that they encounter along the way. The only downside is that the time passes by so quickly! I am so grateful for the trust that both CLDC and especially the participants place in me to support them on their journeys. Only one question remains… When is the next one starting?!”

Stepping Stones is offered to folks through our Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) in CLDC.  We are proud to be your community organisation and to support folks in this way!

Find out more about Geraldine’s work by clicking here: Geraldine Lyons on LinkedIn

See more of our positive community impact stories here: 

Transforming Lives Through Horses: A Clare Social Enterprise delivers positive change

Transforming Lives Through Horses: A Clare Social Enterprise delivers positive change

In the tranquil Clare countryside, Niamh and Máire are providing an innovative approach to personal development and mental health support, with the help of some unlikely partners – horses.

Combining Niamh Harney’s expertise as an equine professional with Máire Kennedy’s background in mental health, their collaborative efforts are yielding profound transformations for individuals and groups alike.

Equine Centred Services is a Social Enterprise, which is a business whose objective is to achieve a social, societal or environmental impact, rather that maximising profits. They work with a lot of teenagers as well as children and adults, and they also provide sessions for groups like staff teams, community groups and mental health services.

Central to their method is the concept of “experiential learning.” As Máire explains, “It’s not talk therapy; it’s experiential. We learn about ourselves through the experience of interacting with the horses.” There is no riding involved – clients are on the ground in a large arena with Niamh, Máire and the horses. The arena acts as the story board, and the client steps in and becomes part of it. The horses might become characters; like ‘dad’, or ‘fear’, or maybe ‘the calm one.’ “The client sees what the client sees,” says Máire. “It’s amazing what they see.”

Niamh adds, “We believe that the client has the solutions. We don’t have anyone else’s solutions. We help them find their own solutions.”

The presence of horses, with their innate ability to remain present in the moment, serves as a catalyst for self-discovery and mindfulness. “Change can happen so fast,” observes Máire. Clients often find themselves experiencing profound insights without the need for verbal communication. “People really experience themselves in their body,” says Niamh. “As they calm, the horses calm. The actual experience of what’s going on, that’s what brings change.”

“It can be easy for us as humans to be fixated on our stories,” Máire adds, “of what has happened, what was happening or what might happen. But here, we are focused on the present moment, what is actually happening right now. Clients come out of the arena knowing, ‘This is what I’m really feeling. This is what is really going on for me.’ And if you come to that – that realization and acceptance – that’s when you can start to change.”

Niamh started Equine Centred Services herself in 2016, and says that she received crucial support along the way from Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) in navigating the challenges of starting a social enterprise.

Niamh wants to encourage anyone with a passion project to understand how important it is to seek support early on. “This business was from my heart,” she said. “I thought it would all be easy because I loved the work. But there’s times where you’re stuck, filling out forms or doing accounts or giving a presentation or those things that aren’t your strong points, and you can’t move forward. If I hadn’t had someone to reach out to for a bit of support when I hit those blocks, this business never would have happened.”

In addition to training programmes and support networks, Niamh also got one-to-one mentoring. “You can’t measure the importance of these things. If I could give one piece of advice, I would say: Reach out for support sooner! I never even knew I needed the support, and now I wish I had reached out sooner.”

Clare Local Development Company is a community organization that supports individuals and communities to overcome obstacles and build resilience in their own lives and communities. They operate a Social Enterprise Network which supports people like Niamh to contribute to a better world. As Niamh’s own Equine Centred Services continues to touch lives and inspire change, it stands as a testament to the power of social enterprises in Clare in creating a brighter, more compassionate future for all.

April News! Clinics, Research, Pilot Projects & Photos, oh my!

April News! Clinics, Research, Pilot Projects & Photos, oh my!

Get the inside scoop on April’s news! 

Events + courses, Community news, CLDC news and some staff highlights and photos to boot! 

In this issue:

  • One-to-one employment supports: Outreach clinics
  • Self-Care & Motivation workshops
  • Roma Inclusion Project celebrations
  • Exciting peer-led TY pilot project
  • Peer-led Traveller research (First of it’s kind in the country!)
  • Kilrush Projects + Network
  • Lissycasey walking trail in the news
  • CLDC seeks new Board members
  • Staff photos!
Recruiting volunteers for your organisation: Free workshop April 24th!

Recruiting volunteers for your organisation: Free workshop April 24th!

Coming up April 24th! 

The next event is on for our ongoing Connecting Clare Communities series! 

This workshop will focus on helping your community group or organisation to find, reach, and recruit volunteers! 

Workshop runs from 10am – 2pm, with lunch provided. 

CLDC is partnering with Clare Volunteer Centre and the Clare Public Participation Network (PPN) to deliver this series of workshops.

 We hope you will join us!