Shape the Future of Community Support in Clare.
Connecting Clare Communities is a programme designed to support local volunteers, community groups, and organisations across County Clare. It provides practical training, shared learning, and opportunities for collaboration to help communities grow stronger together. Supported by LEADER funding, the programme focuses on real, on-the-ground needs, offering accessible learning for both new and established groups.
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- Connecting Clare Communities
Photos from a recent Connecting Clare Communities event in Ennis. At the roundtable discussions, participants shared ideas on how to tackle shared challenges and create positive change, where everyone contributes their skills and resources to benefit the community as a whole.
The programme offers workshops and supports on key topics such as:
- Grant funding opportunities
- Writing strong funding applications
- Community development skills
Workshops are often co-designed with participants to ensure they meet the real needs of local groups.
Building Inclusive Communities
Connecting Clare Communities is a collaborative initiative supporting community groups across Clare through training, mentoring, workshops and networking. It is shaped by feedback from local groups and responds to the practical needs of volunteers, committee members and community leaders. The programme covers governance, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, digital skills, collaboration and long-term sustainability, while also creating opportunities for peer learning and shared action across the county.
Full List of Initiatives include:
- Co-design with community groups so the programme reflects local needs.
- Workshops and webinars on practical, real-world topics.
- Mentoring and one-to-one support for groups at different stages.
- Support with governance and committee roles.
- Help with grant proposals and funding applications.
- Guidance on volunteer recruitment and retention.
- Building digital skills and online confidence.
- Supporting collaboration, capacity-building and long-term sustainability.
- Practical skills training for groups working on local projects.
- Networking events that bring volunteers, trustees and local leaders together.
Anneli Vaughan
Project Administrator
avaughan@cldc.ie
087 1882778
Past Events
Connecting Clare Communities regularly delivers workshops and events tailored to community needs. Topics include funding applications, community engagement, and building local capacity.
Our next community event - Stay Tuned!
Our theme for this event is “Moving from aspiration to activation – goal setting for your group/organisation in 2024.”
Start the year afresh with inspiring speakers, breakout workshop sessions, meeting other like-minded people in the community, and a yummy full lunch to boot! This event promises to be nourishing and supportive for anyone who is a part of, or leading, community change.
Join us on Sept 29th, from 3pm – 6 pm, in the Templegate Hotel in Ennis!
Clare Local Development Company, Clare Volunteer Centre and Clare Public Participation Network invite you to join us at ‘Connecting Communities in Clare’, an afternoon of networking and workshops for volunteers, activists, community leaders, charity trustees and members of community groups.
Why you should come?
* To be inspired, revitalised, and connected
* For practical skills around collaboration, participation, advocacy, communication, inclusion, resilience building, telling your story and more.
* Meet other people in the community who are making a difference
* Meet the agencies and networks that can give you the support you need
* For the craic, the chats, and the free snacks!
After a tumultuous few years resulting in burn out for many, it is time to rebuild, celebrate our successes to date and to share our suggestions for the future of Clare communities.
“So many people who are involved in their communities are burnt out, exhausted, overwhelmed, or fed up,” says Anna Swisher, the keynote speaker for this event. “It’s very easy to feel like you’re going at it alone. But you’re not. We’re all in it together. And we’re part of a much bigger story, and each of us is playing a significant role. It’s really important to take a moment to step back, reconnect, and remember why we’re doing this in the first place.”
Anna Swisher facilitates “Active Hope” programs for community groups and organisations that restore, revitalise and inspire people to meet the adversities they face with more creativity and resilience. Following the keynote speech, round table workshops will be facilitated by staff of the partner organisations, to share knowledge and practical skills for building community impact.
Places are limited so please reserve a FREE ticket!
Connecting Clare Communities
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!
A series of free events and workshops is underway, covering a range of topics that are relevant to the needs of the communities. These workshops are being designed directly from the feedback we have collaboratively received from our communities. All three organisations (CLDC, ClarePPN, and Clare Volunteer Centre,) work closely with communities on the ground, and we all work to respond quickly to the needs of the community.
This page is updated regularly; please come back to see what we have planned!
