Our Impact

The best way to understand how our work at CLDC makes a difference, is to hear the stories from people and communities themselves.

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East Clare Community Co-operative would like to express our profound appreciation for the outstanding partnership we share with Clare Local Development Company (CLDC). Over successive years and through a number of SICAP-funded initiatives, CLDC has consistently supported us in designing and delivering impactful, community-rooted programmes that respond directly to the diverse needs of East Clare’s population. With CLDC’s support, we have provided wellness workshops, intercultural food and music events, and kitchen access for residents in Direct Provision. These activities have created spaces of belonging, healing, and cultural exchange, helping to dismantle isolation, empower individuals, and strengthen the social fabric of our region. These initiatives are not merely services; they are expressions of solidarity and care that ripple through families, neighbours, and communities. At the heart of this work is the CLDC team — a group of deeply committed professionals whose empathy, insight, and unwavering dedication to community development continually inspire us. Their hands-on approach, responsiveness, and willingness to listen and collaborate have made them not just funders, but trusted allies and enablers of grassroots change. Beyond our own experience, we recognise and commend CLDC’s work across County Clare — from their support for social enterprise and climate action to rural recreation, employment initiatives, and empowering marginalised communities. Their model of local development is visionary, practical, and rooted in justice. In these challenging and complex times, the role of organisations like CLDC is not only relevant — it is essential. We are proud to stand beside them in building an inclusive, resilient, and hopeful future for all communities in Clare.

East Clare Community Co-operative (Avia)

CLDC supported us with vital guidance and resources that helped strengthen our governance, secure key funding, making us more resilient and future ready. Their support has made a real difference in sustaining and delivering services in our local community and bringing in fresh energy to our facilities.

Kris ( General Manager , Lisdoonvarna Failte )

Since September (2023), I’ve had regular meetings with Tommy. The sessions have provided me with much needed support and guidance on my career goals and aspirations. I find this type of support very beneficial to my unique set of circumstances. I provide much needed support to three of my bachelor uncles who are each living alone with long-term progressive illnesses. Each of them is illiterate and rely on me to provide support in this area, along with other much needed assistance. The meetings with Tommy allow me to do this in a way that I can do this, while keeping my own personal career aspirations in focus, too. I believe that every person especially the elderly in our community, deserve much-earned respect and care and comfort in these tumultuous times. The meetups with Tommy provide me with much-needed support personally to ensure I can fulfil that role in my family….but also from a career path perspective, it is keeping me focused on maintaining momentum with my career goals. I am very grateful for the service provided.

Sharon Kinnane, LAES Client

With the low milk prices at the moment, the vending machines are saving us.” A family-run dairy farm in north Clare is able to stay in business by selling directly to local people through milk vending machines located in a local car parks. “We knew that we’d never be able to get this off the ground ourselves, so we approached [the LEADER team at CLDC] and told them about the plan,” says John. In addition to bringing people local, fresh, healthy, high-quality milk, Moo’ghna milk also has a positive environmental impact. The use of glass bottles, or bottles brought by the customers themselves, results in a significant local reduction of the amount of plastic packaging being used. “We are eight months in now and we think we have the guts of 100,000 containers saved from the landfill,

John

It was like iScoil caught me when I was falling,” says Ashleigh. “They allowed me to be my true self. It’s all about what you can do with them, not what you can’t do.

Ashley O'Neill

The greatest gift we can have in our life, is to be able to give life to somebody. Days like today [the North Clare Jobs Fair]….a hub like this, a fair like this, a get-together like this, you can’t really put a price on it. It’s to bring people in, together. … It gives an opportunity to put an importance into people, and to put importance to what they’re doing.

Joe Queally, RNLI

I am writing this…with a great sense of gratitude and appreciation for all the help, preparation and assistance that was given to me by Monei and Sean [CLDC Staff]. I have great career aspirations and I am so glad that I got to encounter people who helped me realise that they are indeed attainable. During my meeting with Sean I remember us brainstorming very thoroughly and openly about the direction that I would like my career to take. We edited and fixed my curriculum vitae and he prepped me with industry questions and answers for when the opportunity of a job comes, I should then find myself ready. A lot work was put into assisting me and for that I am eternally grateful. I can proudly say that I secured a very good job with a very reputable telecommunications company through all the work and dedication that was poured into me. I really wish people could take advantage of the resource basin that is found within CLDC for their own betterment, because I am a living testament of this. I really hope this short testimonial does serve as proof of the fact that the work that you do is indeed valuable and that it may reach others who might find themselves at need.

Terence, a CLDC client
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