The DLR Public Participation Network is launching its Vision Statement for Community Wellbeing this week including key findings and themes communicated by their members.
The report, mandated by the Department of Rural and Community Development, identifies core issues that member groups and the wider DLR community consider important for their community to be “The best that it can be for this and future generations”.
Key Findings:
- Taking care of our natural assets – parks, coast, heritage, etc. in the county – from both an environmental and asset preservation perspective.
- Community places and resources.
- Transparency in local government – with good communication and engagement.
- Inclusion – Age, youth, and disability inclusion coming out strongest.
- Encouraging Volunteerism – especially youth volunteerism.
DLR Public Participation Network is part of the national PPN network around Ireland, which recently held its annual Conference in Portlaoise. The Public Participation Network is funded by the Department of Community and Rural Affairs and supported by City and County Councils around Ireland. The figures are impressive. With 18,121 member groups nationwide, PPNs represent 1,673,835 people in the community in Ireland, with member Reps on hundreds of county committees around the country.
As part of this growth, the Department has spearheaded and encouraged PPNs around Ireland to engage with citizens and their members in each county to look at Community Wellbeing, and how we can plan for better community living and engagement nationwide. Despite Covid restrictions driving research online, DLR PPN worked hard in 2021 and into 2022 to look at this statement, which has been well timed also with the approval of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s Development Plan and considering EU Strategic Development Plans.
With 531 Member groups in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown PPN and 32 Reps on County Committees here, this Community Wellbeing Statement is representative of the feelings and aspirations of citizens of our county.
The findings, which were responded to under 6 headings, all have common threads as can be seen! Threads which DLR PPN, its secretariat, and indeed its members will gladly want to be highlighted, at both local and national level.
- Health, Physical and Mental.
- Social and Community Development.
- Participation Democracy and Governance.
- Values Culture and meaning.
- Economy & Resources.
- Environment and Sustainability
These findings, representative of everyone in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, will come as no surprise to most of our citizens. These issues and the search for Community Wellbeing has been expedited by community issues around Covid, and how the community responded, both individually and as groups, to coping with Covid and its continued aftermath.
About DLR PPN: DLR PPN has a team of 2 staff plus consultants, is funded by The Department of Community and Rural Affairs and is hosted by Southside Partnership in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. DLR PPN staff are supported by a voluntary Secretariat, elected under the Pillars of Community and Voluntary, Social Inclusion and Environment. DLR PPN also has 32 reps, who represent our DLR community, and their pillars across a wide range of Committees within the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area, giving a voice to all our citizens of the county, through their process. DLR PPN currently has 531 members: Community and Voluntary 423; Social Inclusion 94; and Environmental Pillar 14.
Throughout Covid, DLR PPN provided training for groups right across the county in key areas such as digital upskilling, grant writing, and running AGMs and meetings remotely. DLR PPN acts as a conduit for key citizen information to be imparted, as well as having a role in DLRCC’s response to the continued Ukrainian crisis.
The Full Findings of the Research, including the Methodology are available online at the link below.
Vision For Community Wellbeing Statement DLR PPN
Key contact: Colette Downing, Acting DLR PPN Manager E: colette@dlrppn.ie
Mobile: 087 6394506
Issued by Aileen Eglington, AE Consulting, on behalf of DLR PPN. E: aileen.eglington@aeconsult.ie
Mobile: 087 2505007