About Us
Background
We established our project in Letterkenny over 20 years ago and have planned and organised various programmes over those years to meet the needs of our community.
Purpose
We are a voluntary group of caring and supportive people. Our ambition is to improve our community for all, by encouraging participation, personal development and inclusiveness throughout our programmes and facilities.
The main reason for our voluntary work is to make a difference in our community and to give gratitude for the Town and County that we live in. We also gain a wonderful sense of achievement, self-worth and fun in our own lives; by working with so many different people from all areas and nationalities.
Service
We are based in Letterkenny town and outreach many of our programmes throughout County Donegal. Our Service users are the unemployed, older people, youth at risk, ethnic communities, isolated men and women, lone parents, people on low income, people with disability. To help keep us up to date with the needs of our community, we draw our membership from our service users who form part of our management committee.
Structure
Letterkenny Community Development Project is legally constituted as a Company Limited by Guarantee (CRON 348842) and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. We are also a registered Charity (CRA RCN 20062460) (CHY 16997) whose Management are all volunteers who give their time freely to help those who are vulnerable in our Community.
Charity Shop
We have established a charity shop in The Courtyard Shopping Centre which helps us generate additional income to help us cover our expenses. We use the shop to support new communities that are disadvantaged by war etc. We also provide voluntary work for people from these new communities to help them address isolation and encourage them to integrate in our community.
Our Partners
We take a partnership based approach to all the work we do in the community and work in association with other community groups and statutory organisations.
Donegal County Council
► We are represented on the Public Participation Network and Secretariat
► We work in association with them with our environmental team
► We are represented on the Joint Policing Committee
► We are represented on the Letterkenny Town Forum
Donegal Local Development Company
► Men’s & Women’s Health Days
► Bealtaine Event for Older People
► Halloween Event
Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce
► We are a member of the Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce
► Halloween Event
► Christmas Carol Trail
► Christmas Live Nativity
Donegal ETB
► Community Education
► Training Course for people with educational needs
North West Regional Drugs/Alcohol Task Force and HSE Social Inclusion
► We are represented on the Northwest Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force
► We employ 2 Outreach Addiction Workers
► We have established a Community Employment Scheme for people who are in recovery from addiction, which includes 4 participants from all over Ireland who are resident in Whiteoaks Rehabilitation Centre's Step Down House “Carlin House”
The Department of Social Protection
► We sponsor a Community Employment Scheme, which has 24 participants, and we have 2 sub-sponsors: Donegal Cheshire Apartments with 2 participants and Donegal Travellers Project with 2 participants.