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Offaly Community Forum Mission Statement
“To encourage, support and promote the inclusive participation of the community and voluntary sector in the development of Offaly”
Aims & Objectives of the Forum
- To facilitate mutual learning and networking among groups.
- To give the Community and Voluntary Sector a voice..
- To represent the views of the sector in different arenas.
- To facilitate agencies to seek input from the sector into their policies
- To obtain the views of the sector on existing public services
The Forum currently consists of 350 + Community groups who are represented by 4 Local Area Fora (North, South, West and Mid Offaly).
The 4 area fora collaborate with the Management Committee who direct the work of the Forum The Area Fora meet locally 3 /4 times yearly
The County is divided into 4 local area fora divided by electoral areas and include:
- Mid Offaly Area Forum - groups primarily from Tullamore area
Contact Ann Mc Hugh 057 93 52467
- North Offaly Area Forum - groups primarily from Edenderry area in partnership with North Offaly Development Company
Catherine Bracken 057 93 53670
- South Offaly Area Forum - groups primarily from Birr area
Contact Steve O'Donoghue 057 91 51622
- West Offaly Area Forum - groups primarily from Ferbane area
Contact Declan Costello 057 91 51622
The role of the Local Area Fora includes:
- giving local community and voluntary groups the opportunity to network on a regular basis
- exploring and facilitating collective training locally
- highlighting achievements of individual communities and groups
- exploring the most productive means of responding to local communities
- providing a direct link to OCF
- providing a channel for communication to decision making bodies in the county which have OCF representatives
- electing a Local Area Representative to Management Committee
How the Forum operates
Offaly Community Forum representatives are present as community representatives on 13 decision making bodies (DMB's) in the county who report to the Representatives Sub Committee thus reporting to the Management Committee. All 340 community groups are invited to meet twice yearly at Community Forum All members meetings. Issue/Policy group meetings are developed occasional around themed working groups directed by the Management Committee.
Management Committee Membership is made up of 14 representatives which include:
- 2 Members from Representatives Sub Committee = 2
- 2 Members of each area forum (2 people x 4 area fora) = 8
- 4 Members of Countywide Community Groups =4
For more information on Offaly Community Forum please email ndowler@offalycoco.ie or find a link to Offaly Community Forum website here.