‘There’s work being done that can’t be measured on paper’

THE Ballyphehane/Togher Community Development Project in Cork was established in 1991.

Supported by a Southern Health Board Community Worker local residents, representatives and voluntary groups came together to identify community needs and drawing up a funding submission for Government.

The submission was sanctioned in July 1993, and a two-roomed flat was identified as a base. A project coordinator was recruited, with a part-time administrator added to the team by 1995.

CDP manager Ann Branagan said CDPs link the community together.

“The voluntary management of our CDP has always based its work on what are the current needs of the community at a certain time and have always been able to change and been flexible with those needs. That is why they are needed so much in areas, to know what is happening in their local area.”

In 1997, the CDP secured sufficient funding to purchase and re-furbish a local commercial premises where a low-cost crèche and community resource centre were set up. In the resource centre adult literacy classes and activities for the elderly are held.

Continued development within a few years resulted in the resource centre increasing the number of full-time staff to five, and part-time staff numbers to nearly 20.

However cutbacks in recent times have resulted in the number now standing at three paid staff, an administrator, coordinator and crèche manager, whose work is assisted by a number of volunteers.

Ms Branagan describes as “disastrous” the cutting of funding for a health worker who coordinated elderly activities.

However, with its funding recently being secured through a HSE programme rather than through Pobal, Ms Branagan believes it is on a more secure footing than neighbouring CDPs who are being merged into the local partnership.

“There is a lot of voluntary work as well in the community which is organised around the CDP,” said Ms Branagan.

She added; “Even if a person wanted to volunteer, where do they go? You need a place that will co-ordinate that, that is all going to be lost. In the society we live in now people don’t go to the local shops so much and that. Society is changing – you need a place that you can go and offer your time and experience to be put to some use.

“There is an enormous amount of work being done that can’t be merely written on paper and measured.”