COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, March 13, 2023
HEADED ITEM NO. 12
COMMUNITY GRANTS – MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FUND (FOR NOTING)
South Dublin is currently served with thirty-five primary community facilities across the County and with plans to significantly expand this network in areas of new and additional development including Saggart, Balgaddy, Citywest, Kilcarbery, Killinarden, Ballycullen and Clonburris.
In working to ensure that centres are sustainable and well governed with boards of management engaging in strategic forward planning to maximise the use of and benefit of centres ot their local communities, including through collaboration and synergies with other centres, a significant additional budget provision was made to provide appropriate supports for centres to progress on this pathway.
An initial survey of all boards of management was undertaken last year to gather key information on governance structures, board skill sets, facility usage, programmes of activities and staffing models. Survey data and information from our local community development teams show that while all community centres are generally catering for large numbers of local residents and offer a considerable range of different activities and services targeted at meeting respective local community needs, there are some gaps in the strategic planning focus and management skills of several boards of management.
A number of centres also report ongoing difficulties with the lack of adequate staffing resources and/or funding to support staffing costs within centre. Support from labour activation programmes such as the Community Employment scheme, while continuing to provide a vital source of staff support, is increasingly inadequate due to continued high levels of participant vacancies across many of the activation schemes. These factors are often leading to reduced centre opening hours.
The new funding provision is now being aligned with the community grants funding that is traditionally used to support the community centre network with management assistance grants and funding for operational costs and running events. This provided the opportunity for a combined new management support fund to best respond to the identified current needs of boards of management, to also develop and improve governance levels and enhance strategic thinking including synergies between centres where appropriate, and to provide streamlined events funding and increased running costs funding.
As signalled to the Elected Members, the new Community Centre Management Support Fund was introduced in December 2022 with details circulated to relevant boards of management and a deadline of 13th January 2023 for receipt of completed applications. This offered the opportunity to apply for financial supports under the three defined funding strands within the one application:
- Strand 1) Operational Costs
- Strand 2) Employment, Training & Governance
- Strand 3) Local Community Events
The application process further interrogated the centre usage patterns, ongoing running costs, existing management and staffing structures. Where boards were applying for funding for additional staff and supports, details of the envisaged additionality, facility management and governance enhancements long-term sustainability were also required and future progress will be measured against these projections. Boards of management were also asked provide copies of their annual business plans and to commit to participating in governance training workshops and networking events to be organised by the Community Department.
A total of thirty-three applications were received and assessed with due consideration given to existing core funding and income levels for each centre and how allocations of funding would assist centres to improve both service delivery to the local communities and make improvements to centre management operations.
For Elected members' information, the Community Services Department has now approved funding of €672,830 for various community facilities as follows:
|
Community Facility |
Operational Costs |
Employment, Governance & Training |
Community Events |
Totals |
|
Bawnogue Youth & Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€30,000 |
€5,300 |
€43,300 |
|
Belgard Youth & Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€0 |
€3,400 |
€11,400 |
|
Knocklyon Youth & Community Centre |
€5,000 |
€0 |
€0 |
€5,000 |
|
Knockmitten Youth & Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€1,000 |
€5,600 |
€14,600 |
|
St Marks Youth & Family Centre |
€8,000 |
€0 |
€0 |
€8,000 |
|
Brookfield Youth & Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€0 |
€5,300 |
€13,300 |
|
Earlsfort Residents Centre |
€5,000 |
€0 |
€0 |
€5,000 |
|
The WEB Project |
€8,000 |
€235 |
€3,300 |
€11,535 |
|
Quarryvale Community & Leisure Centre |
€8,000 |
€550 |
€5,800 |
€14,350 |
|
Fettercairn Community & Youth Centre |
€8,000 |
€1,560 |
€3,400 |
€12,960 |
|
Whitechurch Community & Youth Centre |
€8,000 |
€15,990 |
€3,300 |
€27,290 |
|
Kingswood Community & Leisure Centre |
€5,000 |
€3,550 |
€5,600 |
€14,150 |
|
Jobstown Community & Youth Centre |
€8,000 |
€26,000 |
€4,600 |
€38,600 |
|
The Park Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€25,000 |
€5,000 |
€38,000 |
|
Rathcoole Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€3,000 |
€5,000 |
€16,000 |
|
St Aengus Community Centre |
€5,000 |
€2,000 |
€3,500 |
€10,500 |
|
Rowlagh Community Centre |
€0 |
€25,000 |
€1,900 |
€26,900 |
|
Saggart Schoolhouse Community Centre |
€6,000 |
€30,000 |
€2,000 |
€38,000 |
|
St Finians Community Hall |
€8,000 |
€23,220 |
€3,900 |
€35,120 |
|
Greenhills Community Centre |
€3,000 |
€0 |
€5,800 |
€8,800 |
|
Neilstown Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€30,000 |
€2,600 |
€40,600 |
|
Perrystown Manor Estate Community Centre |
€3,000 |
€30,000 |
€0 |
€33,000 |
|
Kilnamanagh Family Recreation Centre |
€3,000 |
€0 |
€4,400 |
€7,400 |
|
Fettercairn Youth Horse Project |
€3,000 |
€0 |
€2,700 |
€5,700 |
|
Glenasmole Community Association |
€8,000 |
€30,000 |
€3,400 |
€41,400 |
|
Firhouse Community & Leisure Club Ltd |
€3,000 |
€3,515 |
€2,000 |
€8,515 |
|
Adamstown Youth & Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€25,000 |
€4,700 |
€41,200 |
|
Dominics Community Centre |
€5,000 |
€880 |
€1,900 |
€7,780 |
|
Ballyroan Community & Youth Centre |
€8,000 |
€4,370 |
€500 |
€13,230 |
|
Palmerstown Community & Youth Centre |
€8,000 |
€30,000 |
€3,900 |
€41,900 |
|
Ballyowen Castle Youth & Community Centre |
€5,000 |
€20,000 |
€4,100 |
€29,100 |
|
Killinarden Community Centre |
€8,000 |
€0 |
€2,200 |
€10,200 |
|
Totals |
€203,000 |
€364,730 |
€105,100 |
€672,830 |
In addition, the Community Development team had invited grant applications from community groups interested in organising St. Patrick's Day Parades and Celebrations for their local vareas and a number of grants were awarded as follows:
|
Organisation |
Application |
Amount |
|
4 Districts St. Patrick’s Day Parade C/O St. Marys GFC |
St Patricks Day Parade in Rathcoole & Saggart villages |
€3,500 |
|
Lucan St. Patricks Day Committee |
Lucan St Patricks Day Parade |
€5,000 |
|
Clondalkin St Patricks Day Parade |
Clondalkin St. Patrick’s Day Festival |
€5,000 |
|
St. Patrick’s GAA Club |
St Patricks Day Parade |
€1,500 |
|
Total |
|
€15,000 |
These grants are subject to the terms and conditions of the Council’s Community Events Funding scheme and provision was made for this expenditure in the 2023 Budget.