SECAD Partnership is pleased to announce it has been awarded the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) for the 2018-2022 period in the South Cork Area. SICAP is a national programme funded by the Department of Rural & Community Development and overseen by POBAL. The programme is managed locally by the three Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in North, South and West Cork, and delivered locally by seven Local Development Companies under contract.
SECAD Partnership CLG will deliver work programmes in the SICAP area stretching from Youghal in the east, to the Cork Gaeltacht in the west of the county. Specifically, SECAD will manage the SICAP programme for the communities in the catchments of Youghal, Midleton, Cobh, Glanmire, Carrigaline, Douglas, Ballincollig, Blarney, Macroom and the Muscraí Gaeltacht.
The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Declan Hurley, in commenting on the signing said, “The aim of SICAP is to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. Its vision is to improve the life chances and opportunities of those who are marginalised in society, living in poverty or in unemployment.”
Welcoming the new award, SECAD Partnership Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Howard said, ‘‘This is a critical piece of work for SECAD Partnership. We have been managing social inclusion programmes for over twenty two years but this is the largest and most important award to date. It underpins our work with target groups across South Cork and is an essential element of the broader supports that SECAD can offer to our clients and communities.’’
The programme works through community development approaches, targeted supports and inter agency collaboration where the values of equality and inclusion are promoted and human rights are respected.
The current three year SICAP Programme ended in December 2017. The new five year SICAP Programme begins in January 2018.
The Programme targets the following groups:
• Children and Families from Disadvantaged Areas
- Lone Parents
- New Communities (including Refugees/Asylum Seekers)
- People living in Disadvantaged Communities
- People with Disabilities
- Roma
- The Unemployed (including those not on the Live Register)
- Travellers
- Young Unemployed People from Disadvantaged areas
At the event, the Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Mr. Tim Lucey praised the positive work that has been achieved over the past three years and on behalf of all three LCDCs looked forward to working and achieving even greater results under the new five year programme with all six local development company partners. In addition to SECAD Partnership, this includes Avondhu/Blackwater Partnership CLG, Comhar na nOileán CTR, West Cork Development Partnership CLG, IRD Duhallow CLG and Ballyhoura Development CLG.
