Immediate release: 17 January 2011
Contact:
Gert Ackermann
The Wheel
Tel: (01) 454 8727
gert@wheel.ie
COLLABORATION PROGRAMME LAUNCHED
TO HELP CASH-STRAPPED CHARITIES
Dublin, 17 January 2011- A new programme was announced in Dublin today to help facilitate collaborations and mergers between community, voluntary and charitable organisations.
The Collaborate to Innovate Programme was developed by The Wheel, a national support and representative body for charities, in response to funding cuts and a fall in fundraised income in the community and voluntary sector.
“The country’s 7,500 charities are struggling with an ever increasing demand for their services, while both government funding and public donations are dwindling,” said Deirdre Garvey, Chief Executive of The Wheel.
Ms Garvey added that collaborative working arrangements and mergers offer charities the option of reducing their costs, without necessarily impacting on the vital services they provide.
“Community, voluntary and charitable organisations provide essential services to the most vulnerable in society. Closing their doors should be the very last resort. By pooling their resources in a working partnership, some organisations can deliver efficiencies, while they continue to deliver their joint-missions successfully,” said Ms Garvey.
The Collaborate to Innovate Programme offers up to 20 community and voluntary organisations access to free consultancy and support services to facilitate mergers and collaborative working arrangements. The project is funded by the Vodafone Ireland Foundation.
“We are committed to supporting innovative projects that bring about positive change, and we believe that this timely programme will have a positive impact in communities across Ireland,” said Rosemary Steen, Chairperson of the Vodafone Ireland Foundation.
A series of free introductory seminars will be held this week in Dublin, Cork and Galway. For more information, or to apply for the programme, visit www.bit.ly/gF1gnZ, or call Elizabeth Bolger at The Wheel on Tel: (01) 454 8727.
Note to Editors:
Deirdre Garvey, Chief Executive Officer of The Wheel is available for interview. Please contact Gert Ackermann on Tel: 086 176 9287 or email gert@wheel.ie.
The Wheel is a national support and representative body for community, voluntary and charitable organisations. They provide a wide range of information and support services, advice and training to individuals and organisations involved in community and voluntary activity. They are also a representative organisation promoting both their 890 members’ and the wider sector’s interests.
Interested in what is happening in the community and voluntary sector? Follow The Wheel on Twitter or Facebook for news updates.
The Vodafone Ireland Foundation is dedicated to supporting groups across all segments of society and making a real difference in their community. Since 2003, they have provided funding of €4.5 million for a wide range of community causes. The Vodafone Ireland Foundation is committed to encouraging innovative programmes that bring about lasting change and they make this happen by funding and working with a number of highly respected not-for-profit organisations.
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