Diocesan News23 Jan 13

Community Empowerment at Clooney Parish (Derry & Raphoe)

Community empowerment was on everyone’s mind as the full range of organsations in All Saints Parish in Clooney came together for a special evening on Tuesday 15th January in Ebrington School. The themes of the evening was to encourage each organsation to take initiatives that will benefit their local community, making a difference to people. This is part of a wider diocesan commitment in Derry and Raphoe for parishes to be agents of positive transformation in their local community.

Anyone travelling along the Dungiven Road, out of the city, will notice that the building of the new hall for All Saints Clooney is almost complete. Whilst looking forward to the opening of this new facility the Rector, Rev Malcolm Ferry, said “The hall is not just a new venue. It is an opportunity for all of us in the parish to offer hope for the future”.

All Saints has formed a Parish Caring Association. Part of its purpose is “to improve the lives of families in the Waterside area of Londonderry – serving the needs of the local community. Rev Ferry talked about the long tradition of service to the local community from the parish. He said, “This new hall and the work of the Parish Caring Association is simply building on what has gone before.”

The International Fund for Ireland has been one of the key funders for the new hall. As part of their support they have given the Parish Caring Association a funding package under its Community Based Economic and Social Regeneration programme which will see many of the local groups reap the benefits.  As well as this, it will allow All Saints Parish  Caring Association to work across the city with neighbouring community organisations and indeed on a cross border basis.

The meeting on Tuesday 15th was undertaken to encourage each organisation in the parish to get involved in this exciting new venture and to outline as to how local groups in the parish might avail of the new facilities and programmes. It proved to be an energetic and creative evening of ideas for all concerned.