Social Inclusion & Community Activation Programme

In 2014 SICCDA along with 12 Dublin inner city community development organisations, came together to ensure the much-needed development and delivery of social, economic and cultural services continues within our communities.  All thirteen groups (known as The Coop) are partially funded by SICAP as well as by a range of other statutory and non-statutory funders and operate in the most disadvantaged areas of the inner city. The Coop operates to community development principles and a social inclusion ethos forms the basis for all communication with stakeholders.  We work to increase equality of access to information, education, training and employment for our most marginalised local individuals and groups. An essential element of the work of the Coop is with ‘hard to reach’ target groups.  The ‘hard-to-reach’ are those perceived as difficult to engage due to their social circumstances, characteristics and behaviours, and their institutional relationships, such as not using health or other services. Hard to reach communities and individuals are diverse but they include those who face barriers to participation, including economic and social barriers, such as, but not limited to class, income/wealth, geographic location, language, age, gender, ethnicity, education, residential status, health and religion.

SICAP has three goals which are focused on strengthening community development, providing education and training, and preparing people for employment. These goals are:

  1. To support and resource disadvantaged communities and marginalised target groups to engage with relevant local and national stakeholders in identifying and addressing social exclusion and equality issues;

  2. To support individuals and marginalised target groups experiencing educational disadvantage so they can participate fully, engage with and progress through life-long learning opportunities through the use of community development approaches;

  3. To engage with marginalised target groups/individuals and residents of disadvantaged communities who are unemployed but who do not fall within mainstream employment service provision, or who are referred to SICAP, to move them closer to the labour market and improve work readiness, and support them in accessing employment and self-employment and creating social enterprise opportunities.

Who is it for?

SICAP has specific ‘target’ groups to ensure it is a targeted and focused programme. Only people who are from one or more of these groups are eligible for support under the programme:

  • Disadvantaged Children and Families

  • 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)

  • Low-Income Workers/Household

  • Travellers

  • Young Unemployed People from Disadvantaged areas

  • NEETs (Young people aged 15-24 years who are not in employment, education or training).

This video gives an overview of the work of the programme…