The CWI Annual Report covers the period from July 2022 to June 2023 and was presented at the CWI AGM on June 30th

Chairperson’s Note

I am pleased to present the Community Work Ireland Annual Report, which spans the period June 2022 – June 2023.

In the past year, we have seen many challenges emerge, grow and become ever more embedded in our communities, challenges that CWI has been to the forefront in addressing. In particular I would like to highlight the CWI response to the significant increase in migration to Ireland as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine’ as well as increasing numbers of people seeking asylum here. CWI has collaborated and supported community workers working at the coal face to respond effectively – to network and build solidarity and support. The worrying increase in far-right mobilisation and their manipulation of local communities online and on the streets has been challenged effectively by community workers with CWI support in collaboration with the Hope and Courage Collective and will continue to be an important part of our work for the coming year.

CWI has continued to support the work of the All-Ireland Endorsement Body for Community Work Education and Training  to advance the community work discipline and profession. The joint CWI/AIEB work on Continuous Practice Development for community workers is an important initiative and one which will continue into the future.

The realities of climate change and biodiversity loss are key issues that community work must begin to address. The new CWI/National Women’s Council project, Feminist Communities for Climate Action, funded under the Community Climate Action Programme is an important development. The project focusses on developing a feminist, community work approach to climate action and climate justice. I welcome the collaboration with Maynooth University that will see the development of an accredited programme of training for community workers in this area.

The initiative to support the inclusion of marginalised communities in planning and decision-making was a welcome collaboration between CWI, DRCD, ILDN and others and we hope that it will improve engagement with communities all over the country.

Community Work Ireland continues to have a role supporting the Community Development Programme. The programme is essential in starting to build a new, dynamic autonomous community development infrastructure, which, as all CWI members know, is central to meeting the challenges faced by marginalised communities throughout the country. The inclusion of three new projects this year brings the total number of projects funded to ten and is testament to the work of the first seven projects whose strategic and effective work illustrates clearly the need for the programme and the impact that it can have. Whilst this small expansion is to be welcomed, we must continue to advocate and campaign for additional funding to build and further expand the programme so that many more communities can benefit.

I would like to acknowledge the commitment of the CWI Central Group members that are stepping down at this year’s AGM – Liam McGlynn, Georgina Lawlor, Obert Makaza, Féilim Ó hAdhmaill and Seán Regan.

Finally, I would like to thank the staff team, the members of the CWI Central Group and all CWI members that are actively involved in the work of the organisation. Without you, the work of Community Work Ireland would not be possible.

Ann Friel, CWI Chairperson