Limavady launch community forum

The Community Forum was established due to extensive consultation with the community sector in Limavady,

The Forum was established to provide a ‘voice for the voluntary sector in Limavady and Catherine stated that ‘she felt there was a need to have such a Forum especially due to the changing funding climate and the Review of public administration. There is a need to work collaboratively.

Catherine wished to thank all members of the Forum and the committee for their dedication and hard work, along with her colleague in Council for her excellent administrative support.

Niall Murphy, Chairperson of Limavady Community Forum stated that: ‘Limavady Community Forum is a much needed resource for community groups and organisations working in the Borough, coming together, sharing good practice. It also provides a vital lobbying platform for groups who can often find it hard to get their message across to decision and policy makers in local and central government’.

‘Additionally the Forum is a means by which local groups can combine their voices and make a real impact on issues such as funding and community services.’ ‘On behalf of the groups who make up the Forum I would also like to pay special thanks to Limavady Council and in particular Catherine Farrimond for her on-going support of this initiative without whom the Forum would certainly not have been created’.

Raymond Craig, Chair of Oakleaf and member of the Forum and keynote speaker said that ‘Limavady Community Forum will be the mechanism for future consultation, it will be a lobbying body for the community sector in the Borough.

The Mayor, Councillor Michael Coyle, said this is an exciting time for the community/voluntary sector and the Forum will be a strong support system for the organisations in the sector. I would like to thank all the members of the forum and the committee for their sterling work and wish them well for the future.