Innovating Communities is a training programme to strengthen local development and community-led action across Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth.

This platform is the place to access training in Design Thinking and take part in a community of fellow learners.

Challenges

Challenges facing the area that might be tackled by Design Thinking

E Governance

Digitalisation / Technology, Education / Training

E Governance

Utilise digital technology to transform governance by increasing transparency, accountability and public participation

National Cycling Centre - Coolaney

Health and Wellbeing, Transport and Infrastructure, Tourism

National Cycling Centre - Coolaney

Coolaney Development Company’s objective is to become a focal point for Ireland’s cycling community and cycling tourists. As a result Coolaney is pursuing development of a National Cycling Centre in our village. This vision is similar to Strandhill Co. Sligo's one of developing a National Surf Centre and, like Strandhill’s surf amenity, Coolaney’s cycling amenity is both unique and world class. Coolaney is already an important location for cycling in the North West: We have fantastic cycling routes in the Ox Mountains and in 2018 these hosted the Irish National Cycling Championships. Our National Mountain Bike Centre is a fantastic resource for Mountain Bikers. Coolaney is located on EuroVelo 1, which is an 11,000 km signposted Atlantic Coast Cycling Route starting in Norway and finishing in Portugal. A Greenway may also pass through Coolaney at some point (Sligo Greenway). Combined we believe these to amount to an ideal National Cycling Centre location & resource.

Clear & prevent litter on our roadsides, parks ...

Development Group, Natural Resources, Biodiversity, Youth Opportunities, Town Centres, Tourism

Clear & prevent litter on our roadsides, parks ...

There is a big problem in Monaghan with litter along the roadsides in both the town and the more rural areas. The canals and along the greenways have become stagnant and filled with rubbish too and these are great features of our town that have been developed in recent years but have since declined a bit. We really need to work on maintaining the work that has already gone into the area! The greenway being extended will be wonderful too but I believe this is already in the plans.

Insurance Costs for community groups and social...

Social Enterprise, Development Group, Local Services, Tourism

Insurance Costs for community groups and social...

There is a lack of competitive insurance provision for community groups and social enterprises. Small Community groups and charities could be forced to cease operations as a result. There may be an opportunity for a social enterprise to meet this need.

Help Sustain Social Enterprises using alternati...

Social Enterprise, Smart Villages, Development Group, Natural Resources, Climate Action, Space, Tourism

Help Sustain Social Enterprises using alternati...

Investigate Natural Resources available locally

Local Climate Dialogue

Climate Action, Biodiversity, Health and Wellbeing, Circular Economy, Tourism

Local Climate Dialogue

Bringing climate action down to local (county or regional) level, empowering community and individual ownership of the problem.

Health and well being

Health and Wellbeing

Health and well being

Encouraging self care, eating well and learning to look after our own mental health. Healthy body, healthy mind..

Improved accessibility for people with disabili...

Business, Children and Families, Local Services, Space, Town Centres, Transport and Infrastructure

Improved accessibility for people with disabili...

Improved accessibility for people with disabilities to towns, villages, transport, businesses, etc.

Irish Cultural Activities

Children and Families, COVID, Education / Training, Health and Wellbeing, Youth Opportunities

Irish Cultural Activities

Provide opportunities for all generations to participate in Irish cultural activities - language, song, dance, recitation, drama

Inclusivity & Sustainability of a New Community...

Health and Wellbeing

Inclusivity & Sustainability of a New Community...

We wish to generate a myriad of activities that adequately meets the need of everyone in the community and beyond. In particular we want to address inactivity and social isolation, particularly among the older and younger generations, as well as those with additional needs. We want to explore how to motivate people to become more physically active in pursuance of health and wellbeing.

Create New Community Woodlands

Biodiversity, Business, Children and Families, Climate Action, COVID, Development Group, Education / Training, Health and Wellbeing, Local Services, Natural Resources, Space, Town Centres

Create New Community Woodlands

The Covid 19 2km and 5km restrictions further highlighted the the need for woodland in and near our towns. People of all ages have a renewed appreciation of the importance of woodlands to our health and well-being. We have a great opportunity to bring more woodland into our towns, making them healthier, more attractive places to live, work and visit, while also helping to improve biodiversity.

Migrant Community Strategy

Children and Families, Development Group, Tourism, Health and Wellbeing, Local Services, Social Enterprise, Town Centres, Youth Opportunities

Migrant Community Strategy

Plans of action for integration into the community. Long term goals in each county to achieve inclusion of migrants arriving and living in their county. Taking action leading to education of both Irish and migrants living together. Reducing discrimination of a minority group. It would be great to develop a Multicultural Centre as a means to provide services to incoming migrants and for events related to integration. A fabulous way for Irish and migrants to come together.

Exclusive Design thinking community

Business, Circular Economy, Development Group, Education / Training, Health and Wellbeing, Local Services, Natural Resources, Social Enterprise, Youth Opportunities

Exclusive Design thinking community

The challenge is to bring together government agencies, social groups,business and individuals within our communities of all levels of understanding in relation to design thinking in an exclusive environment to recognise the value each has to offer in the development of our communities. To share and learn from each other, together.

Positive mental health through life-enhancing a...

Development Group, Health and Wellbeing

Positive mental health through life-enhancing a...

Havin' a Laugh's mission is to assist with the promotion of positive mental health through life-enhancing activities, connecting to people and Havin’ a Laugh. They believe that life-enhancing activities will be acknowledged as a legitimate and essential part of mental health recovery in the near future and that those who are ‘up for it and at it’ have a platform from which they can support those who do not yet have that drive. Their values include teamwork, respect, fun, creativity, pro-activity and being an inspiration to others

Services for young adults with an intellectual ...

Development Group, Youth Opportunities, Local Services, Health and Wellbeing, Children and Families, Tourism

Services for young adults with an intellectual ...

Rosses Sheltered Workshop and North West Parents and Friends want to examine changes to their day services to allow for more social involvement and community engagement

Festivals - evolving to work in a new environment

Social Enterprise, Business, Development Group, Brexit, COVID, Digitalisation / Technology

Festivals - evolving to work in a new environment

Festival groups looking at the challenges brought by COVID restrictions, BREXIT, inflexibility of funding to meet these changes, new ways of delivery.

Men's Shed Development

Social Enterprise, Development Group, Local Services, Health and Wellbeing

Men's Shed Development

Men's Sheds from around the county addressing challenges around governance, membership recruitment, sustainability and succession planning

Kilglass Village development

Social Enterprise, Business, Development Group, Digitalisation / Technology, Connectivity / Broadband, Space, Local Services, Children and Families

Kilglass Village development

Kilglass Community Council generating ideas to repurpose vacant buildings in the community to address local needs and services

Development of Traditional Music and Culture

Education / Training, Tourism

Development of Traditional Music and Culture

Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann groups considering new ways of developing and promoting Irish Traditional Music and engaging with the diaspora

Community Centres - a new way to work

Children and Families, COVID, Development Group, Digitalisation / Technology, Education / Training, Health and Wellbeing, Local Services, Youth Opportunities, Connectivity / Broadband

Community Centres - a new way to work

Idea generation for new services and service delivery in community centres around the region

Branley's Yard Creative Collective

Social Enterprise, Business, Development Group

Branley's Yard Creative Collective

Development of Branley's Yard as a creative hub and development of weekly market

Tubbercurry Carbon Neutrality

Smart Villages, Climate Action, Town Centres

Tubbercurry Carbon Neutrality

Community, Business and Sporting Organisations in Tubbercurry examining Micro-Generation opportunities and becoming a carbon neutral town

Moy River Conservation

Biodiversity, Natural Resources

Moy River Conservation

awareness-raising and community-based conservation initiatives in Ox Mountain communities for the tributaries of the river Moy

Sligo Communities Action Planning

Biodiversity, Brexit, Business, Children and Families, Circular Economy, Climate Action, Connectivity / Broadband, COVID, Development Group, Digitalisation / Technology, Education / Training, Food & Drink, Health and Wellbeing, Local Services, Natural Resources, Smart Villages, Social Enterprise, Town Centres, Transport and Infrastructure, Youth Opportunities, Space

Sligo Communities Action Planning

Bringing Sligo Community groups together to identify priorities and actions for the area

Adventure Tourism

Business, Brexit, COVID, Health and Wellbeing

Adventure Tourism

Adventure Network looking at generating more business into shoulder season, particularly if there are opportunities to open for business in 2021

Secondary school for Blackrock Co. Louth

Education / Training

Secondary school for Blackrock Co. Louth

The population of Blackrock/Haggardstown is growing and I've identified a need for a secondary school in the area. The first step with any idea is to find a problem and design a solution with the people at the core. The 3 primary schools in the area are full. With a local secondary school children could walk or cycle to school and wouldn't need to rely on public transportation as much. I've brought this idea to local TDs. I have a survey ready to go just need people to respond.

Rural Attractiveness - in areas such as Corcaghan

Development Group, Digitalisation / Technology, Connectivity / Broadband, Local Services, Transport and Infrastructure

Rural Attractiveness - in areas such as Corcaghan

We do have a good community centre in Corcaghan but not the broadband nor any local link service - rural attractiveness goes hand in glove with good infrastructure such as broadband, schools, shops, transport, half decent roads; there is far less community togetherness in the rural areas like Corcaghan for projects like growing or improving the areas we live in, those sort of projects always seem to be in urban or village settings

Bringing together remote workers with a communi...

Social Enterprise, Smart Villages, Business, Development Group, Digitalisation / Technology, Connectivity / Broadband, Space

Bringing together remote workers with a communi...

Our vision is to create a co-working and incubation centre for remote workers in the area. This was a pre COVID vision and we are trying to get the idea off the ground, to bring together a group of like-minded people to create a community of working professionals with a view to incubation and offering local growth and employment in the future

Aclare Playschool to Aclare remote hub

Smart Villages, Connectivity / Broadband, Local Services

Aclare Playschool to Aclare remote hub

we have a relatively new former playschool building that is derelict and would love to change to a remote hub , building was built in 2005 and derelict since 2014

Spraoi Glas

Social Enterprise, Smart Villages, Business, Biodiversity, Youth Opportunities, Local Services, Health and Wellbeing, Children and Families

Spraoi Glas

A safe environment for people of all ages to meet outdoors, to get involved in growing vegetables, self sufficient, healthy and grow personally.

Diversification of the rural economy for future...

Business, Natural Resources, Biodiversity, Local Services, Circular Economy, Food & Drink

Diversification of the rural economy for future...

Trying to encourage and promote farm and rural diversification and in particular on farm diversification, thereby using the assets of the farm for non agricultural activities in order for the farm household to be viable in the future. This is becoming increasingly important in terms of small farms, succession farming and environmental impacts.

Employment

Business, Youth Opportunities

Employment

Micro internships offering short term (and paid?) remote work to people seeking employment

Seed Saving Training

Natural Resources, Climate Action, Brexit, COVID, Circular Economy

Seed Saving Training

Equip local community gardens and or groups with skills to save and share food seeds. COVID and Brexit have / are / will out a strain on our access to seeds in Ireland for growing our own food.

Digital Inclusion

Smart Villages, Digitalisation / Technology, Connectivity / Broadband, Space, Education / Training

Digital Inclusion

Encourage and reimagine existing rural spaces such as community halls, parish houses, clubhouses etc as digital hubs. These spaces can install / improve wifi and or utilise the connection more effectively. Local people can learn digital skills here and much more, enhancing their skillset and reducing digital and physical isolation.

Climate Change

Development Group, Climate Action, Biodiversity, Youth Opportunities, Education / Training, Town Centres, Children and Families

Climate Change

To inform communities on how to act effectively and quickly to protect local habitats, sustain and build on urban green areas and provide community garden spaces and bring programmes into schools to teach how communities can make changes to protect their local environments and lobby government to effect bigger changes.

Rural Decline

Smart Villages, Local Services, Transport and Infrastructure

Rural Decline

The population in many rural communities in our county continues to decline. This impact on community services, on social and economic activity in our villages and towns is noticeable and significant. There are a number of reasons for it and some are policy related. Communities can respond to help stop and reverse this.

Improve Rural Attractivness

Smart Villages, Business, Connectivity / Broadband, Youth Opportunities, Local Services, Health and Wellbeing, Children and Families

Improve Rural Attractivness

Our county is mainly rural and like all rural areas, we need to maintain and increase the levels of people living in our rural areas. If populations decline, a spiral of decline can commense - less people living in the area can lead to a decrease in public services, which in turn leads to less people being willing and interested in living in the area. Many young people leave reural areas for further education and to explore the world. But how can we balance this and ensure our rural communities continue to grow and become sustainable. Attracting people to choose to live and work in our communities is been seen as one possible solution. But whats the best way to achieve this?

Climate Change - Just Transition

Social Enterprise, Smart Villages, Climate Action, Circular Economy

Climate Change - Just Transition

Climate Change presents many challenges to our communities. But the impacts can be more profound for those on the margins. For example, a carbon tax on fuel impacts all, but the more well off can afford the higher fuel costs and or can better afford to invest in alternative heating solutions.

Reduce isolation in older people

Children and Families, Health and Wellbeing

Reduce isolation in older people

Lots of older people across our communities are feeling lonely

Setup community transport for outlying villages...

Smart Villages, Youth Opportunities, Local Services, Town Centres, Children and Families, Transport and Infrastructure

Setup community transport for outlying villages...

A regular shuttle bus that is free for oaps and children to get them into towns with an app to tell you location of bus or to request pickups/dropoffs

Attract young families to the area

Children and Families

Attract young families to the area

What can we create make the region attractive to young families?

Coordinate when festivals happen across the region

Smart Villages, Youth Opportunities, Town Centres

Coordinate when festivals happen across the region

Bring all festival organisers together

Make design more accessible to everyone

Open up ideas in heritage buildings

challenge bank

Groups

Spaces to share thoughts and ideas with others about topics of interest

B'More Hens Shed

Leitrim

B'More Hens Shed

B'More Hens’ Shed was founded in 2018. We provide support to all Women. The activities of our Shed are varied, and interests are wide-ranging depending on the needs and interests of our members.

Kilygordon Amenity Team Enterprises

Donegal

Kilygordon Amenity Team Enterprises

Voluntary Community Organisation

Killygordon & Crossroads YC

Donegal

Killygordon & Crossroads YC

Youth club since 2011

8 Rays Leitrim

Leitrim

8 Rays Leitrim

8 Rays Leitrim is a volunteer lead community and social group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI+) people in Leitrim and the surrounding areas.

Training Team

N/A

Training Team

We coordinate and deliver the Design Thinking training programme on this web platform. Get in touch if you need any help.

all groups

What is Design Thinking?

Design thinking is a process that puts people at the heart of solving challenges.

It can be applied to any challenge from helping young people access better job opportunities to developing a community wind farm.

You will learn how to EMPATHISE with the people affected and DEFINE the challenge.

You will be supported to develop IDEAS, then TEST and PROTOYPE solutions.

What's New

And we're off! Watch the Regional Launch here.

Start your journey by signing up today