Arigna LEADER Tel: +353 (0) 71 96 46186

Rural Social Scheme

Rural Social Scheme The scheme provides community based work on a part-time basis. This scheme will bring many benefits to rural life and rural communities have great expectations of what this scheme will deliver for their locality. This scheme can deliver many measurable benefits to their local communities. The rural social scheme is specifically designed for rural people and its operations and structures will operate in a farmer friendly manner. The scheme will recognise that the eligible participants in receipt of social assistance are not unemployed, are not technically seeking work and also that they have a wealth of experience and talents that need to be preserved for generations. It is intended to operate the scheme so that the talents of both farming and fisherman and women will be harnessed for the good of the community. As a result this scheme is a community work programme with a focus on the provision of direct services in the community. The Rural Social Scheme is not a training scheme, Community Employment Schemes will remain in place for people who want to retrain for entry into the labour force. With its training emphasis C.E will compliment the work focus of the R.S.S programme. The work to be undertaken will fall into the following broad categories Projects relating to maintenance and enhancement of waymarked ways, agreed walks, bog roads etc. Village and countryside enhancement projects Environmental maintenance work - maintenance and caretaking of community and sporting facilities Projects relating to not for profit cultural and heritage centres: Energy conservation work for elderly and less well off; Social care and care of the elderly, community after-school groups and community pre-schooling groups; There are currently 197 Participants on the Arigna LEADER Rural Social Scheme covering Leitrim and North Roscommon. All works been carried out by the scheme is determined by over 80 Community Groups who submitted work plans for completion through the scheme. The scheme currently has 9 supervisors running the scheme on the ground. Each supervisor covers specific geographic locations within our Catchment area. The details are set out below:-
Lough Allen Ck on Shannon North Leitrim South Leitrim North Roscommon North East Roscommon North West Roscommon	– – – – – – –	Padraig Deane, Claire Carty Brian Dolan Margaret Sharkey Seamus Shanley, Lisa O’Donnell John Cregg Dolores Neary Mike Carty		– – – – – – –	28 Participants 27 Participants 24 Participants 36 Participants 20 Participants 30 Participants 32 Participants
The scheme has completed a variety of works over the course of the past year. The vast majority of work completed has been in the area of village and countryside enhancement projects and environmental maintenance work, maintenance and caretaking of community and sports facilities. The schemes have also completed development and maintenance work on various walking routes and waymarked ways in the area.
Way Marked Ways & Walks			Village Enhancement Projects
Community Groups Community groups have a very important role to play in the role out of this scheme as they will determine and put in place the various work plans which the participants will be employed to deliver. Community groups are asked to submit project work plans for their respective areas, these plans should outline the various tasks being put forward and a timetable for their completion. A template will be forwarded to all groups who wish to apply with a proposal. Groups should also ensure that any works they propose to have completed by the scheme have relevant permission from local authorities, Duchas etc. Terms of the Rural Social Scheme (Participants) The scheme aims to provide communities with valuable experience which workers will bring to the scheme improving their existing skills and talents of local farmers and perform valuable work in their local communities. Individual applicants are asked to contact Arigna LEADER where an application form will be forwarded out to them to complete. Applicants to the scheme will be required to confirm with Department of Social & Family Affairs that they are eligible to participate on the scheme. Successful applicants for the scheme who are in receipt of Farm assist, Unemployment Assistance or Unemployment Benefit may not receive this payment from the Department of Social & Family Affairs so long as they participate on the scheme.

Community Projects
Project Application Community Groups Applications forms and details on the scheme are available below or on request from Arigna LEADER. Work plans should outline the various tasks being put forward and a timetable for their completion within a 12 month period. Community Application Form Rural Social Scheme (Participants) To be eligible to participate an individual must be in receipt of: Farm Assist or have a herd number and be in receipt of one of the following long-term Social Welfare payments Unemployment Assistance, Unemployment Benefit if previously on CE and disability allowance. The dependent spouse of a person qualified will also be eligible to participate in the scheme as an alternate, i.e. instead of the spouse to whom the herd number is allocated. Participant application forms and details are available below or on request from Arigna LEADER. Participant Application Form For further information on the scheme and availability of places please contact Arigna LEADER, The Enterprise Centre, Arigna, Carrick on Shannon, Co.Roscommon. Tel: 071-9646186 Fax: 071-9646188 email: rss.leader@iol.ie www.arignaleader.org