A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN & CEO
The creation of Cork Civic Life in 2018 to support and promote the great work of the 3,000 voluntary, social, civic, charitable and not for profit organisations in Cork city and county has given us a real sense of the need for every county in Ireland to have its own Civic Life platform. Thanks to the generosity of my good friends for over 25 years, Linda and Dan Kiely who immediately said yes to the concept when I approached them originally. I know from all the years of working with Linda and Dan that their entire business and personal life model is all about supporting people, giving them a helping hand and creating a self supporting model that works for everyone. In asking Linda and Dan to assist me to scale up the Cork Civic Life model so that Cavan Civic Life, Clare Civic Life, Tyrone Civic Life and every county on the island of Ireland would have their own Civic Life platform, they immediately said yes again to continuing to be the Lifetime Patrons of the new island of Ireland initiative. I am truly grateful for their support, partnership, mentoring and friendship.
As a social enterprise I believe that Island of Ireland Civic Life can really assist so many small, medium and large organisations in the voluntary, social, civic, charitable and not for profit sector in every part of our beautiful country, while also connecting the people and organisations in a county with others in other counties. This is so that our shared island philosophy not only works for everyone but benefits the people and communities that so much needs to be done for. With 60,000 of these great organisations in existence all over the island of Ireland, we owe it to the volunteers who give so much of their time to make life better for so many to give them support, promotion and encouragement and that is what Island of Ireland Civic Life is all about and will do for them and all at no cost to them.
I am delighted that the tried and trusted model of Cork Civic Life will expand to benefit all parts of our great country and I look forward to leading the initiative as CEO with the Chairman John Minihan, our Team and each of our 32 members of the Civic Council who will guide us in knowing everything there is to know about the great organisations in their counties. Our job in island of Ireland Civic Life is to support and promote each of these distinctive counties, the amazing organisations and people behind them and help them to maximise their full potential for the benefit of every citizen.