Members Spotlight

Profile

Adekunle Gomez is the secretary and programme director of the African Cultural Project (also known as, The Africa Institute in Ireland). The main objective of the African Cultural Project is to provide information on Africa to the Irish public. Through the facilitation of cultural and educational events featuring Africa’s rich and diverse cultural traditions, the project aims to promote an understanding of the African continent and of the countries and people of Africa. The African Cultural Project has collaborated with a variety of institutions throughout the years including the National Concert Hall, the Chester Beatty Library, the Irish Writers’ Centre, the Public Library system, Local Authority Arts Officers, Alliance Française Dublin, University Language departments, and others.

When did your organization/group join the PPN?

African Cultural Project has been an active member of the Dublin City community since joining the Council’s community forum in 1999. It continued this participation by joining Dublin City PPN in 2017.

What was your main reason for joining the PPN?

According to Adekunle, some of the main reasons that the African Cultural Project joined Dublin City PPN were to have a voice in local government, to network with other community groups, and to share promotional messages with the wider voluntary community.

Have you or other members of your organization/group ever been a member of the Secretariat or been elected as a representative?

In 2019 Adekunle Gomez was nominated as a representative on the Arts, Culture, Leisure, and Recreation Strategic Policy Committee (SPC). The following areas fallunder theresponsibility of the Arts, Culture, Leisure, and Recreation SPC: Events & Festivals; Libraries; Archives; Museums; Galleries; Arts; Parks and Open Spaces; Casual trading; Control of Horses & Dogs; School Meals; Sports and Recreation Centres; Sports Development.

How often would you normally engage with the PPN in a week/month/year?

As a representative on an SPC, Adekunle attends a minimum of five meetings a year, normally held every two months. He is also a member of Dublin City PPN’s Migrant Thematic group. This group was created in 2021 as a space where migrants can meet and discuss the PPN, and how they can become more involved in committee work and PPN activities. The migrant thematic group had their first in-person meeting in January 2023 which Adekunle attended and since then he has been in contact with the group either in person or online multiple times. Throughout the year, he also attends other events and training workshops organised by the PPN and its members.

How do you report back to your group or organization with updates on PPN proceedings?

After attending SPC meetings, Adekunle reports back to the African Cultural Project’s board of members with updates and information relevant to the organisation.

Has the PPN assisted your group in the development of any projects or initiatives? If so, can you explain?

Adekunle explained that being a member of the PPN has allowed the African Cultural Project to make new contacts and network which has helped to spread awareness of their work. Moreover, through participation in the Arts, Culture, Leisure, and Recreation SPC, Adekunle was able to connect with other arts organisations to collaborate on certain projects. By attending training events, he was also able to gain valuable information such as fundraising tips and how to be an effective representative.

What advice would you give other community groups in getting involved with the PPN?

Adekunle recommended that any current or prospective members of the PPN try to make the most of being a part of a PPN. It is a great way to get in involved in your local area and it provides an opportunity to influence local decision-making and to form connections with other members of the voluntary sector. He noted that membership in any community organisation or network will not always be easy, there will be times when outcomes might not be as expected but it is important to not let disappointment discourage you. He ended by saying, ‘Work with what you have and build upon it’.

The Irish Blue Cross animal welfare charity was founded in 1945 by a group of like-minded people determined to prevent the live exportation of Irish horses to the continent for slaughter. It wasn’t long before the group realised that the plight of Dublin’s sick dogs and cats desperately needed to be addressed. The solution came when the first Irish Blue Cross mobile clinic hit Dublin’s streets in 1953, prioritising it’s presence in areas where there was highest demand for charitable veterinary services.

In 2009, our small animal clinic was established with state of the art facilities at our base in Inchicore, Dublin 8. The opening of that clinic, complemented by our mobile clinics, has made an immeasurable difference to so many communities across Dublin and without our support, many families would struggle with providing necessary care and assistance for their pets. Today, our clinic services have expanded to ten locations across Dublin each week day evening, locations such as Cabra, Tallaght, Blanchardstown, Crumlin, Ballyfermot, Ballybrack, Smithfield, Walkinstown, Finglas and Donnycarney. Where pets require more comprehensive clinical examinations and treatments, they are referred to our Inchicore clinic.

A practical and caring approach is at the heart of our clinical work and our veterinary team provide information and support to our clients, educating on how to be a responsible pet owner and ensuring precious pets have a happy and healthy life. Since our foundation, well over half a million family pets have been treated and demand for affordable veterinary care continues to grow every year. Our clinical team receive thousands of pet visits each year covering all aspects of veterinary care including health-checks, x-rays, blood tests, microchipping, neutering and other surgical procedures. In addition to our small animal work, we operate a horse ambulance service that attends all Irish racecourses and events, working closely with veterinary surgeons to assist injured horses. For more information, please check out https://www.bluecross.ie/

The Irish Blue Cross rely heavily on donations from the public and the goodwill of supporters to continue our work. With the loyal support of many volunteers, we host an action-packed calendar of fundraising events each year including the very popular Bark in the Park™ sponsored dog walk, flag days, collections and appeals. All donation towards our on-going work are always welcome. You can donate at: https://www.bluecross.ie/ways-to-help/donate/

TOG hackerspace is a based in Dublin City. It is a shared space where members can have a place to be creative and work on their projects in an environment that is both inspiring and supportive of both new and old technologies. We had our first meeting on the 21st of January 2009 with a group of 17 people, some who had never met before, came together to form a group with the intention of setting up a hackerspace in Dublin. The meeting was great and everyone was full of enthusiasm.

In less than 3 months we had membership coming in from over 20 members and a roof over our head. The space is fully funded by its members and gives members 24/7 access to work on a project or just a place to hang out. 

Victim Support at Court or V-SAC, is the only voluntary service in Ireland dedicated solely to court accompaniment for victims of crime, their families and witnesses. They are at the forefront of delivering a high quality court accompaniment service within the Irish judicial system.

If you have been the victim of a crime, their court accompaniment service can help you while you attend court.

In this spotlight video about V-SAC we speak with three of their volunteer coordinators and volunteers to discuss their roles in supporting victims of crime while they are attending court.

Ruth Powel and Beatriz Cintas Cantarero of the Dublin City PPN explain what a Public Participation Network is, how it works, how it benefits the local community, and how you can get involved.

The Dublin City PPN is the main link through which Dublin City Council connects with community and voluntary, social inclusion and environmental groups. The PPN will provide groups with:

• Opportunities to influence decision making
• Access to information – on finance, consultations, developments
• Training
• Opportunities to network with other groups
• Community representation and organised engagement with Dublin City Council

The PPN has made a number of videos of some of our member organisations which showcase what they do and how their organisation benefits from being a PPN member.