‘Achieve Together’ offers bespoke mentoring and coaching services to existing Community Services Programme organisations
· Over €4 million in funding over the lifetime of the programme
· Up to 225 organisations to benefit
Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities, Joe O’Brien, TD, has today, 4th October, launched the ‘Achieve Together’ Social Innovation Coaching and Mentoring Programme, aimed at enhancing the performance of organisations supported under the Community Services Programme (CSP).
The ‘Achieve Together’ Social Innovation Coaching and Mentoring Programme
provides over €4 million in co-funding between the Government of Ireland and the European Union under the Employment, Inclusion, Skills, and Training Programme (EIST) which is Ireland’s ESF+ programme for 2021-2027.
The overall objective of the Achieve Together programme is to provide bespoke mentors and coaches to existing CSP supported organisations for a 12-month period.
The aim is to facilitate, support, encourage and inspire organisations attain their social innovation goals and to assist them to provide an enhanced service to local communities.
The launch took place at Skerries Mills in County Dublin, a project funded under the Community Services Programme.
In launching this measure Minister Joe O’Brien said;
“The ‘Achieve Together’ Coaching and Mentoring Program, made possible by ESF+ funding, will help our CSP-supported organisations to grow and provide more services, enhance their employment opportunities – particularly for under-represented groups – and encourage further active participation, in our communities. In doing so, this aligns with commitments under Trading for Impact, the National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027, to grow and sustain social enterprise.”
Minister O’Brien added:
“Many CSP supported organisations may also wish to invest further in products or services, expand their operations to address local challenges, deliver new services to address identified needs and reduce and minimise their environmental impact. This programme will help provide the organisations with the tools to achieve these important objectives for the continued benefit of communities across the country.”
“Social Enterprises are critical to the sustainable development of our communities and this bespoke initiative will enable local organisations to improve their financial sustainability and maximise their social value while also assisting CSP supported organisations to engage with communities in an inclusive and enabling way to address inequalities, all of which support social innovation and local partnership working and align with the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Following the tendering process for the ‘Achieve Together’ Coaching and Mentoring programme, which was launched in July, panels of both Mentors and Coaches have been established.
The programme’s goal is to include 25 small and medium-sized businesses in its initial year, followed by 50 organisations in the following years (2025–2028), reaching a total of 225 organisations over the course of five years.
As part of their role in supporting the Department of Rural and Community Development in the implementation of the ‘Achieve Together’ Social Innovation Coaching and Mentoring Programme, Pobal CEO, Anna Shakespeare said:
“Pobal is delighted to continue to work with the Department of Rural and Community Development on this ESF+ ‘Achieve Together Social Innovation Coaching and Mentoring Programme’. It builds upon the Department of Rural and Community Development supported Community Services Programme through the provision of tailored social innovation supports and developmental measures. It represents an innovative and exciting opportunity for Government and the ESF+, as well as ourselves in Pobal, to support the advancement of social innovation in our community settings.”
There are currently 430 CSP funded organisations throughout the country with circa. 50% of those expected to be selected to take part in the ESF+ ‘Achieve Together’ programme.
