A Rural View

Galwayman Joe Potter is the chief executive of Westmeath Community Development, the county leader in promoting social inclusion and stronger rural communities.WCDL evolved from the local LEADER programme into a broad-based partnership, co-ordinating an array of projects to dig deeper foundations for communities already established in Westmeath.Now, as the recession begins to bite, Joe reckons that the tough times ahead will make the organisation all the more relevant.'The future holds a lot of challenges for us, and it"s true to say that the development of the organisation coincided with the "boom" times,' Joe told the Westmeath Examiner.'But on the positive side, rural communities are very resilient, and there is more need than ever for an organisation like this to encourage volunteers, and to retrain people to get them involved in business.'Coming from a background in agricultural science, Joe previously worked in an agricultural co-operative. His career then took a new direction in 1995, when he moved to Mullingar to manage the LEADER programme in Westmeath.As one of the driving forces behind the creation of Westmeath Community Development - which now incorporates LEADER - Joe has become the public face of the organisation, and plays a key role in building a bridge between people and the institutions of government.A native of a small village outside Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, Joe is now a resident of Collinstown, where he settled with his wife Marian and their four children fourteen years ago.Living in a country village, and becoming actively involved in the community, has allowed Joe to develop a keener understanding of what makes rural communities in Westmeath tick.'I suppose in a way, I"ve always been involved in community work, since I was around 14. I grew up in a rural parish, and from that age I involved myself in organising carnivals and dances. I was also very much involved the GAA, and my home club of Menlough.'When I moved to Collinstown, I became very active in the board of management of the school, and I also became a member of Lough Lene Gaels,' added Joe, who is a GAA and horse racing enthusiast.His youngest daughter is currently studying for her Leaving Certificate at Loreto College, Mullingar, and Joe has also played an active role on the school"s Parents" Advisory Council.Another of Joe"s three daughters is studying Community and Youth Work at NUI Maynooth, and hopes to take up a line of work similar to that pursued by her father - something he"s obviously very proud of.Westmeath Community Development"s progress over the past number of years is also a great source of pride for him.The most recent major step taken by the organisation under Joe"s charge took place in 2008, when WCDL amalgamated its programmes with those of Athlone Community Taskforce.'We had never really been established in Athlone, and this was a great weakness for a while,' Joe said. 'But it"s been a significant move, and we"ve increased the size of the organisation. It means a far bigger responsibility, larger numbers of staff and people involved on schemes.'At present, the partnership employs 45 full-time staff, and caters for over 100 people involved on its various schemes and projects.'I"d like to pay tribute to the staff,' Joe continued. 'Our job here is to bring resources to County Westmeath, and to build a bridge between the community and the State, and with that in mind, we"re also very appreciative of the voluntary efforts of thousands of people throughout the county.'Joe explained that while the LEADER programme accounts for one-third of WCDL"s work, a large part of the organisations activities includes the implementation of the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) in Westmeath.Calling on his team of development staff, it is among Joe"s tasks to direct LDSIP funding towards a host of programmes and projects being implemented in Westmeath.Among these are the Rural Social Scheme, which employs two supervisors and 34 farmers, who work in their local communities delivering services and developing projects. This project is overseen by Delvin man, Tony McCormack.Rochfortbridge resident Ian O"Flynn, meanwhile, is the co-ordinator for another project, the Westmeath Volunteer Centre, which employs a manager, an outreach worker and hundreds of volunteers working on projects throughout the country.Other busy schemes orchestrated by WCDL under the LDSIP include the Open Door Projects in Mullingar and Athlone; the Community Mothers Programme in Mullingar, the Jobs Club, a Business Training Programme and other initiatives.Upskilling is the buzzword in helping Ireland dig its way out of the recession, and while Joe Potter says that Westmeath Community Development boasts a 'substantial education remit', most of this is directed towards young people in schools, in a bid to give direction to young students contemplating an early departure from the classroom.Although WCDL doesn"t have all the answers in these challenging times, Joe reckons that the organisation is ideal for helping the county maintain its competitive edge.'One has to be positive. If rural communities are kept active, and if people in places like Delvin, or Collinstown or Castlepollard can take ownership of their problems, then they become so much easier to solve,' the Galway native remarked.'One thing we could do is get together with groups of unemployed people, speak to them, and see how they could get involved in a training programme which would provide them with new skills.'For example, Joe pointed out that many people had 'lost the art of cooking', while others might want to go back to more organic practices like gardening.Westmeath Community Development, he contends, is in a unique position to provide people hit by the recession with an opportunity to pick up these skills, and in so doing, make themselves self-sufficient.