Progress Overview AGM 2018 February 2019
Presentations: • Overview & Progress Deirdre Harte Scheme Updates: • Business Investment Emma McGill Richard Allen, Oakfire Adventures • Village Renewal Emma McGill Bronagh Kearney, Jack & Jill Playgroup Plumbridge • Basic Services & Broadband Claire McDaid • Rural Cooperation Linda White Programme Updates: Deirdre Harte • Animation & Finance
Funding Schemes SCHEME FUNDING % TARGETS PROGRESS Rural Business Investment £2,586,000 45% 29 businesses 37 businesses 68 new jobs 90.5 new jobs (projected) Rural Basic Services £1,725,000 30% 11 feasibility studies 19 feasibility studies 11 projects 10 capital projects Rural Village Renewal £1,206,400 21% 15 village plans 15 village plans 12 projects 1 project complete Rural Broadband £230,000 4% 1 project Not progressing Rural Cooperation £432,600 7% 2 projects 3 projects 9 networking events 9 networking events 3-4 studies 3 studies
Rural Business Investment Scheme Objective Target Actual % against Projected % against Number Number target Number target Support at least 29 businesses 29 37 127% N/A* N/A* 68 new sustainable jobs (Full Time Equivalent) 68 54 79% 90.5 133% 48 people benefit from receiving a capital grant 48 36 75% N/A* N/A* At least 3 people complete bespoke training 3 10 333% 22 733% At least 2 businesses start to export as a result of grant 2 3 150% 7 350% At least 2 businesses introducing or expanding e- 2 1 50% N/A* N/A* business *= Dependent on ongoing assessments (remaining call 5 applications and future call 6 applications)
Rural Business Investment Scheme Presentation by Richard Allen – Oakfire Adventures Ltd - Call 2 - £50,000 in May 2017 to implement Zip Trekking facility - Call 5 – £48,000 in February 2019 to implement Aerial Trekking facility - Activity Tourism incorporating high levels of innovation - No of jobs created to date = 2.5 FTE - No of jobs to be created through Aerial Trekking = 1.5 FTE - Total job creation of 4 FTE
‘Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.’ Steve Jobs – Former CEO & Co- founder of Apple
Who am I? Richard Allen Education ? School, Causeway Institute, University of Ulster What experience? Diary Farm, Coach IRFU, guide South Africa, personal trainer, night porter, dishwasher, labourer……
How did OAKFIRE start? • Law change June 2005 • Grants available for farm diversification. • Worked to gather start up funds
Zorbing & Giant Swing 2012
August 2015 held Ireland’s hardest obstacle course. Next event is on June 22nd 2019
What next? • Research, research and then some more research. • Talk to folk, get feedback, share idea and gauge reaction. • Online is good but experiencing is another. • Visit sites, use different systems.
ZIP TREKKING • Successful business model • Other areas expanding • We have the terrain-trees, rocks, levels • Within budget / our means
The RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME • Was the funding workshop helpful / informative? • Process of applying – time consuming / a lot of work required • The business plan / financial projections / quotes • Competitive, no guarantees you will receive funding
Receiving Letter of Offer / LOO No LOO No project
Benefit's Created jobs that are long term and sustainable. Outdoor recreation – health benefits / fresh air. Meet the demands for activities in the current legislation. Attract tourists / bringing people to the area.
Start up capital? match funding your project • Saved money – happy days • Angel Investors – give up equity / lose control • Crowd Funding – hard to find / difficult to manage • Banks – hard to squeeze money out of
Common thread • Expanded every few years • Stayed within our means • Built around what was already there • Expanded when EU grants were available / Rural Development Programme • Demand for services
Advice Get your statutory permissions in • place Believe in yourself and your idea • • Do not be afraid to fail Pick the people you want to work • with Work hard nothing in life is free • • If you do your best you do not have to worry what others are doing. • Be realistic
Working with others Collaborations
What’s next? Birthday Parties / Forest school Future Oaks Project Activity Hub Collaborations to Glamping? link woodlands
‘Always deliver more than expected.’ Larry Page – Co-founder of Google
Aerial Trekking?
Village Renewal - Selected Villages Project (£35,000 grant) 15 Cluster Village Plans 9 Small Access improvements /trim trail Cluster Village Plans incorporate all 49 rural Drumahoe settlements within the Council area ensuring every Donemana Regeneration of space for community use village receives benefit. New civic space with feature clock Killeter Clady New entrance/gateway features & minor Project (£183,000 grant) 4 Strategic environmental works New entrance/gateway features & minor Claudy Castlederg Access & Environmental environmental works Improvements Plumbridge Revitalisation of derelict & vacant site Newtownstewart Play Provision (Mourne Play Park) Environmental improvement scheme Park Sion Mills Play Provision (Site T.B.C) Artigarvan Enhancement of existing play area and adjacent picnic facility Newbuildings Access & Environmental Improvements Ardstraw Enhancement of existing play area
Village Renewal Scheme Presentation by Bronagh Kearney – Jack & Jill Community Playgroup - Plumbridge awarded £35,000 to revitalise a derelict, vacant site on Dergbrough Road - Area had suffered significant flood damage in August 2017 - Jack & Jill Community Playgroup now based on the site - First completed village renewal capital project
Jack and Jill Community Playgroup Plumbridge VILLAGE RENEWAL SCHEME RECIPIENTS
28 th August 2017 - Floods Outdoor Play Area destroyed and large container washed away Collateral damage inside - deluge of mud and water
What happened next?? Children due to start one week after the floods Council contact Rural Development – Village Renewal Grant - Proposed Council Owned Site - Application Process April 2018 – Successful application
The new site – regeneration in rural area Site work commenced quickly on derelict ground. A perfect site in the village for a community building.
June 2018 – Arrival of Portacabin The group was delighted to have the unit delivered. August 2018 – Group received keys for the unit and able to make preparations for September 2018 intake of children October 2019 – Official Launch
The Playgroup - 2019 The Finished Project
Thank you!
Cooperation Scheme International Appalachian Trail : • Integrated Consultancy (ICT) design team appointed • Audit of Derry Strabane section of trail to identify works • Agreement of timescale for procurement and works. • Marketing tender for overall Ulster-Ireland trail • 3 Inter-LAG/DAERA meetings with officers from all participating LAGs • Regular meetings with Council officers (Tourism, Marketing & Capital Dev) • Potential spend of approx. £277k in Derry Strabane LAG area
Rivers based Access and Recreation Project : Lead LAG – Causeway Coast & Glens • Preparatory Technical Support 1 (PTS) - procurement and appointment of consultants to undertake scoping study (JM Consulting) • Agreement of sites to be progressed in Derry-Strabane area • Drafting of specifications for the capital works at selected sites; • Going forward - second stage Preparatory Technical Support to appoint a design team • LAGs from Latvia and Estonia joined the project as project partners in 2019.
Yellow Frames (All N.I Project) • Causeway Coast & Glens (CCG) project with Estonia identified as a pilot by DAERA for an all-LAG NI wide project • Installation of a yellow frame and interpretation panel • LAG Board agreed a short-list of six locations in the Council area that are in public ownership. • Sites are subject to further investigation • 2 meetings of DAERA, LAGs and RDC to explore and progress project Yellow Frame at Tartu, Estonia
Cooperation Scheme - networking • DAERA / LAGs Cooperation update meeting held in Cookstown in June 2018 • Three board members attended the OECD Rural Development Conference “Enhancing Rural Innovation” in Edinburgh, Scotland from 9 th – 12 th April 2018 • One board member attended the UK LEADER Annual Capacity Building Event in Llandudno, Wales on 27 th September 2018. The focus of this event was on Evaluation and best practice. Three board members attended the European LEADER Seminar in Austria from 15 th – 17 th • October. This seminar focussed on the role of LEADER, added value, new challenges and opportunities.
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