ConneXions

Closed

ConneXions is a two-tiered project that will: • Establish eight cross-border social network infrastructures for disabled people; and • A Strategic Forum to collaborate on addressing the barriers to social networking faced by disabled people resident in border areas. ConneXions will result in: • Eight, self-sustaining social networks in Armagh, Monaghan, Derry, Letterkenny, Cavan, Enniskillen, Newry and Dundalk; • Action research arising from the development of the social networking infrastructure that will inform the development and agenda of the Strategic forum; and • Development of joint plans, strategies and actions for the delivery of public services that will better support social networking for disabled people resident in border areas. The project will be underpinned by the development of a ConneXions website that will support virtual and actual social networking for the target group throughout the lifetime of the programme. At the end of the project virtual social networking opportunities will be accessible to the target group through mainstream sources and the information to support actual social networking will be maintained on the ConneXions website by Cedar and NLN. The project will have the following phases: • Delivery of capacity building training to social network drivers; • Establishment of social network infrastructures in the four target areas and initiation of action research; • Commissioning of ConneXions website; • Establishment of Strategic Forum; • Strategic Forum exploration of issues raised by the action research; • Project Evaluation; and • Project mainstreaming. The project will be led by The Cedar Foundation, partnered by the National Learning Network (NLN), two major disability organisations operating in the North and South of Ireland. The project will involve collaboration with a range of public sector organisations through the establishment and activities of the Strategic Forum.

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