Bundoran to benefit from Cowork Plus
Launch of the “COWORK PLUS” – European cooperation project on co-working spaces in rural areas
This Friday 21st June 2019 at 10am, will see the launch of the DLDC CoLabora coworking project in The BASE Enterprise Centre, Stranorlar, by Minister of Education, Joe McHugh TD. The project, which has a Cooperation Transnational Theme, was recently funded under LEADER to the tune of €177,750 and will see four local organisations in Donegal participate in a training programme in cooperation with five other European partners across Europe including from France, Spain, Germany, Wales and Latvia. The Donegal participants centres include:
- An Craoibhín, Termon www.craoibhintermon.ie
- The Base, Stranorlar, www.thebaseenterprise.ie
- Bundoran Community Centre, https://www.facebook.com/BundoranCommunityCentre/
- Spraoi agus Spórt, Carndonagh www.spraoiagussport.ie
The training will set out to develop spaces while also promoting the economic benefits of creating such spaces in rural areas. In so doing, a greater understanding of best practice, both in terms of both setting up and running co-working spaces, will be reached.
The project objectives are:
- Stimulation of economic development and innovation in the rural region of Donegal.
- Retention of the existing rural population.
- To attract new people from urban areas to the county.
- To attract new co-workers into existing co-working spaces
- Overall improvement of quality of life for inhabitants: a better professional/personal life balance.
Immediate outcomes will include the provision of three new coworking spaces (Termon, Bundoran and Carndonagh) within Donegal over the next six months, working in partnership with the established BASE Centre in Stranorlar along with the establishment of a Donegal-branded Coworking Network. There are many advantages to being a member of the network. For example, one such partner, The Guinness Enterprise Centre, Dublin, – who will be present at the launch – will provide space to Donegal members for meetings they may be attending in Dublin. But there are many more including enhanced networking and collaborative opportunities between spaces both nationally and internationally.
DLDC are very excited about the opportunities that this project will bring to participating organisations and their communities. Frank Kelly, Rural Development Manager with DLDC, says “The CoLabora concept is working very well in many parts of Europe, particularly so in rural Catalonia. We look forward to many similar economic and social benefits that it will bring to Co. Donegal”. If you are currently working remotely from home and wish to join a coworking space please contact any of the above spaces for more information.
This project is supported by: Donegal LCDC, DLDC, Donegal County Council and the Department of Rural & Community Development through grant aid received under The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in Ireland 2014- 2020 “Europe investing in rural areas.