Jan O’Sullivan TD, Minister for Housing and Planning at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government this morning launched a Community and Social Enterprise Programme for Limerick. The programme is being delivered by Limerick City Enterprise Board and PAUL Partnership on behalf of the Limerick Regeneration Agencies.

Minister O’Sullivan praised Limerick City Enterprise Board and the PAUL Partnership for their role in designing and delivering this comprehensive year long programme aimed at increasing capacity in the community, at identifying community and social enterprises and at developing these enterprises to create sustainable jobs in the community.

Speaking at the launch Brendan Kenny, Chief Executive Officer of Limerick Regeneration said that the objective of the Limerick Regeneration Agencies is to improve the quality of life for residents within key Limerick City locations. While this can be achieved through the creation and implementation of a Programme for a radical new landscape in these areas the key to success is in the creation of jobs in the areas and the building of community capacity to either make or take jobs in the future.

Eamon Ryan, CEO Limerick City Enterprise Board outlined the elements of the CSE programme:

The Community and Social Enterprise Programme (CSE) is a 4 phase programme designed to build community and social enterprise capabilities among community in Limerick in order that they can stimulate greater interest in building community and social enterprises. Community leaders who undertake this programme will develop the skills necessary to have an on-going impact in their communities in building a strong, supportive and positive environment where community and social enterprise can grow and flourish.

Phase 1 is a series of 2 Masterclass Seminars in March 2012 designed to give community leaders, social entrepreneurs, policy makers and business owners the opportunity to look at examples of real projects that are helping to build stronger communities as a means of creating jobs and building skills.

Phase 2 is the Community and Social Enterprise Leaders Training and is critical to the success of Phases 3 and 4 of the Programme. Community leaders who undertake this programme will develop the skills necessary to have an on-going impact in their communities in building a strong, supportive and positive environment where community and social enterprise can grow and flourish.

Phase 3 of the programme will be the identification and selection of 12 community or social businesses/business ideas who will participate in Phase 4, the Enterprise Development Programme.

Phase 4 is the Community and Social Enterprise Development Programme where 12 businesses/business ideas will be taken through a practical development process to assist in the start up and success of the business ideas. The programme will comprise taught content, case studies, practical work, group work, peer learning and mentoring and will be organized in 4 2-day modules between September and December 2012.

By working with families, Early Years practitioners, local services and service providers, Start Right seeks to (a) Enhance the capacity of parents, families and services to work collaboratively to improve the health and well-being of children, with a particular focus on learning and development and (b) Develop integrated work practices and resource sharing strategies in the Early Years sector across statutory, community and voluntary agencies.

PAUL Partnership wishes to recruit a Development Worker to support the Start Right programme. Reporting to the Coordinator of Social Programmes, the post will be based in the PAUL Partnership offices.  Subject to funding the post is for two years, on a salary scale of €38,082 to €46,658. The salary scale is frozen and under review.

The application form and job description are available to download from links at bottom of this page or from Majella Moloney, Information Officer, PAUL Partnership, Tait Business Centre, Dominic St., Limerick. T: 061 419388 or E: info@paulpartnership.ie

REPLY BY APPLICATION FORM ONLY. Shortlisting will apply. Closing date March 16^th 2012 and interviews will be held on March 27^th.

This programme is funded by Pobal and the Limerick Regeneration Agency. PAUL is an equal opportunities employer. Canvassing will disqualify.

• Job Description
• Application Form Start Right

To ensure participants understand the principles of costing their product/service and to provide them with an insight into how costing and pricing decisions impact on business performance.

If you are puzzled as to how to price your product/service or find yourself pricing intuitively, then you will benefit from this two-hour workshop.

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Better understand the concept of gross margin and profitability.
• Have better awareness of their costs vs. Profits.
• Understand the link between pricing and business viability.
• Be in a better position to price their products and services.

Course Outline:

• Mark up and Margin.
• The link between correct pricing and business viability.
• Cost – Production/Manufacturing.
• Cost – Services Company.
• Cost Components

Date:                         Monday 27^th February 2012

Time :                        10am to 12noon.

Venue:                      Assist Training, 24-25 Barrington Street

Cost:                          €10

Booking:                   Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership 061 419388 or email jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

This one-day training programme ensures participants understand the sales process and develop a sales sequence.  No matter what your product or service, it is critical for all businesses to understand and implement a good sales sequence which will generate the life blood of the business.

This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of the sales process and will provide participants with knowledge of the communication skills, attitudes and behaviours needed at each stage of the process.

Course Outline:

• The 5  Key Sales Factors
• What makes people buy?
• Persuasive Presentations
• Introducing yourself to prospective customers
• Developing a sales sequence
• How to overcome timidity & fear
• Features V benefits
• Telephone techniques
• Presenting your products and services
• Speaking skills
• Cost, price and other reasons not to buy
• Closing sales

Date:                         Wednesday 22nd February 2012                               

 Time:                         10am to 4pm

 Venue:                      Maldron Hotel, Roxboro, Limerick

 Facilitator:               Mr. Terry Harmer, NLC Training

 Cost:                          €20 – Prior Booking Essential – Places Limited

 Bookings:                 Contact Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership on 419388 or email: jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

St. Munchin’s Parish:  St. Lelia’s/Ballynanty Hall – Wednesday 15th February at 3pm

Moyross:  Moyross Community Centre – Thursday 16th February at 10am

Southill:  Southill Junior School – Monday 20th February at 3pm.

All over 55s are welcome to come and share ideas and learn more about how older people can advocate on their own behalf.

For further information, please contact:  Eleanore Cowan-Hughes, Development Worker, Limerick Older Person’s Forum.  Tel: 061 419388.  Email: ecowanhughes@paulpartnership.ie

PAUL Partnership in conjunction with Limerick City Enterprise Board will be hosting a Bookkeeping course entitled “Bookkeeping Basics for Small Business Start-ups” commencing Tuesday February 21^st .  This course will run over 5 Tuesday evenings and will finish on Tuesday March 20th 2012.

Course Outline:

(1)               Books of  Prime Entry

(2)               Cheques Journal

(3)               Bank Reconciliation’s

(4)               PAYE and PRSI for Employers

(5)               Tax returns for the self-employed

(6)               C2 and relevant contracts

(7)               Company Formation/Sole Trader/Partnership

(8)               Taxation Incentives

Dates:              Tuesday February 21^st to Tuesday March 20^th – 5 weeks

Venue:           Strand Hotel, Ennis Road

Time:               6pm to 9pm

Cost:                €25

Booking:         Contact Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership on 061 419388 or email jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

Please note: Prior booking is essential for this course. 

Participants must secure their place in advance through completion of a booking form and payment of course fee.

Friday 10th February 2012

Workshop objectives:
 At the end of the course participants will:

• Have an understanding of market research
• Choose and apply market research techniques suitable to their business / business idea
• Know how to conduct market research cost effectively
• Know how to evaluate market research findings
• Apply market research findings to help prevent and solve marketing issues
• Draft a market research plan for their own business                                           

Course Outline:
Market Research is critical to finding out what your customers and potential customers think and for discovering what their wants and needs are.

This course aims to give participants a better understanding of what is involved in market research.

There are a number of key areas that will be covered during this course:
• Introduction to Market Research – breakdown of what market research is, why we use it, why it is important, why it is important to do it right. How can you do market research without breaking the bank?
• Your business – What business are you in? / What is your business idea?
• Market Research techniques: Examples from similar companies (size and industry). Questionnaire design. Sources of information
• Collecting data is one thing, know how to use it.
• Review
• Planning: Writing a research plan. A sample plan will be given to participants with the view of each participant filling out the relevant sections post training.

Date:                     Friday 10^th February 2012

Time:                    10 am – 4pm

Venue:                 Maldron Hotel, Roxboro

Cost:                      €20

Booking:              Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership 061 419388 or email jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

NB: Places are limited and are allocated on a first-come first-served basis.  Places are only secured on submission of a completed booking form and the relevant course fee.

Local meetings are happening around the city in which older people are welcome to attend.

 Some of the activities that are happening at meetings so far:

• Regeneration invited to attend local meeting
• The national Older and Bolder campaign around ‘Make Home work, the right to age well at home’.
• How to reach out to more older people in the local area

 Please see attached flyer for the times and dates of local meetings in the City for December and January 2012:  Upcoming local meetings

 For more information on the Get Vocal Project, please go to the Family Support/Older Persons Forum webpage on this site, or contact Eleanor Cowan-Hughes, the Development Worker for Limerick City Older Persons Forum on 061-419388.