About us

SWAN is a women’s network working in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County to support the development of women in the area.

We started out as a local women’s group in the Shanganagh Estate in Shankill in 1982.  At that time our aim was to provide a space for women to get together, have time for themselves and support each other in the caring roles of women in their families.

During this time we addressed the issues most important to us:

  • Childcare – we set up a crèche in Shanganagh Park House
  • Self-development – we sourced information and small amounts of funding to develop a women’s education programme and a crafts cooperative.

This was a vibrant time for us and our classes and events were very well attended.

During the years 1996 – 2000 with the support of Southside Partnership we linked up with other women’s groups in the county and the Southside Women’s Action Network (SWAN) was founded.

SWAN became a core funded group and a company in February 2000.

The object of our organisation or our mission statement is:

To develop a shared vision towards empowering women for positive change. We will work in a holistic way that will recognise the experience and talents of women through caring and understanding, while being positive and effective.

Currently we are offering the following services for women in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown:

  • Information on a variety of subjects such as welfare, employment, health and education in our Information Centre in Loughlinstown and through our Outreach Information Service in Shanganagh Park House in Rathsallagh/Shankill
  • Women’s Education in various forms like courses and workshops
  • Domestic Violence Support Service
  • Women’s Counselling service

 

OUR STAFF:

Co-ordination and Head of Office - Pauline Davy

Administration and Financial Control- Nichola Kinsella

Development Work, Education and Training – Daniela Naab

Women’s Counselling –  Leita Carey

Information Officer- Biddy Farrell

Administration Assistant – Karen Tackaberry

Reception – Sandra Walsh

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Stragegic Plan – Goals and Objectives

The aims and objectives of our strategic plan for 2010:

AIM 1
SWAN WILL CONTINUE TO RAISE AWARENESS AMONG WOMEN ABOUT ISSUES THAT AFFECT THEIR LIVES AND WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ENCOURAGE WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION AND DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN COMMUNITY-LED PROGRAMMES

Objective 1.1
Continue to support the development of services for women who are at risk of social exclusion so that they can improve the quality of their lives

Objective 1.2
Provide a drop-in information service and regular newsletters containing good quality information, properly researched that is relevant to the women in our communities

Objective 1.3
Continue to support the development of services for women experiencing domestic abuse

Objective 1.4
Continue to maintain and develop the counselling service for women who are carers of drug users or who have developed a dependence on prescription drugs

AIM 2
SWAN WILL CONTINUE TO NETWORK STRATEGICALLY AT LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL AND WILL DEVELOP INITIATIVES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WILL ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF WOMEN’S LIVES

Objective 2.1
SWAN will continue to network and work with other community development projects, family resource centres and community groups offering services for women

Objective 2.2
SWAN will continue to engage strategically with the Community Platform, County Development Board, DLR County Council and the Southside Partnership

Objective 2.3
SWAN will continue to link with the National Women’s Council of Ireland, Aontas, Banulacht and the Community Development Programme Eastern Region.

Objective 2.4
SWAN will continue to provide technical support to the two hosted CDP’s Ballybrack and Shanganagh to support their development and eventual capacity to stand alone

What does this mean?

In essence SWAN supports the development of women in the area by providing information, training and services.  We work for change in women’s circumstances by networking, lobbying and carrying out research. We develop initiatives and work with statutory agencies that support women’s participation in society.

SWAN as a network focuses on bettering the quality of women’s lives in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown within the framework of community development, anti-poverty and social inclusion.

Community Development Projects
SWAN hosts two Community Development Projects within the organization.

  • The Shanganagh CDP
  • The Ballybrack CDP

Both projects are relatively new community development initiatives and SWAN facilitated the formal organisational structure that was required at the time of their inception.  SWAN has undertaken this work to ensure that these two local areas benefit from a local Community Development Project.

Sponsors
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs
COSC
RAPID
DL VEC
Pobal
DLR County Council
DLR Drugs Task Force
Community Forum