West Cork Development Partnership CLG is opening to memberships from Community/ Voluntary Groups, Small Business and individuals.
If your community/ voluntary group or business wish to be part of the development of the region – including creating new jobs, promoting social inclusion and improving the quality of life for the people of West Cork, now is your opportunity to become a member of an organisation dedicated to those goals and which has a reputation as one of the most consistently successful partnerships in Ireland.
The benefits of joining are many; WCDP’s Members will help set policy for WCDP and be at the forefront of helping to develop the area. Members will be given free admittance to WCDP’s future policy-setting ‘think tanks’, seminars and conferences on important issues such as Transport, Broadband, Tourism and Food Strategy.
WCDP MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURE
Who can be a Member of WCDP?
WCDP invites eligible parties to become Members of the Company on an annual renewable basis.
Membership will be for the duration of a calendar year from January to December.
There are three classes of members:
1. Community & Voluntary Groups active in West Cork
2. Small & Medium Businesses operating in West Cork
3. Individuals living in West Cork
Please note: Irrespective of adherence to Membership Criteria below, all applications for membership of West Cork Development Partnership must be approved by the Board of the Company before being accepted and registered. The Board has it in its absolute discretion to refuse applications for membership.
What is an eligible community & voluntary group?
Community & Voluntary groups that are eligible to apply to join WCDP will have the following characteristics and observe the following principles:-
- Be at least six months in operation and be open to members who share its goals [1].
- Be active- particularly in the 6-month period before applying to join and provide evidence of the type of activities that your group has been involved in during that time.
- Provide evidence of organisations standing e.g. Constitution, clg. etc.
- Support the WCDP ethos of community—led development.
- Be non-profit [2].
- Not be affiliated to political parties.
- Not be a single-issue ‘or pressure group’ formed to address or lobby on an immediate or short-term issue.
- Only one group or branch of a national organisation active in the county may become a
member [3].
What is an eligible business?
Small businesses that are eligible to join WCDP will have the following characteristics and observe the following principles:
- Meet the state’s definition of “a small business” [4].
- Support the WCDP ethos of community—led development.
- Provide evidence- CRO, VAT registration number, etc. that they are a business, if requested
- Operate and trade in West Cork
- Pay the annual membership fee set by the Board of Directors.
What is an eligible individual?
Individuals who are eligible to join west Cork Development Partnership will have the following characteristics and observe the following principles:
- Live in West Cork Provide a postal address if requested.
- Support the essential WCDP ethos of community—led development.
- Pay the annual membership fee set by the Board of Directors.
What are the benefits of being a Member?
All Members will all have the following rights and privileges:
- Regular e-zines (electronic magazines) throughout the year reporting news of WCDP’s work.
- Access to WCDP’s various Members Meeting, workshops and seminars aimed at informing rural stakeholders on issues of interest.
In addition, Community Group and Small Business members will be accorded the following rights and privileges:
- The right to be a candidate for election to the Board at the AGM.
- The opportunity to propose and approve some selections on to the KLP’s Project Evaluation Committee
FEES
For the present WCDP has decided not to charge a membership fee but retains the right to reinstate at a later date.
A final call for the renewal of registration of membership in the calendar year will be announced by WCDP to existing members in period of between 8 and 3 weeks before the AGM.
[1] Open membership means that the Group is not a ‘closed club’: all who meet share vision of the group and adhere to normal (legal) standards of behaviour should be free to join.
[2] Groups may make profits- but these must be retained or distributed to the work of the group or to other community and voluntary non-profit causes. They cannot be shared by the members for personal benefit.
[3] Where such a body wants to become a Member of WCDP, a single nominee may apply to join on behalf of all the branches or groups in the county.
[4] The government defines a small business as one employing 49 or less people with a balance sheet value of less than €4.4 million and a turnover value of less than €8.8 million per annum.
THE WCDP ETHOS
WCDP ethos is based on equality, inclusion and being unambiguously community led: the ‘bottom-up’ development philosophy.
Our work is focused on the needs and wants of our county. WCDP services are primarily guided by the needs of the local community and small businesses.
We will continue to cooperate and create partnerships with both public bodies and private business to mutual advantage.
Our strategies are integrated and broadly based, including economic, social, environmental, heritage and cultural elements.
We commit to using new and innovative approaches to create jobs and improve the quality of life for rural people.
If you support the WCDP Ethos and would like to apply to become a registered member of WCDP download an application form.