Founder Members, Charlie McDaid, Bob Lindsay and Mary Casey, of Culmore Residents' Association, established in 1990, gained agreement in 2004 from all of the leaders of community groups in Culmore to establish a village Area Forum . The Forum was established to represent the village area, lobby for community facilities for the significant growth in population (circa 5000) and for resources to support voluntary/not for profit groups working in the area. On 30th June 2011 the last of the Founder Members, Mary Casey, resigned and the new committee was formed. One of the first decisions taken by the Committee was to give recognition to a new era and to change the name to Culmore Community Association.
Culmore village is 4 miles north of Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland and less than one mile from its cross border neighbour, Muff village, in Co. Donegal. The village population is increasing with piecemeal planning applications being approved for housing yet with no social or economic provision being provided for those people moving into the village. Details of the groups comprising Culmore Area Forum can be found in the Members Directory on this website.
Since its establishment members of the Forum's voluntary committee have been successful in securing the following for our community:
- Signage at entry and exit of the village which had not been provided (2008)
- A pelican crossing on the main arterial road at the Magnet Bar and our only retail shop (2005)
- A safer crossing Traffic Island at the busy Templeard/Culmore Road junction where school children from Elmvale, Spruce Meadows, Ardanlee and Templeard cross to get to Culmore and Hollybush Primary Schools (2009)
- Street Signs for Templeard, Ardanlee, Spruce Meadows, Elmvale and Culmore Square which were not provided by the developers of these private housing developments (2007)
- Community audits highlighting the concerns and needs of residents (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- A Village notice board sited on the wall between McCrudden's shop and Bradley's chemist (2007)
- An International Fund for Ireland Community Leadership Programme award (2005)
- Youth Intervention Programmes (including cross border) with funding from the WELB Youth Service, nCompass and Border Action. Culmore is not deemed eligible under the NI Nobel Indices for funding (2005, 2006, 2008)
- A DVD highlighting the lack of community facilities for groups and families in the village area and produced by the Nerve Centre media students (2007)
- This content managed website sponsored by local businesses, Specialist Beverages, Digiphones, McCafferty McGroarty Accountants and Vans Galore
- The establishment of a cross border partnership to focus on the needs of families and residents who live and have come to live in the area. The Foyle West Villages Network -representing 4 cross border villages, Culmore Muff, Quigley's Point and Redcastle are experiencing growth of up to 500% in the last 15 years. ALSO a successful Border Action funding application for a cross border project that included work by a consultant on a 4 year area audit and strategy covering a number of themes relating to provision in our geographical area launched on Sunday 14 December 2008 at 4.30pm in Quigley's Point Community Centre.
L-R Seated: Anne Molly Border Action, FF Senator Cecilia Keaveney, John McCarter Chairperson Inishowen Rural Partnership, Mary Casey Chairperson Culmore Area Forum, Laurie McGee Hon. Sec. Quigleys Point Community Centre Ltd. Standing: Daniel Diver Chairperson Quigleys Point Community Centre Ltd., Independent Cllr. Michael Grant, Derry City Cllr and resident of Quigleys Point Maeve McLaughlin, Mura McLaughlin Muff Community Development Coop, Bernard Breslin Vice Chairperson Muff Community Development Coop, FF Cllr Marian McDonald and Liam Breslin Redcastle Football Club
- ALSO An accredited OCN Personal Development programme delivered by the WELB Youth Service during October-January 2009 to a group of cross border youth.
This Foyle West Villages project was supported by Border Action through the EU Peace II Programme and part-financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan
- The first cohort of 10 local people, who signed up to giving 3 Hrs a month back into the community for youth and vulnerable adult projects, participated in a NW Volunteer Centre Child Protection Training programme during October 2008 and have received their ACCESS checks approvals. The Presentation of Certificates took place on Wednesday 14 January 2009 at 8pm in the Magnet. An additional 6 local people participated in training in early March. They are now awaiting the Presentation of Certificates. Many hands make light work! We want to ensure coverage when programmes begin and potentially less than 3 Hrs a month will be needed from each individual when we get a rota established and get more volunteers signed up and through Child Protection training and Access checks.
- University of Ulster Science Shop assistance for work on Surveys (a) A Survey of Public Transport provision in the Village was carried out in the first half of 2007 (b) An Investigation examining public perceptions to Road Safety in Culmore Village was carried out in 2008 (c) An Update on our Community Audit (2004) was carried out in 2008, (d)Culmore Residents and Workers views for proposed retail shops was carried out in 2009. Reports will be uploaded onto this website as soon as electronically received. If you'd like to attend the official handover of projects and a photo opportunity let us know at the 'Contact Us' page on this website. FONT>
Culmore Area Forum is seeking to estabish a neutral physical shared community resource facility, including socio-economic business units and training facilities for its culturally mixed populaton and to develop reconciiation processes, cross border programming and a sustainable village community. A community audit was carried out in 2004 with funding from Derry City Council and evaluated by the University of Ulster. A proposal for a community hub with architect drawings was worked up by all of the voluntary groups with assistance from the International Fund for Ireland and a local architect and submitted to Derry City Council during 2005. News from a meeting with City Council Senior Officers on 15 May 2008 was that a Development Brief was being written up by Council for the Council land in Culmore (Ballynagard Field) which was identified as being surplus to Council requirements. The Development Brief advertised in September 2008 had a closing date for submissions by property developers of 31st October 2008. Our community forum representatives were refused sight of the development brief prior to publication and received no reply to our calls requesting inclusion in the decision making process on the submissions received. September 2009 - Derry City Council held a Public Information Session on Tuesday 22nd September at 7pm in Thornhill College to outline the Council led development proposal for the Ballynagard Field. The proposal will provide the resources as identified by all of the community groups and audits however Ballynagard residents believe the location is not suitable or convenient for the wider Culmore population. A meeting was convened by City Council Officer, Tony Monaghan, in Council Offices on Thursday 10th December 2009 at 7pm and at which we learned that the size and scale of the community building was being reduced by 25% and from a two storey building to a single storey to allay local anxieties and to secure an agreement within the Council timescale on NI Government led funding. We must demand that all of our identified needs are met. We overpay for services received! Further meetings are to take place - check this space
