About Us

Who are the Sligo PPN?

Sligo Public Participation Network was founded in 2014 through the Local Government Act. It allows communities within County Sligo to participate in policies and decision-making.

The Sligo PPN is a network of community, voluntary, social inclusion, and environmental groups that based in County Sligo.

Our members are people who volunteer or work in the community. The Sligo PPN has more than 500 member groups and includes community-based groups, organisations, associations, clubs, societies, and charities.
The PPN is the main way that Sligo County Council and other Local Authorities connect with these groups.

Whenever the Local Authorities needs people to participate in consultations or policy-making decisions, they ask the PPN to select these people these people by holding elections amongst its PPN community representatives.

The Role of the Sligo PPN

Sligo outlined

Structure

The Sligo Public Participation Network (PPN) is a platform that gives community groups across the county a stronger voice in local decision-making. It connects voluntary, environmental, and social inclusion organisations with Sligo County Council and other key structures, ensuring that the community sector has a say in policies that affect them.

Below, you’ll find an overview of the PPN’s structure, including the roles of the Plenary and Secretariat. These key components help ensure that the network runs smoothly, remains member-led, and truly reflects the voices of communities across Sligo.

1. The Plenary

The Plenary is made up of all the independent member groups of the Sligo PPN. They meet twice a year to review the operations of the PPN and establish the agenda for the upcoming period. It is the main decision-making body of the PPN. Each member group has voting rights in the Plenary. Together they approve PPN representatives and policies.

2. The Secretariat

The Secretariat is elected by the PPN members. It is an administrative body and its roles include:

  • Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the PPN
  • Ensuring that the decisions taken by the Plenary are carried out
  • Acting as a point of contact for the PPN for the Local Authority, other PPNs, and others
  • Communicating with all PPN members regularly and working to spread the word about all PPN events.


It is made up of a representative from each of the three Municipal Districts in Sligo (Sligo – Drumcliff, Borough of Sligo and Ballymote, and Tubbercurry) and at least two representatives from each of the Colleges (Environmental, Social Inclusion, Community and Voluntary).

3. The PPN Representatives

The PPN Member Groups elect PPN Representatives to participate in and make contributions to Local Authority Boards or Committee. They are elected for a fixed term and are required to represent the views of their College (Environmental, Social Inclusion, Community and Voluntary). In doing this, they represent the PPN as a whole, their own Municipal District/area, their College, and their group.

4. The Member Groups

All member groups belong to the Sligo PPN, which is organised into three Colleges: Community & Voluntary, Social Inclusion, and Environmental.

Community & Voluntary

For organisations who want to improve the quality of life and overall wellbeing of their community.

Social Inclusion

For organisations who work to promote equality, inclusion, and human rights for groups such as ethnic minorities, older adults, and people with a disability.

environment sligo ppn

Environmental

For organisations that aim to protect or sustain the environment through environmental eduction, protecting wildlife, and sustainable planning.

5. Resource & Support Workers

Our PPN staff support all the Member Groups, PPN Representatives, the PPN Secretariat. Additionally, they promote the PPN and help to develop the Strategic Plan.

Governance Documents

Sligo PPN is governed by a series of policies and procedures to ensure we operate in a fair and transparent way on behalf of the Sligo Community. Our Governance documents can be found here.