PPN Secretariat
Membership of the Secretariat
Sligo Public Participation Network has a full quota Secretariat of nine members. There are currently 3 seats up for election. The existing 6 members are;
Michael Bell – Environment Seat
Michael Bell has been a member of the Secretariat for the previous six years.
Joan Swift – Environment Seat
Joan has a keen interest in Climate Action and the Environment. She has attended training and workshops on the Global Goals and the National Climate Action Plan . Recently she represented the PPN at an OECD workshop on “Looking at the Irish Transport System through a Wellbeing Lens. She also represented Cyclist.ie, the National Cycling Advocacy Network at a Climate Summit in Dublin Castle, organised by the Department of the Environment Climate and Communications. The Summit was held to discuss how climate action in the fields of energy, transport and retrofitting can be accelerated and how communicating the climate emergency can be made more effective. As Chair of Sligo Cycling Campaign and a member of the environment and Infrastructure SPC, Joan has experience of oral and written communication with the local Authority. Active Travel Funding offers opportunities to change our mobility patterns.
Pat Benson – Community & Voluntary Seat
CADRA is delighted to nominate our member for a position on the LCDC. Pat has wide spread experience of working at both Local and National level across voluntary and statutory groups. He is passionate about the need to have local volunteers views inputted to all decision making. He has assisted our group with successfully achieving many projects in our Community and his contribution has always been focused on ensuring volunteerism is recognized. He is committed as a voluntary (unpaid) worker to represent the small voluntary groups and ensure such groups are rewarded for their voluntary efforts to develop communities and make them a welcoming and safe place to live.
Brendan Lynch – Social Inclusion Seat
Brendan Lynch is a mediator, facilitator and lecturer who is actively involved in various community organisations in Sligo. Previously he worked as a Financial Advisor and an Insurance and Investment Manager with Bank of Ireland. He left this industry determined to use his abilities to serve his community. He retrained in mediation and conflict resolution, and as a facilitator, and is now the coordinator for Sligo Community Mediation Services. He is also Treasurer for Sligo Foróige and serves on the board of a number of community groups. Brendan is passionate about building healthy and sustainable communities where people have an opportunity to realise their gifts and to thrive.
Mark Kupczak – Ballymote Tubbercurry MD
I have been an active member in various community groups and voluntary work for many years. I was a founding member and still currently a volunteer leader for Coolaney Foróige club. I currently sit on the board of directors for Coolaney Development Company, the Sligo Travellers Support Group and actively involved with the Sligo Foróige District Council. passionate about helping to create a healthy and inclusive society where all can thrive. Being involved in advocacy and family support work has given him a deep understanding of the issues facing community groups. Having achieved a degree in Health and Disability through St. Angela’s College in Sligo, I recently completed my Master’s in Leadership and Management in the Community and Public Sector. I decided to join the PPN secretariat to gain more knowledge and understanding of the structure, and from that pass on the information to the different groups involved in the Sligo area to make a stronger network.
Pippa Black
Pippa holds degrees in Law and Sociology from New Zealand. She has lived in County Sligo since 2008. After getting most of her home-educated kids to adulthood and becoming an Irish citizen, she became more involved in civic and political life. Her current top projects include: Autism Friendly Sligo, the Cost of Living Coalition and the Public Participation Network’s Housing Thematic group. Her activism is mostly around human rights – particularly trans rights and disabled rights. She was drawn to the PPN because of what it represents in terms of participative democracy. She first accepted a place representing the PPN’s Social Inclusion College on the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC)1: Housing and Corporate in 2019 and has been serving on the PPN Secretariat since the beginning of 2021. Pippa represents the Sligo PPN on the National Secretariat Network and represents the National Secretariat’s Social Inclusion College on the Department of Community and Rural Development’s Roadmap Implementation Working Group, which is looking to roll out structural changes across the PPN network following an extensive review in 2022.
The work of the Secretariat includes:
- coordinating and implementing the work of the PPN
- devising and coordinating the activities of the PPN
- ensuring good communication structure with the PPN membership
- Work closely with PPN Staff to enable them to deliver the PPN objectives
- promoting the work of the PPN
- overseeing the PPN representatives and their work on committees
To read the Agendas and Minutes, CLICK HERE