Membership

Membership

163

GCCN Members

Membership of Galway City Community Network, the Public Participation Network in Galway, is open to organisations in the Community, Voluntary and Environmental sectors in Galway City.

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Member Pillars

There are three Pillars in the PPN and each member opts for membership of one.

Social Inclusion

To join the Social Inclusion Electoral College an organisation’s primary objectives and activities must focus on social inclusion / social justice / equality.

Environment

To join the environment Electoral College an organisation’s primary objectives and activities must be environmental (i.e. ecological) protection and/or environmental sustainability. Membership of this Electoral College will be validated by the Environmental Pillar at a national level.

Voluntary

Organisations whose primary objectives are other than those listed.

Why Get Involved?

Galway City Community Network is the Public Participation Network in Galway City and is the is the best way your group or community can have a voice in shaping the future of Galway City. GCCN membership conveys a number of important advantages to your group such as:

Representation

The role of GCCN is to ensure that voice of community, voluntary and environmental groups in Galway City is represented in a range of important local decision making structures. These structures include the Local Community Development Committee, Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs) and other bodies such as Galway City Partnership and the Galway Joint Policing Committee. These representative forums develop and implement the policies that shape our City.

Through the Linkage Groups, the members of GCCN work together with our representatives to make their voices are heard on issues that are important to them. As a member of GCCN, your group or organisation can make important contributions to local democracy in Galway. Our representatives are drawn from our membership and reflect the diversity of civil society in Galway City.

Networking

Being part of the network is a fantastic way to meet and share experiences with other groups and organisations in Galway City. GCCN members have many shared experiences and support and learn from each other in many ways:

Through our thematic Linkage Groups members who share common interests and concerns meet to discuss, work together and influence policy by working with our representatives.
Our members meet collectively four times a year in the GCCN Plenary, which is a great space to receive updates on what’s happening with community, voluntary and environmental sectors in the city, including from GCCN’s representatives on the various local decision making structures.

Influencing Policy

Guided by our collectively agreed Strategy and Policies & Positions, our Linkage Groups and representatives work to advance the interests and concerns of over 130 groups and organsiations in Galway City. GCCN supports its members to engage in policy consultations at a local, regional and national level across a range of issues.

Information Sharing

GCCN members receive our regular Network News email newsletter with updates from the work of our representatives and Linkage Groups, news from our members and information about consultations, events and local and national developments in the community, voluntary and environmental sectors.

Workshops and Seminars

GCCN organises topical training, seminars and workshops on key issues for our members and representatives, such as:

Data protection training;
The Local Economic & Community Plan;
The UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Workshops to develop policy responses, e.g. the GCCN submission to the Ardaun Local Area Plan

How to apply

Becoming a member of Galway City Community Network, the Public Participation Network in Galway, is easy – follow the steps below to apply.

Step 1

Read the criteria outlined here and make sure that your group or organisation satisfies what is laid out.

GCCN Membership Criteria

As part of the reform of Local Government Act 2014, local authorities are required to establish Public Participation Networks in each local authority area. Galway City Community Network (GCCN) is the Public Participation Network for Galway City.

To qualify for PPN membership you must have/be the following:

Be active in Galway City
Have more than five (5) members
Have a written Constitution or Memorandum & Articles of Association (if applying organisations are companies limited by guarantee, they should be not for profit)
Be open to new members, if a membership-based organisation, or be open to new board members as appropriate. To facilitate inclusion, please ensure that a contact email address for the group/organisation is available to new and potential members
Be non-party political and non-sectarian
Be broadly representative and accountable
Hold an AGM and regular meetings
Be independent, with a committee or board (not a substructure or subcommittee)
Be a minimum of six months in existence
If a company limited by guarantee, the organisation must be not for profit
Groups must be able to establish their bona fides as a community, voluntary or environmental organisation
Groups/organisations registering under the Environment Electoral College must be validated by the Environmental Pillar at a national level. Check the criteria for the Environmental Electoral College Criteria Update 2020 – here

Please note: Groups formed around specific local issues are not eligible for PPN membership. For example, groups formed around opposition to a particular local planning application.

When you join, you will have to select an Electoral College. There are three electoral colleges for the PPN:

Social Inclusion: To join the Social Inclusion Electoral College an organisation’s primary objectives and activities must focus on social inclusion/social justice/equality.
Environment: To join the Environment Electoral College an organisation’s primary objectives and activities must be environmental (i.e. ecological) protection and/or environmental sustainability. Membership of this Electoral College will be validated by the Environmental Pillar at a national level. For more information on this please click here
Voluntary: Organisations whose primary objectives are other than those listed above will be members of the Community/Voluntary Electoral College.

In the event of a dispute regarding eligibility, GCCN will determine eligibility for affiliation.

For more information contact the GCCN Co-ordinator at info@galwaycitycommunitynetwork.ie

Step 2

Step 3

Your application is then assessed by the GCCN Secretariat. If there are any problems the GCCN Co-ordinator will contact you. You are then regarded as a full member of Galway City Community Network, the Public Participation Network in Galway City.

Step 4

The group/organisation contact name will be included in the GCCN database.

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Contact

Galway City Community Network
Westside Community Resource Centre,
Seamus Quirke Road, Galway,

Email: info@galwaycitycommunitynetwork.ie

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Our Funders

GCCN is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Galway City Council.

RCN: 20205749 | CRN:580827 | CHY22774