- July 17, 2024
The Community’s Ambition
Corcaghan is a rural village with a strong community spirit located approximately 10km south of Monaghan Town with a population of 297 (CSO, 2021). In 2014, community leaders identified the need for childcare services in the village and decided to establish a childcare service to provide pre-school, after-school and a breakfast club for the local community and surrounding areas.
The Corcaghan Childcare Committee was founded and had the foresight to collaborate with St Michaels Primary School’s Board of Management to locate the childcare service, in a proposed modular building, on the school grounds.
They also showed ingenuity by developing a sustainable finance model to get the service off the ground by securing interest-free loans from six individuals in the community. With the finance in place and plans developed, they prepared the groundwork to install the modular building. And with their boundless energy, it wasn’t long before the doors were open to families and children.
The group were mindful of their commitment to their original investors and following a meeting of the committee agreed to approach Clann Credo. ‘It made sense to approach Clann Credo for social finance so we could honour our commitment to repay our original director’s loans and upgrade our facility’ said Shirley Smith, Childcare Manager. ‘Securing a Clann Credo loan was relatively straightforward and, by availing of a social finance loan, means we are building a strong credit track record which will put us in good shape for the next stage of development’.
And it has all worked out! Ten years later, the original investors are repaid as promised and the childcare service is booming and accommodates 42 children aged between 2.5 years and 12 years. The success of the Corcaghan Childcare Service can be largely attributed to the foresight of the founding committee, the dedicated and highly skilled childcare workers along with the commitment of the current board of management. The support from the wider community is clearly evident with particularly strong support for fundraising activities which are organised to ensure the service is sustainable and available for future generations.
Social Impact
With the well-documented lack of childcare places across the country, particularly in Monaghan* (Irish Independent Survey- April 2024), Clann Credo commends the Corcaghan Childcare Committee for its vision and commitment to deliver a much-needed childcare service in their community. Clann Credo and Corcaghan Childcare service share the view that community-led childcare is a vital element of social support in many communities as it supports parents to work, learn and access services, gives young children the advantage of a positive pre-school education and other services and provides the local community with employment and training opportunities. Clann Credo is proud to support the Corcaghan Childcare services in Monaghan.
“It made sense to approach Clann Credo for social finance so we could honour our commitment to repay our original director’s loans and upgrade our facility. Securing a Clann Credo loan was relatively straightforward and, by availing of a social finance loan, means we are building a strong credit track record which will put us in good shape for the next stage of development.”
Shirley Smith, Childcare Manager