It is a friendly society or co-operative set up to provide, own and run the following facilities and amenities in the Sixmilebridge district, for the benefit of and on behalf of all residing in the area.

- Elderly District Day-care Centre
- Crèche
- Community and Sports Hall
- Family Resource Centre
- Meeting Rooms
- Training Rooms
- Gym
- Community Offices
- Changing Rooms
- Public Park

The society is a non-political, non-discriminatory, fully inclusive community organisation / co-operative society limited by guarantee
The society is to be operated on a not for profit basis by the elected committee on behalf of the shareholders for the benefit of all in the greater community.
The society aims to promote social inclusion and to aid personal and community development

A Co-op or friendly society is simply a way of making an organisation into a legal entity with a registered set of rules by which business is conducted.
To join requires you to buy a minimum of one share at a cost of €1.00.
Most people are already shareholders in a Co-op as they are members of a Credit Union which is the same type of structure.
The rules are strong enough to govern a finance body!

Currently all monies raised through the sale of shares goes directly into capital projects: i.e. the purchase of land, building of facilities etc.

IT ALREADY HAS!
Past Management Committees quickly came to the realisation that providing the buildings was not going to be a quick process so rather than leave everyone waiting until there were buildings in place we began to provide service as soon as we could.
For example the weekly bus service to Clarecastle District Day Care Centre, the Community Centre and meeting room we were able to provide in the Courthouse, Go for life, a socially inclusive Childcare Facility in the Parochial Hall, a Teen Cafe, a base for such events as the Winter Music Weekend, adult education in subjects from multimedia through Childcare modules and community development and more.

All of the services listed above cost money on an ongoing basis.
We have paid
Our Architect in excess of €23,000.00 thus far;
Renovations to The Courthouse over €50,000.00,
The Bridge Complex site €16,000.00 so far:
Renovations to the Parochial Hall €30,000.00 plus.....
These are only some of the items we invest in.
We have audited accounts available for inspection to all share holders during opening hours in the courthouse... in other words at worst it will cost €1.00 to see the books. And if you are a share holder and you request a copy of the accounts the rules say have to send them to you.

We have three staff.
Two specific childcare workers; the manager and the assistant.
We also have the relief childcare worker who when not needed in the childcare facility works as an administrator in the courthouse.
The childcare aspect funds the wages.
Everything else is entirely voluntary.
All of the staff are to be commended as they regularly volunteer on top of their paid employment.

Oh God yes please!!!!!!
We need people to book keep, sweep floors, paint, fundraise, chair, think, take action, talk, write, direct traffic.
If you have a skill you want to share and it's legal we will most likely think of a use for it.
So please please please; don't be shy just ask any committee member or phone us.
Be careful of shaking our hand though... we could be so excited as to be over zealous!

We don't know what they have said, but we will guarantee if you come along to a few meetings and get a feel for what we are trying to do you will get the answers.
We have always had an open door policy so don't be afraid to look.

All of us!!!
You need to be a share holder to serve on any of the committees, but it is only a Euro for a share and we give you your very own share certificate.
Each share holder has only one vote, no matter shares they have, so you can't buy power !

Yes, the Bridge Complex it is a registered charity (CHY17134).
This means if you want to donate money you can get a tax write off on it.
Most of us on committee don't have money so we would have to ask our financial advisers how this works.

From day one the working group committed not to putting a huge burden on the community.
It was felt it would be unfair to expect to raise millions in a small community, so while fundraising is carried out to sustain certain service projects; we aim to provide the vast majority of the capital costs through grant aid.
Because of this we are reliant on funding agencies releasing monies, and appropriate timing of grant applications (e.g. we agreed on application from the GAA to delay our Sports Capital Grant Submission so as not to have 2 major applications coming from the village at once).

Yes!

Cheques payable to The Bridge Complex is probably the best.
If it was a big win Give us a ring we will get dressed up and visit you :-)

This whole project grew from a working group meeting twelve years ago which was organising pendant alarms for the elderly. One individual spoke of an idea for a swimming pool in Sixmilebridge..... Now we know there is no swimming pool planned yet; but look what a small comment at a committee meeting can lead to, thank you Maureen.
The people serving properly on committees won't knock you; it's only the ones who haven't the courage to put their idea up for an open debate that ridicule the ideas of others.
Have the courage we make every effort to ensure everyone has a safe comfortable environment to hold discussion in. We all make mistakes and we all share the burden and the joy. There is lots of joy!