The first B4b Network meeting after Summer break

It was great to see our members gather again for a B4b network meeting, albeit still online for now.

Robert Murphy, chair of the Ballymun 4 business steering committee, kicked off the meeting by giving a presentation on how the network has been working through the pandemic. He did this while making reference to our many highlights, achievements and notable events.

B4b Network in 2021

• Election of new Steering Group Committee in March
• Series of well-received virtual gatherings and events
  • Dublin Northwest Partnership information on latest government supports
  • Lunasa Exercise and Nutrition
  • Innovate Communities and Hub Updates
  • Heartspace Meditation demonstration
  • The Right to Detach with Marion McCullagh
  • Learn Google My Business with FIT Social Media
  • Money Coaching Ireland workshop on Money and Me
• Retention of Catherine Whelan as Facilitator and Appointment of Barbara Franzoni as Digital Content Manager
• Update on B4b supporting the community
• Plans for the future

b4b-presentation-summer-2021-20.9.2021-final

And on with the meeting

Robert handed over to Ed Coleman of The Rediscovery Centre to ask everyone to introduce themselves and give their elevator pitches. This is always a very enjoyable part of the meeting, giving everyone a chance to be seen and heard.

Housing For All

Our first presenter on planning was our local TD, Paul McAuliffe and he was supported by his party colleague, Cllr Keith Connolly. Paul presented the new Housing For All scheme. This scheme has generated a great deal of interest and so everyone was keen to hear more. Paul gave a detailed talk about the plan, pointing out the benefits to community as he described the Cost Rental model and the Affordable Purchase scheme as well as discussing short-term shared equity. He also answered questions as they arose and was able to put everything into an accessible format that everyone found very interesting.

LAP 2021

Following this, we moved on to Dublin City Council for their update on the Ballymun Local Area Plan. This plan was first produced by DCC in October 2017 and their aim was to create a successful and sustainable new town with a thriving local economy that caters for all people.

The update was delivered by Jackie O’Reilly, Dublin City Council -Area Manager (Ballymun) along with Liam Barry, Economic Development Officer. Jackie and Liam gave a fantastic presentation describing completed and future development. The comprehensive update covered everything from cycle lanes to the Ballymun shopping centre and everything in between. They also updated us on infrastructure and how it would support businesses in the area. Their update was thorough and very engaging and it drew a lot of questions which were answered competently and knowledgeably.

Wrapping up our network meeting

Finally, Robert introduced us to our new members, including our very newest member, Anne-Marie Macken of Money Coaching Ireland.

Overall, the meeting left us feeling very optimistic for the future of business in Ballymun. It is indeed a thriving town and a great place to do business.

We expect to release details of our next event shortly so please do watch this space.