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We are thrilled to announce that Community Finance Ireland (CFI) has attained the prestigious ISO 9001 Quality Management System accreditation on an all-island basis.

This significant accomplishment reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in serving our clients and advancing positive social impact.

The ISO 9001 standard is built upon a set of quality management principles, including a strong customer focus, active involvement of top management, a process-oriented approach, and continuous improvement. By adhering to these principles, we have established a solid foundation for organizational excellence.

Benefits to CFI and Our Clients
This achievement brings several advantages to both Community Finance Ireland and our valued clients:

Increased Efficiencies: With all our processes aligned and comprehended by every member of our organization, we can enhance the efficiency of our internal controls, streamlining our operations and ensuring optimal performance.

Enhanced Reputation: The ISO 9001 accreditation further strengthens our reputation as a credible and genuine charity and social enterprise. It underscores our dedication to advocating for positive social impact and demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-quality services.

Clear Objectives and Commitment: By assessing the overall context of our organization and understanding the expectations of those affected by our work, we can clearly define our objectives. This enables us to showcase our unwavering commitment to excellence and the pursuit of our mission.

Customer Focus: We reaffirm our dedication to putting our customers first, consistently meeting their needs, and enhancing their satisfaction. This recognition ensures that our clients’ experience with Community Finance Ireland remains at the heart of everything we do.

Compliance and Governance: Attaining the ISO 9001 accreditation guarantees that we meet the necessary statutory and regulatory requirements, strengthening our compliance and governance practices.

We extend our gratitude to our dedicated team, whose hard work and commitment have made this achievement possible. We are excited about the opportunities this accreditation brings and the continued positive impact we can make together.

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First cross-border workshop held in Derry~Londonderry as part of delivery programme for project supported through the International Fund for Ireland.

An ambitious cross-border project is bringing people together to deliver a capacity building programme that will make border communities more sustainable.

NetWORKS23 is funded by the International Fund for Ireland’s (IFI) Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP). It has a strong focus on developing and embedding sustainable relationships on a cross-border basis through supporting cooperation and innovation between groups and organisations North and South.

The project is being led by Community Finance Ireland in partnership with Rural Community Network. Both organisations bring a wealth of experience in social enterprise, finance, peace building and reconciliation.

Through a shared learning approach, NetWORKS 23 will facilitate cross-community and cross-border engagement with people who have had limited opportunities for collaborative working. The Project targets community and voluntary organisations in Derry, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Fermanagh, Donegal and Tyrone.

Attending Networks23 event in Greysteel were left to right: Damian McAteer Community Finance Ireland Group Chair, Donal Traynor, Community Finance Ireland Group CEO, Columba Mailey, Manager of the Vale Centre, Bridie Mullen, Board Director Vale Centre and Paddy Harte IFI Chair.

Participants to date have attended residentials in Sligo and a cross-border workshop in Greysteel at the Vale Centre. The daylong seminar provided practical insight into the Vale Centre’s commercial activities,  revenue generation and how a social enterprise approach feeds into the public and social services offered to the wider community.

NetWORKS23 aims to build progressive partnerships that will deliver meaningful benefits for communities on both sides of the border and raise awareness of the issues and challenges while also contributing to the wider peace building work of the IFI.

Commenting on the project, IFI Chair Paddy Harte says;

“The NetWORKS23 Project is timely as border areas have traditionally suffered from isolation, lack of investment and the ongoing legacy of The Troubles. It is important to examine how we can improve reconciliation between rural Unionist and Nationalist communities to help build resilience and develop local leadership. This initiative will provide the necessary training for participants to examine the long-term development of their own projects within a wider peace and reconciliation context.

The IFI is committed to delivering cross-community and cross-border outreach, encouraging challenging conversations to deal with a range of issues. We are particularly pleased to support this project under CiPP, which values innovation and the creation of positive and long-lasting relationships between cross-border communities who share similar challenges.”

Donal Traynor Group CEO of Community Finance Ireland had this to say:

“Community Finance Ireland are delighted to lend their support to this cross-border initiative. Our support for the ongoing prosperity and development of all communities has been in place for over 21 years and our commitment remains for this generation and the next.”

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Community Finance Ireland are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark Accreditation. This prestigious accreditation demonstrates that the company is creating real benefits for people and the planet, and is committed to social impact.

The Social Enterprise Mark is an independently assessed accreditation that recognizes organizations that are operating as social enterprises. This means that they are using business to create social and environmental impact, and are committed to reinvesting their profits back into their mission.

Community Finance Ireland’s CEO, Donal Traynor, expressed his excitement about achieving the Social Enterprise Mark accreditation, saying:

“We are thrilled to have received this accreditation, which confirms our ongoing commitment to creating positive social impact. At Community Finance Ireland, we believe that social finance can play a critical role in building a more equitable and sustainable future for everyone. Our recent Social Value Impact report and findings further demonstrate how social finance is working to achieve great results, and we are committed to continuing this important work.”

The Social Enterprise Mark is awarded by Social Enterprise Mark CIC, the leading global authority on social enterprise. To achieve the accreditation, Community Finance Ireland underwent a rigorous assessment process that evaluated the company’s social and environmental impact, governance structures, and financial sustainability.

SE Mark Donal and Stephanie
Community Finance Ireland’s Compliance Officer Stephanie NIcholl and CEO Donal Traynor awarded the Social Enterprise Mark Accreditation April 2023

As a registered social enterprise, Community Finance Ireland is committed to using finance as a tool for positive social change. The company provides affordable loans to community and voluntary organizations, social enterprises, and charities across Ireland, helping to build stronger communities and support important social causes.

As well as recognising Community Finance Ireland’s dedication to achieving high quality social impact, holding the mark demonstrates our commitment to effective good governance controls, stakeholder engagement, financial transparency and ethical and good business practices.

Stephanie Nicholl, Compliance Officer at Community Finance Ireland said:

“The Social Enterprise Mark recognises and builds the capabilities of social enterprises as sustainable businesses that are dedicated to maximising social impact. The Mark recognises the value of our social impact, specifically with our clients that we work with in the Social Enterprise sector across areas such as sport, arts and heritage, community organisations, faith and church groups and the workspace provision.”

Stephanie further explains the importance of the recognition in the short video below:

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A dedicated team of ramblers from Community Finance Ireland are covering new terrain in an effort to raise funds for the charity MacMillan Cancer Support.

Our team (humorously named CFI Cirque du Sore Legs) have bravely decided to take on the hilly route around Northern Ireland’s North Coast on 24 June in the hopes of raising a personal target of £250 or a combined total of £1,500. While some are aiming on covering an impressive 13 mile half distance, other team members are geared up to complete the full marathon.

In preparation for the big day Compliance Officer and Employee Engagement Officer Steph Nicholl remarked that:

“I have been strength training at the local gym three times a week. Trying to build up some muscle in my calves, in my quads and in my hamstrings. Taking some smaller tasks to improve endurance, such as taking the twelve flights of stairs every day in the office rather than relying on the lift.”

The team have been spirited by a little bit of friendly competition in the office with each member vying to be top of the steps leaderboard each week. Chief Executive Donal Traynor notes:

“We found ourselves competing with each other trying to get the steps in on a weekly basis. I think I’m lagging very much so in that regard. But there’s still plenty of time to turn it around and for me to catch up in terms of the training.”

There are currently over three million people living with cancer in the United Kingdom while 44,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the Republic of Ireland each year. MacMillan Cancer Support is a charity dedicated to offering healthcare support and financial support to those who have been directly or indirectly affected by cancer.

Finance Officer Sandra Cowan notes the importance of fundraising for a charity like MacMillan, as cancer has had a personal impact on her own family:

“MacMillan is a really good cause. Having lost loved ones to cancer, I just want to contribute what I can raise on the day and give that to MacMillan.”

Watch the video below from our team as they prepare for the big day on 24 June. They discuss their expectations, what they’ve done to ready themselves for the hike and why they have chosen to raise funds for MacMillan in particular.

If you would like to support the team’s fundraising activities, you can contribute to their efforts on their JustGiving page here.