Barry Symes - Community Finance Ireland

Posted on August 7, 2023July 27, 2023

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– Community Finance Ireland delivers €3.8million in support of local sports clubs –

The oldest skiff-rowing club in Dublin will be launching their traditional skiffs from a modern new pontoon at the mouth of the River Liffey thanks to support from Community Finance Ireland (CFI).

Founded in 1936, St Patrick’s Rowing Club in Ringsend has taken the All-Ireland Senior Skiff Race title 16 times in the last 20 years and has secured gold in international competitions in London and Italy. The club now boasts a membership of 100 people, aged from 9 to 90.

Treasurer at St. Patrick’s Rowing Club, David Cox said that the new infrastructure will enable the club to streamline their activities – getting their heavy training boats on the water with less manpower – and crucially make their boats fully accessible for wheelchair users. He said:

“Skiff racing originates from hobbling – a competitive business which saw working boats race to approaching ships to pilot them into port and win the contract of unloading and loading their cargo.. When this practice was outlawed in 1936, clubs began to appear all along the Dublin coastline and beyond, with our own club here in Ringsend being the first. So much of our community is steeped in this rich history but we also want to give our members the best, most advanced infrastructure that we can and importantly, to make it accessible to everyone in the community. This new pontoon means we can get everyone out on the water to enjoy this fantastic sport.”

Traditional skiff boats are 25 feet long, housing four rowers and a cox.

*Pictured at St Patrick’s Rowing Club’s Ringsend base in Dublin City are the club’s youth members*

Visiting the new pontoon, Barry Symes, Head of Community Finance Ireland ROI, said:

“Watching the team here at St Patrick’s Rowing Club working together – it really is all hands on deck to move these skiffs down the water but with this new pontoon you can see how much easier that task is for them. It’s taking the strain off the existing members, getting them out on the water quicker, where they want to be and crucially, it’s opening up the sport to a even more people by making the boats more accessible.
“After recent open days, St Patrick’s have welcomed over 60 new members in the last few weeks. The team here – David, Phil, Irene and Richie – have all been involved since childhood and they’re passing their love of the sport on to the next generation. There’s a rich history here in Ringsend and there’s no doubt of the club’s future either.”

Community Finance Ireland provide tailored social finance supports to grassroots and community organisations across Ireland. In 2022, the team delivered over €3.8million in social finance loans to sports clubs such as St Patrick’s Rowing Club which accessed a bridging loan of €40,000 to undertake the planned developments.

This bridging enabled St Patrick’s to unlock two approved grants, from the Sports Capital Grant and from Dublin Waste to Energy Community Gain Projects Grant Scheme.

If you and your sports club need advice on funding options available to you, get in touch today or follow us on Twitter for the latest Community Finance Ireland news.

Posted on June 26, 2023July 5, 2023

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A historic community hall in Crosspatrick, Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny, has undergone extensive renovations, transforming it into a vibrant hub of activity for residents of all ages. Thanks to the support and advice of Community Finance Ireland (CFI), the Crosspatrick Community Group successfully revitalized the hall with a term and bridging loan in social finance, enabling the facility to offer a wide range of activities, from table tennis and spin classes to bridge tournaments.

Originally constructed in 1810 as a church, the building later served as a school for the local rural community before being repurposed as a community hall in 1950. Over the years, it has become a central gathering place for residents, hosting various events, including school activities, coffee mornings, card nights, and exercise classes. The hall’s renovation project, initiated in 2020, addressed the building’s deteriorating condition, upgrading essential elements such as windows, toilets, and the kitchen to ensure accessibility and compliance with modern standards.

Thomas O’Connell, the Secretary of the Crosspatrick Community Group, highlighted the hall’s significance, stating,

“People would never get together if it wasn’t for the hall. For as long as I can remember, it has been at the heart of this local community.” The renovations have already had a positive impact, fostering a sense of community and providing a space where laughter and connection can thrive. In addition to its current offerings, the Crosspatrick Community Group aims to establish a business hub within the hall later this year.”

Crosspatrick Hall Community Finance Ireland — *Pictured at Cross Patrick Hall in Co. Kilkenny: Head of Republic of Ireland Business for Community Finance Ireland Barry Symes and Jim O’Grady, Volunteer at Cross Patrick Hall.*

Barry Symes, Head of Community Finance Ireland ROI, visited the renovated hall to commend Thomas and the Crosspatrick Community Group on their successful project. He emphasized the collaborative effort that made the renovations possible, stating:

“The renovations undertaken here are a fantastic testament to the people power of volunteers from the Crosspatrick Community Group, who have seen this project through from the outset.” Symes also acknowledged the community’s dedicated fundraising efforts and the financial support received from Community Finance Ireland, a Leader grant for Rural Development, and a community grant from the Bord na Mona Powergen Bruckana Windfarm.“

Community Finance Ireland has been instrumental in supporting community and voluntary organizations in Kilkenny, approving a total of €2.28 million in social finance loans since 2016. The organization takes a flexible approach to funding, bridging gaps and providing loans to meet the diverse needs of community groups.

Thomas expressed his gratitude for the support received from Community Finance Ireland, stating,

“”Our experience with Community Finance Ireland was really fantastic. Barry helped us with advice on our Leader grant application as well as the bridging loan to get the project off the ground. That support is the reason we’re here today.“

The Crosspatrick community hall’s transformation stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the impact of social finance in empowering local communities.

Community Finance Ireland continues to deliver social finance solutions that support various community initiatives, sports projects, faith-based groups, and social enterprises. As part of the UCIT Group, Community Finance Ireland is the most progressive social finance provider on the island of Ireland.

If you and your community facilIf you, your board and volunteers need advice on how to fund a new idea for your community hall get in touch today or follow us on Twitter.

Posted on March 21, 2023April 4, 2023

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– Community Finance Ireland delivers €4.87 million in support of Dublin communities since 2016 –

Fifty years since the people of Glenasmole took it upon themselves to build a community hub in the local area, Glenasmole Community Association (GCA) is preparing to reopen the doors of the newly renovated community centre. The community-owned building has undergone major refurbishment over the past two years with the support of Community Finance Ireland (CFI).

GCA board member and project manager, John Lee said the newly expanded community space will serve generations to come:

“Our ambition with this refurbishment project was to create a space which will serve young and old and everyone in between from our local area. We’re a small community here and this centre has been at the heart of it for decades but the building itself just hasn’t been fit for purpose. The original hall is now extended to include a kitchen space and meeting rooms, with underfloor heating and full disability access. It’s been a huge project for us but all the work will be worthwhile when we can open the doors to this new warm, inviting space to everyone.”

Glenasmole Community Association Dublin Community Finance Ireland Loan — *Photographed at Glenasmole Community Centre are Barry Symes, Head of Community Finance Ireland ROI; Glenasmole Community Association board members John Lee and Angela McCann.* Photo Credit: Julien Behal.

After being awarded a Dublin Rural LEADER grant and funding by South Dublin County Council for the planned refurbishments, Glenasmole Community Association approached Community Finance Ireland in 2020 to provide a bridging loan of €292,000 to undertake the works.

John says the bridging loan from CFI brought their dream to reality:

“If it wasn’t for Community Finance Ireland, we wouldn’t be here today. I’m a retired quantity surveyor and I’ve managed building works and budgets my whole career but for our group here – who are all volunteers – the sums we were looking at to get this off the ground were daunting. Because they support volunteer and community groups, CFI didn’t ask us for personal guarantees, and just talking to their team eased the financial fears. Nothing felt unsurmountable after that.”

Visiting the site ahead of completion, Barry Symes, Head of Community Finance ROI, congratulated John and the GCA team on the project’s success. He said:

“At CFI we talk about changemakers – the people in local communities who see an opportunity to create something and go for it. Glenasmole Community Association are the epitome of changemakers from the day they set out to build the original centre from scratch. We’re delighted to have supported GCA in this project and I have no doubt that they’ve created something which will serve the community for their next fifty years and beyond.”

Located just ten miles from O’Connell Street, Glenasmole is a small, rural community in the Dublin mountains. In 1972, the newly formed GCA purchased and erected a second-hand, pre-cast concrete pavilion, completing ancillary works in 1974. Built and run entirely by volunteers, the community hall became a hub for all generations, providing a much-needed space for Mother and Baby Groups, Youth Clubs, Drama Group productions, as well as a HSE-funded Health Clinic.

With the building works almost complete, the GCA has their sights set on the surrounding areas with plans to develop walkways and biodiverse landscapes in a 5-acre plot that has been purchased for community-ownership.

John said:

“There are people who grew up in Glenasmole and spent their childhood running wild in the mountains, who have moved away and now bring their own kids back to visit – we want them to think of this centre as their home too, to meet and reconnect with the community and the beautiful surroundings we have here.”

If you and your community facility need advice, get in touch today or follow us on Twitter.

Posted on July 13, 2021June 21, 2021

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At Community Finance Ireland we take a hands-on approach when it comes to working with our clients. We put people first. When our clients call with a query, they hear a familiar voice at the end of the phone. They know the face who is at the other end of an email. Our Change-Makers are on the ground, supporting communities, meeting clients and making an impact in their regions.

We speak finance but we hear people – So, we thought you might like to get to know them a bit better.

Covering mid-south Leinster, our next Change-Maker is Barry Symes, Client Executive from Waterford. Working with clients like Red Cross Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue and Sensational Kids. Barry is passionate about growing Community Finance Ireland’s brand and impact in Leinster.

Just two of Barry’s clients Sensational Kids (left), Irish Red Cross Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue (Right)

What did your journey to Community Finance Ireland look like?

I joined Community Finance Ireland in 2017. Prior to that, I spent 17 years working for a private financial institution where I rose to Senior Managerial level. I am the founder and proprietor of SME Debt Solutions. In terms of my education, I completed a diploma in Financial Services from Waterford Institute of Technology and hold a certificate in Agriculture from Teagasc. I am also an Associate Member of the Institute of Banks.

What does your current client base look like? Are there sectors you expect to see or want to see growth in?

I have a diverse range of clients with investments in most sectors. With mid-south Leinster being a largely rural area, Sport & Community make up a large portion of my clients. Community Finance Ireland has only been active in this area for the last four years so these two are where I see the most growth happening. However, as awareness grows of what we have to offer local communities I’d hope to see that growth in lots of other areas.

Do you have a client that, in your opinion, best demonstrates the impact Community Finance Ireland can have?

Thankfully, there are multiple of examples of where CFI’s investment has been a key element for positive impact. A recent one is Kiltegan GAA Club, who collaborated with their community, camogie club and stakeholders like the Local Authority, Local Development Company and CFI to bring about a transformational sporting & community project for their village. This has resulted in the village being nominated for a prestigious Pride of Place Award. A most deserving nomination.

How do you switch off from work? What are your hobbies and interests?

A young family keeps one busy, as does my wide interest in sports, politics, motors, reading and other such interests.

Now you know a little more about us, we’d like to hear about you.

If you and your team have a dream that could make a difference in your community, we’re here to listen. Whether you want to change something by solving a problem or creating an opportunity, we want to hear what you have to say.