email: info@countywicklowppn.ie

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Secretariat

The Co Wicklow PPN Secretariat provides a coordinating and oversight function for the PPN. 

In particular its role is to:

  • Facilitate the implementation of decisions of the PPN
  • Ensure the proper functioning of the PPN between plenary meetings
  • Coordinate the activities of the PPN
  • Communicate extensively and regularly with all PPN members and disseminate information concerning all PPN activities as widely as possible
  • Manage and support PPN staff

The Secretariat is made up of one representative from each of the Co Wicklow Municipal Districts i.e. Arklow, Baltinglass, Bray, and Greystones, and one representative from member groups which have a co-wide remit.  As well as, two representatives from each of the PPN sectors (colleges) i.e. Community & Voluntary College, Social Inclusion College and Environmental College.

Municipal Area & College Representatives to the Secretariat

Mai Quaid

Mai Quaid

Baltinglass Municipal District  Representative to the Secretariat

Mai has been a member of various committees including West Wicklow Development Committee and has served as chairperson of County Wicklow Community Forum, Wicklow Network for Older People, Baltinglass and District Forum. She also sat on the steering group for organising “The Gathering” in 2013. Mai is also the national president of Active Retirement Network of Ireland. In her “spare time” Mai is a keen golfer and represented the Irish Senior Women’s golf team against England in 1998.

Niamh Wogan

Niamh Wogan

Bray Municipal Area Representative to the Secretariat

Niamh has worked in both a paid and voluntary capacity in the community & voluntary sector for the past 15 years in Bray & Wicklow. Working in the Bray Family Resource & Development Project, she has played a major role in the development and implementaion of a range of Social Inclusion initiatives and programmes in response to identified needs within the local community. Niamh is currently a member of a range of local groups and organisations in the county that focus on addressing Social Exclusion and Poverty. These include: The Marion Pre-school and Family Centre, Bray New Directions Special Justice Project, Bray Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force, SPECS Initative Consortium, and the Prevention, Partnership and Family Support (PPFS) Steering Committee. Niamh is also an active member of the Wicklow Branch of Down Syndrome Ireland.

Aoibhin McCloy

Aoibhinn McCloy

Wicklow Municipal District Representative to the Secretariat

Aoibhinn has recently taken up the position as coordinator of the Wicklow Travellers Group. Previous to this role, she has worked extensively in the Not-for-Profit Sector in both the UK and Ireland. She has broad knowledge and experience of working with vulnerable adults and young people, particularly in the areas of homelessness, addiction, domestic violence and mental health. She has completed training in all areas with regards to these sectors and is also a member of the Board of Director’s for a Children’s Residential Centre in Dublin. Aoibhinn is currently living in Greystones with her husband and two young children.

Stephen Kearon

Arklow Municipal District Representative to the Secretariat

Stephen has worked as a Special Adviser to the Government and has been involved in various community groups for over 30 years so has experience of community issues from different perspectives.

Gertie Salley

Gertie Salley

Co-wide Groups Representative to the Secretariat

Gertie has been volunteering in the community for approximately 14 years, working with groups including Templerine Youth Club, Arklow Friendship Centre, Arklow Positive Aging group, Co Wicklow Older People's Network, and Country Markets Cooperative. Gertie has also done a lot of fundraising for Ballymanus GAA club. As part of Wicklow Communities Networking, Gertie represented the community on Wicklow County Childcare Committee for a few years.

Diana Galagher

Diana Gallagher

Community & Voluntary College Representative to the Secretariat

Diana has been an active member of Lacken Community Development Association since 2016 and is now Chairperson of the committee. She has been very active in her community over many years supporting all community fundraising activities, volunteering and supporting the tidy villages committee. Diana has served on the Parent fundraising committee at Gaelscoil na Lochanna Blessington. She is currently studying Business & Tourism at Blessington Further Education & Training Centre.

Phyllis Farrell

Phyllis Farrell

Community & Voluntary College Representative to the Secretariat

Phyllis Farrell has been an active member of Community Games for many years. Phyllis is currently the area secretary for Ashford/Glenealy Community Games and PRO for the County Community Games organisation. She is also provincial secretary for Leinster and is a member of the National Finance committee. Phyllis is currently a PPN Representative on the Co Wicklow Local Sports and Recreation Partnership.

Kathleen OConnor

Aisling Foran

Social Inclusion College Representative to the Secretariat

Aisling has a huge interest in community development particularly in youth and disability. Aisling has been Chairperson of Triple A Alliance charity since 2016. Since then, Aisling has increased the groups member base, membership revenue and community connections, increased their funding, and has created substantial and varied calendars of activities and events for members. Aisling has ensured the voice of all the group’s members is represented by regularly surveying on their needs and planning accordingly. In addition, Aisling has empowered the groups memberbase to develop their own events according to their needs with the financial and mentoring support of the Triple A organisation. Aisling champions social inclusion and works hard for the reduction of social disadvantage.

Eleanor Phillips

Eleanor Phillips

Social Inclusion College Representative to the Secretariat

Eleanor Phillips began her experience with the community sector in London in the 1980s as a volunteer Youth Arts Worker. Since then she has specialised in work in the community sector as a Visual Artist. She sees arts as a means to hold space for dialogue and inclusion of all voices. She has a H.Dip in Community Arts Education and an M.A. in Art in Public. She has worked with Blue Drum who were the national support agency for FRCs and serves on the Board of Signal Arts Centre in Bray. Her work has included working with homeless men in the USA, Craigavon Traveller Committee in Northern Ireland as well of a number of community organisations in Ireland.

Sarah MacArtain

Sarah MacArtain

Greystones Municipal District Representative to the Secretariat  

 Sarah has been working as the coordinator of Greystones FRC for the last 2 years. She previously worked with caregivers and jobseekers. She spent several years working as part of the school completion programme, supporting disadvantaged children and families.  

Minutes of our Secretariat Meetings: