The DLDC in partnership with creative media training company, Póca Productions, has officially launched Social Participation and Combating Exclusion (SPACE), a new €200,000 countywide programme designed to bring younger and older people together to build stronger, more connected communities across Donegal. A project supported by PEACEPLUS; a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), SPACE will work with up to 375 participants over the next 20 months, pairing two generations, people under 18 and people over 60, on 16 shared creative and practical projects. Participants will take part in a wide range of hands-on activities, from documentary filmmaking and songwriting to home baking, gardening, guided nature walks, bicycle repair and soapbox car building. Each project is built around a simple idea: that people of different ages learning together can break down barriers, build trust, and form lasting friendships. The programme responds to a clear and growing need. Donegal is one of the oldest counties in Ireland, and older people in rural areas are significantly more likely to experience social isolation due to transport barriers, dispersed communities and limited access to services. SPACE aims to address that isolation by creating meaningful opportunities for connection, participation and shared learning.
