OVER €100m invested, supporting 18,000 people, 200 local enterprises, and 500 community projects: the numbers tell SECAD’s success story.
SECAD Partnership CLG is celebrating 30 years of empowering people and communities across Cork, with a legacy that runs deep through West Cork towns and villages.
Since 1995, the not-for-profit local development company has delivered employment, enterprise, and rural development supports across the region.
ADVERTISEMENT
What began as a small East Cork initiative now plays a vital role in fostering opportunity and resilience throughout West Cork, working closely with community groups, voluntary organisations, and local businesses.
Over three decades, SECAD has invested more than €100m locally, supporting 18,000 individuals, 200 small businesses, and 500 community projects.
In West Cork, that impact can be seen everywhere, from Ballinadee Community Hall’s renovation and the Clonakilty Community Youth Centre, to tourism and enterprise projects like Smugglers Cove Adventure Centre in Rosscarbery, as well as the Ring of Cork initiative promoting the region’s coastal economy.
These projects have strengthened community life, created local jobs, and supported sustainable tourism in some of West Cork’s most vibrant towns and rural areas.
Through flagship national programmes such as LEADER and SICAP (the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme), SECAD has helped West Cork communities to access funding, training, and employment supports.
These strategic initiatives have been complemented by local schemes like Tús, RSS (Rural Social Scheme) and LAES (Local Area Employment Services), which provide pathways back to work and create opportunities for people to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
One of SECAD’s most innovative contributions to the region has been Wild Work, a biodiversity and wellbeing programme that supports over 60 projects each year.
Through Wild Work, local volunteers, schools and community groups in West Cork have restored pollinator habitats, planted native species, and built a stronger connection between people and nature.
Reflecting on the milestone, Ryan Howard, CEO of SECAD Partnership, said: ‘This milestone is not just about looking back. It’s about renewing our commitment to connection, inclusion, and belief in the power of local people to make lasting change. We’ve come a long way — and we’re just getting started.’
