Co.Here (officially titled Community Connect under the EU’s Social Innovation+ programme) will build on three years of lived community experience from Helping Irish Hosts, evidence-based research from UCD, and ethical technology from international partner Pairity.
Together with refugees and local communities, the partners will develop and test a new path to meaningful and mutually beneficial integration.
The project will run for one year across Maynooth, Kilcock, Leixlip, Celbridge, and Straffan, gathering evidence to inform local authority practice and national policy on refugee integration.
“Welcoming newcomers brings real opportunities, but it also creates challenges for communities under pressure,” said Dr. Graham Finlay, Research Lead at UCD. “With Co.Here we want to understand, through evidence, how communities and newcomers can find common ground and build the kind of belonging that lasts.”
Jill Robinson is a co-founder of Helping Irish Hosts, which was established when huge numbers of Ukrainians were coming to Ireland in the early months of the Russian invasion.
Speaking about the project, she said, “At its heart, Co.Here is about joining the dots between real people and real experiences. It builds on lived community experience and applies technology to make those efforts more practical, connected, and lasting, for everyone involved.”
Welcoming the launch Kildare county councillor Angela Feeney said said it was “such a positive initiative” to explore practical, real-life approaches to integration.
“It’s a model of good practice, taking a partnership approach to solving everyday problems. At its core is listening to lived experience, looking at what is already in place in our communities, and using technology to help communities and newcomers connect. It is by working together that we achieve more. Ní neart go cur le chéile.”
Over the coming year, Co.Here will invite Ukrainian newcomers, local residents, community groups, and employers in North Kildare to take part. Participants will be matched with opportunities in learning, work, education, health, and social life, while also sharing their insights on what helps people feel at home. By gathering this evidence, the pilot project aims not only to improve support locally, but also to inform integration policy and practice nationally.
People in North Kildare are invited to join the pilot project, including:
- Refugees (aka Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection).
- Local residents and host families (past and present).
- Employers, clubs and community groups.
To find out more: https://www.helpingirishhosts.com/co-here
To get involved or share your experiences, email: maryna@helpingirishhosts.com
