Who Is Waterford Leader Partnership Ltd.?

Waterford Leader Partnership Ltd. is a limited liability company, which was established in 1991 as a joint venture "Partnership" company between the Irish Government and the local Social Partners to carry out actions targeted at the long-term unemployed. From 1995, the company administered the Integrated Local Development Programme (under the Objective 1 Operational Programme for Local and Urban Rural Development) as well as the LEADER II initiative. It also implement other programmes in the filed of IT, business development education and training.

Main Areas Of Activity For Waterford Leader Partnership

The current main areas of activity for Waterford Leader Partnership are as follows:
. Rural development actions under LEADER+, as well as LEADER National (under the National Development Programme 2000-2006)
. Running of Local Employment Service (targeted at the long-term unemployed and the socially excluded and coordinated by FÁS - Irish Employment and Training Agency - under the National Development Programme 2000-2006)
. Other actions focusing on the unemployed and community and youth initiatives within the framework of the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (under the National Development Programme 2000-2006)
. IT training projects (SETT = South East Technology Training)
. SME development actions (under a national programme called SKILLNETS and INTERREG II)
. The company also runs the South East European Centre, member of the European Carrefour network (EU information offices in rural areas)

LEADER+ Activities include the following:
Main theme: Adding Value to Local Products
. SME quality circles (training of people in SMEs, capital investment…)
. Young entrepreneurs (development of new SMEs by young graduates in Enterprise Centres)
. Women in Business (start-up of new businesses by women)
. Countryside Management (training and technical assistance)

Sub-theme: New Know-How and New Technologies
. IT for SMEs (IT training)
. Farmers Internet Club (farmers' development network over the Internet)
. Alternative enterprise training programme for farmers and their spouses
. New agri-enterprises
. High level business programme for women
. IT for over 55s (training in isolated villages)
. Analysis and development: SMEs and agri-diversification

Why Is Waterford Leader Partnership Taking Part In This Project?
Agriculture is an essential component to all rural communities, the rural economy and the environment in County Waterford. Despite the support that farmers are receiving from various government departments and organisations, farm incomes have been decreasing in recent years " . . . when inflation (Consumer Price Index) is taken into account it shows that farm family income has declined from €14,236 in 1995 to 11,998 in 2002, a decline of 16% in real terms" (National Farm Survey, 2002).

Waterford Leader Partnership has recognised that increased pressure on declining farm incomes has encouraged farm families to seek alternative enterprise capable of generating additional income. For many Irish farm families one way to improve their farm income is through developing multi-functionality on their farms.

Waterford Leader Partnership hopes that through participating in this programme they will be able to help farmers to stay in farming and to make a viable income from farming.