We are determined to build a viable, sustainable and successful community...

Defining Creggan Enterprises Limited

The Ráth Mór Centre is managed by Creggan Enterprises Limited (CEL), a community enterprise organisation with social, as well as commercial, aims and objectives. It is owned and controlled by local people. The Directors act in a voluntary capacity, all sharing an ethos of self-help and a commitment to local action and ownership.

CEL's major functions are:
• to own and administer community resources such as land and buildings for the benefit of the local community;
• to act as a comprehensive development focus providing ideas, training and advice;
• to be a catalyst for change within Creggan and surrounding areas.

We are a Social Economy initiative determined to build a viable, sustainable and successful community by creating opportunities and conditions for local economic and social development. We direct any annual surplus for the benefit of the local community, to create employment opportunities whenever possible and operate our affairs in a socially and environmentally non-damaging way.

As part of our ethos, CEL promotes and implements good employer practice. We provide decent wages and proper terms and conditions of employment for our employees.

The main basis of the organisation can be summarised as follows:
• all assets owned by CEL are the property of the area and can only be used for the benefit of the local community;
• profits are used for community benefit and not for anyone's personal gain;
• CEL acts as a catalyst for change, to improve the quality of community, social, economic and personal life.

Community Development

Community Development is seen as assisting people "to tackle for themselves the problems which they face and which they identify as important." The community (geographical or interest based) then plays the leading role in defining both the problems to be addressed and the manner of responding to them. Deriving its objectives from the experiences and priorities of communities, it emphasises community-led action to improve the quality of community and personal life.