Fingal County Council has appointed Leah Walshe as the new Community Development Officer assigned to the Balbriggan area. Ms Walshe succeeds Mick Dunne who had held the post for several years, writes Rose Barrett
She has worked for Fingal Co Co for the past five years and based in D15. Ms Walsh has over 20 years’ experience of working with a broad range of communities from the Philippines, the Caribbean, Australia and in Ireland.
With academic qualifications in international community development, journalism and housing, she has extensive experience in the social sector with a focus on vulnerable migrant families and children, as well as having a firm understanding of the asylum system internationally and the situation of migrants in Ireland.
Following the announcement of her appointment, she said: “Balbriggan is the youngest and one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in the country.
“This brings with it many strengths, but there are also many challenges that come with rapid change over a short period of time. As the Community Officer in Balbriggan, I want to create opportunities for meaningful interaction between people from all backgrounds, and to mitigate prejudice whilst increasing constructive attitudes.”
Building trust and understanding and helping to create a common identity is key to Ms Walshe’s new role in Balbriggan. She has already commenced her work in recent weeks and is currently preparing for the full easing of COVID-19 restrictions by Government on 22 October (hopefully). Among those plans is the reopening reception and launch of the Fingal Community and Sports Hub in Balbriggan which will include a series of open days. You can watch Ms Walshe talk about her new role at https://youtu.be/b1VVIdNXVkE
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