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| Local directory to be updated Blanchardstown/Dublin
15 Citizens Information Centre has been providing free, confidential,
impartial and up to date information, advice and advocacy to the people
of Dublin 15 since 1976. Recognising the need for a readily available directory of local groups and services, volunteers at the centre researched and published the first such directory in the early 80’s. This 60 page A4 typewritten document covered local services, leisure activities, and emergency and state services. One of the problems with publishing such material is that it goes out of date quickly so, in 1987, a printed up dated version of the directory was published and sold at 75p to fundraise for information centre. According to Michela Benassi development manager at the centre, “going through the old directory brings to life how much our area has changed since then. However, remarkably, there were over 280 organisations listed in the 1987 edition.” This 1997 edition was again entirely compiled by volunteers and community employment participants and included over 350 entries. Five years later a group of local agencies set up the Infolink steering group which took over the project and oversaw the creation of a new edition of the directory. Thanks to funding from a number of state agencies, a researcher was employed to compile the listing. Such was rate of development in Dublin 15 that volunteers and staff at the centre could no longer keep up with the rapid growth in the area. Over 400 entries were recorded, including services such as GPs, dentists, opticians and solicitors. The most recent edition of the directory, published in 2006, was also translated and published in Russian and Polish with the assistance of funding from Fingal County Council. The ‘blue book’ as it was often referred to, proved very popular with the general public and those working in the community. Over 2,000 copies were printed and these were quickly taken up. “We
are now in the process of researching a new edition as Dublin 15 has
greatly changed since 2006,” says Michela, “and we are appealing
to the public to help us identify new services and let us know if they
have moved premises in the meantime.” Any local organisations wishing to be listed should contact the Blanchardstown/Dublin 15 Citizens Information Centre providing details of their organisation, contact person and other contact details together with a short description of the organisation’s aims and activities. Information should be sent by e-mail to info@blanchardstowncic.ie with the word ‘directory’ in the subject line of the e-mail.
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