For the community in the community
Did you know that back in the early 1900s, St. Andrew’s started out as a Methodist Church and School? When numbers dropped in the 1970s and the church and school were closed, a committee of local residents called the Rialto Development Association acquired the premises. They did this so they could run it as a community centre for the wider Rialto area.
Since then, St. Andrew’s Community Centre in Rialto has been offering a range of services for the local community as well as space for clubs, groups and individuals to meet. The main activities carried out are those by its four resident projects – the Rialto Community Drugs Team (RCDT), the Rialto Youth Project (RYP), the Rialto Day Care Centre for the elderly (RDCC) and Rialto Community Network (RCN). There is also a Community Employment project based in the building and an artist studio, Studio 468.
Each project is managed by a management committee which has at least one RDA board director on the committee. Studio 468 is jointly managed by the RDA and Common Ground, an arts agency, with support from Dublin City Council Arts Office.
Rialto Development Association
The Rialto Development Association (RDA) is a voluntary organisation established to manage St. Andrew’s Community Centre for the benefit of residents and community groups in the wider Rialto area. It has a particular emphasis on tackling disadvantage and promoting social inclusion and economic development. The RDA is made up of a voluntary board of directors who have ultimate responsibility for the development and operation of St. Andrew’s Community Centre.
Mission Statement
Vision
A thriving Rialto community in which the people and their needs are at the centre of its development and decision-making.
Mission
To develop St. Andrew’s Community Centre as the community hub of choice and provide quality services and facilities to residents and community groups to flourish and build a sense of community through creativity, collaboration and integration.
Aims
To achieve its mission, the Rialto Development Association aims to:
o Deliver core needs led services to ensure social inclusion and tackle disadvantage.
o Develop St. Andrew’s Community Centre to its full potential.
o Ensure that the Centre is accessible to all community groups and individuals providing and accessing services and activities compatible with the general mission and values of the Rialto Development Association.
o Evaluate and plan its work on a regular basis to ensure that it is remaining responsive to identified needs.
Values
The RDA is committed to being non-party political, non-sectarian and non-racist. The mission and day-to-day work of the Rialto Development Association is underpinned by adherence to the following values:
◦ Equality ◦ Diversity ◦ Inclusion ◦ Empowerment ◦ Welcoming ◦ Respect ◦ Tolerance
Anti-Racism Protocol
St. Andrew's Community Centre recognises that all individuals and families in our society have equal rights.
We respect the dignity and equality of everyone and St. Andrew's Community Centre will endeavour to always be a welcoming and inclusive centre that embraces diversity.
All people will treat everyone equally in an environment where racism, sexism, homophobia and all other forms of discrimination are unacceptable.
Staff
The majority of staff working in St. Andrew’s Community Centre are employed directly with the Rialto Community Drug Team, the Rialto Youth Project, the Rialto Social Day Centre or Rialto Community Network. We also have a number of staff employed through the Community Employment and Jobs Initiative schemes.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of Rialto Development Association (RDA) are tasked with ensuring the organisation remains faithful to its ethos and vision. Its composition is set out in the RDA’s Articles of Association. These state that the Board shall consist of a minimum of seven persons and a maximum of twelve persons and that it shall be constituted in the following manner:
The following organisations shall have the right to nominate a maximum of two persons to the Board: The Rialto Community Drug Team, the Rialto Youth Project, the Rialto Day Care Centre for the Elderly and Rialto Community Network.
The following organisation shall have the right to nominate one person to the Board: Studio 468.
The Board of Directors meet at least six times in the calendar year. The current list of directors is as follows:
Daithi Downey (Chair)
Mary Kearney (Treasurer)
Elaine Wall (Company Secretary)
Raymond Hegarty
Breda Galligan
Alison O’Donhoe
Tony MacCarthaigh
Caoimhin O’Conghaile
Kerry Byrne McCarthy
Phil Cooley
Lucy O’Donoghue
Publications
The RDA is committed to transparency and accountability in the interests of good governance. For this reason, we have made available a list of publications and reports that give more comprehensive information on the services we provide in St. Andrew's.