Members of Altan, traditional Irish music band with Dean Morton, and representatives of the UN World Refugee Food Festival

The Community Department

Associated with Saint Patrick for over a thousand years the church is deeply committed to fostering links with other institutions delivering services and assistance to those in need within the city and beyond.  Did you know that 35A Kevin Street used to be an alms-house in the early to mid-1700’s for people to access supports to survive living in the city during difficult times? The building is a Dutch-Billy style house, with two entrances, a door on the left to enter through, and a door to the right where people exited having received whatever support was available at the time. That tradition of benevolence continues today through the outreach and engagement activities of our community department among other ways.  In recent years, the Cathedral Board have significantly increased the Cathedral’s outreach within the community which resulted in the creation of the post of Community Officer in 2017.

The Community Officer develops and implements an integrated policy of engagement with the wider community, including other charities, denominations and community organisations.  A key aspect of the role is the implementation of the church’s child protection policies ‘Safeguarding Trust’ to which the Cathedral fully subscribes as well as having a bespoke policy due to the specificity of the operations on-site.

The Community Officer uses their training, skills, network and experience to deliver the Cathedral’s annual charity support programme including the provision of grants to service providers within the sector and activities promoting collaboration, interagency work and the improvement of quality of life for the people we serve.  We strive to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues and collaborators alike. Key professional relationships with the Cathedral’s key partners include the Cathedral Schools, the wider Church of Ireland and Anglican community, advocacy and leadership bodies like The Wheel, Charities Institute, various state agencies, government departments, local authority representatives, city councillors, Child & Family Support Agency, safeguarding networks, RCB, and other key groups within the charity and voluntary sector.

Strategic

The Community Officer works with the Dean, Administrator and wider team to:

• Review and deliver the Cathedral’s community engagement strategy
• Promote, resource and oversee the Cathedral’s outreach initiatives
• Advise the relevant Cathedral authorities on developments within the community that might benefit from the Cathedral’s support

Administrative

The Community Officer:

• Administers the implementation of the Church’s Safeguarding Trust programme in the Cathedral protecting children and vulnerable adults and will be responsible for ensuring that training, Garda vetting and records are up to date. See https://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/safeguarding/ for full details
• Keeps abreast of developments within the community through appropriate research and networking
• Maintains active relationships with community and development agencies operating in the Cathedral community
• Maintains contact with the charitable organisations and administers the Cathedral’s grant and support programme.

Pastoral

The Community Officer:

• Takes an active interest and involvement with interagency, outreach projects at a grassroots level
• Plays an integral role in the Cathedral’s ministry of hospitality
• Holds a D1 driving licence and from time to time drives the minibus to support outreach and engagement with groups accessing the Cathedral

Missional

The Community Officer:

• Develops networks for engaging new community members, young adults and students
• Fosters the spirit of engagement and outreach within the Cathedral community

General

• Provides monthly reports to the Administrator on progress and developments
• Actively promotes the Cathedral’s values of honesty, respect and tolerance as reflected in the core tenets of Christian belief.

Key positions held by our Community Officer:

Member of the Secretariat of Dublin City Public Participation Network

Community Representative on the Local Community Development Committee of Dublin City Council

Board Member of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Grammar School

Board Member of Cuala Foundation

Member of Child and Family Support Network Dublin

Community Fund Distribution 2024

OPEN FOR APPLICATION UNTIL November 1^st 2024 (closing at 5pm)

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin is at the heart of the city with a long history of worship, social justice, and compassion at the core of its daily operations.  We welcome people from near and far to worship with us, visit, volunteer, participate, and support others through our work.  As a result, we accumulate a fund through the generosity of our pilgrims’ donations which goes towards this Community and Charitable Fund.

The purpose of this fund is to support charities, voluntary, and community groups in realising their projects. Each year, monies from collections on the candle stands and other donations, and are distributed to charitable groups working to address areas of need in our communities. The overarching theme this year is Unity in the Community.

The following are among the categories of need we seek to address:

• Christian Faith in Action
• Health & Well-being
• Alleviation of Suffering
• Education
• Inclusivity
• Community Support
• Conservation & Restoration

There are three sections to complete

1: Applicant Organisations Profile;

2: Details of your Proposal;

3: Declaration and Submission

Application form is online and requires the applicant to complete each stage before moving to the next section. Application form can be found here.  Closing Date is November 1^st at 5pm.

Due to the high volume of applications which we receive for the fund, we will be assessing throughout November and December. There will be no announcement until mid-late January 2025 regarding successful recipients. Distribution will take place thereafter.  Terms and conditions apply in line with Charity Regulations

Invitation

Please put 17.30hrs on Tuesday 29th April 2025 in your calendar for you and your colleagues, service users and friends to come together and celebrate the impact of the work you do in the community at a service of Choral Evensong in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.  We will hold a reception directly after service where we can socialise and network. RSVP to community@stpatrickscathedral.ie

The Wheel Spark Change Awards in Dublin Castle

Community Group Visits

Community groups of all kinds are encouraged to come to the Cathedral for a tailored experience. Where possible, we will try to accommodate your group without a charge; donations are welcome in these instances. In order to discuss a possible visit, please contact Kryzel Bonaficio (Education Officer) at education@stpatrickscathedral.ie

Community Officer and Safeguarding DLP

Ms Kelley Bermingham

Community Officer & Safeguarding DLP

×

Ms Kelley Bermingham

Community Officer & Safeguarding DLP

Kelley has been a lifelong community worker in both voluntary roles (Irish Red Cross, YMCA Dublin, Spirit Radio, Christmas FM etc) and paid roles she has held throughout her life (HSE Mental Health Services, HMS Tours DMC, and The Alice Leahy Trust).  Most recently Kelley has worked as a Pioneer Evangelist with Kildare Centre of Mission based at Saint Brigid’s Cathedral  in the Dioceses of Meath and Kildare, and The Iveagh Trust as Community Officer. Kelley has undertaken training with Church Army Ireland and UK.

Kelley is an alumni of All Hallows College, Dublin and values life-long learning as a core part of personal and professional development. Kelley has worked with Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in the past as Community Officer and Safeguarding DLP (Designated Liaison Person), with a broad approach to addressing community needs in a creative and pro-active way. Part of the remit involves the annual distribution of funds donated to support people in need. Kelley is a representative on the Community Pillar of the Dublin City PPN (Public Participation Network), the Secretariat of the PPN and the LCDC (Local Community Development Committee). Kelley liaises with local forums such as the Child and Family Support Network and Community Safety Forums.  Partnering with national and local representative bodies is a fundamental part of our work and we link with agencies such as The Wheel, Charities Institute Ireland and Volunteer Ireland.

Kelley serves as the Safeguarding Officer, tasked with ensuring that the Cathedral implements best practice across its activities to protect the welfare of children in its care, as well as adult safeguarding, in accordance with the Church of Ireland’s Safeguarding Trust.

In addition, Kelley’s role as the Safeguarding Officer makes her the Designated Liaison Person (DLP).  Kelley assists the Cathedrals’ Volunteer Coordinator, Kryzel Benefacio and is also the driver of the Cathedral Minibus.

Email 1: community@stpatrickscathedral.ie

Email 2: safeguarding@stpatrickscathedral.ie (for any child protection or adult safeguarding matters)

Phone: +353 1 453 9472 (ext. 209)

Mobile: +353 86 103 0931 (Emergency Safeguarding Mobile) or +353 86 606 1080 (General Community)