About CityWide

CityWide works to promote and support a community development approach to the drugs problem - this means involving the people who are most affected by the problem in dealing with the problem - drug users, their families and communities.

CityWide aims

• To develop the capacity of local communities to respond to the drugs problem in their area
• To provide ongoing support, facilitation and networking to local groups working on the drugs issue, either in areas already linked in to Citywide or other areas where communities may not be well organised
• To campaign and lobby on policy issues in relation to drugs and, as part of this role, to carry out a representative role on behalf of the community sector on policy bodies
• To encourage an inter-agency response to the drug problem, including government departments and agencies, trade unions, community and voluntary bodies and other relevant agencies that may be identified

CityWide works in the following ways

1. Facilitating Networks
   Providing networks through which local communities can develop a co-ordinated response to issues of drug policy and services
2. Responding to Issues
   Responding to particular issues of concern as they arise for communities
3. Campaigning & Lobbying
   Campaigning and lobbying on issues relating to the drugs crisis
4. Representing Communities
   Citywide carries out a representative role on a number of networks, committees and advisory bodies.
5. National Work
   CityWide works with Regional Drugs Taskforce community representatives
6. Support for Local Groups and Community Representatives
   Citywide provides a range of supports to local groups through providing information, responding to queries and facilitating links.

1. Facilitating Networks

Citywide facilitates a range of networks, which bring together people who are involved in responding to the drugs issue:

1. To support each other
2. To exchange information and experience
3. To identify key policy issue and develop responses to them

The networks section of website provides details on all of the networks that we facilitate.

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2. Responding to Issues

Citywide brings people together to look at both current and ongoing issues through organising information sessions, seminars, conferences, working groups etc. An example of an ongoing issue is drug use and treatment in prisons and the Prisons Working Group looks at this issue on an ongoing basis. Some examples of current issues are:

• Implementation of the Drugs Rehabilitation Strategy
• The growth of cocaine problem in our communities
• The use of benzodiazepines in our communities
• Community policing
• Issues for children of drug users
• Alcohol problems in our communities

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3. Campaigning and Lobbying

It is essential that the drugs issue is kept on the political agenda to ensure that the necessary commitment and resources are made available to tackle the problem. It is part of Citywide's role to lobby and campaign on an ongoing basis and this is done in a number of ways

• through contact with Ministers, politicians, statutory agencies;
• representation on policy committees;
• special events such as marches, exhibitions, conferences
• ongoing contact with the media.

You can view current and past campaigns in the Campaigns section of our website.

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4. Representing Communities

Citywide carries out a representative role on a number of networks, national committees and advisory bodies. We aim to represent the views and experiences of the community sector, based on information gathered through the Citywide networks.

You can find more information about our representative role here.

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5. National work

Citywide has employed a development worker to support Regional Community Reps in carrying out their roles. Cathy Walsh comes to us with a strong background in drug rehabilitation and many years experience of working in disadvantaged areas in Dublin. Her role is to provide support to RDTF community reps and to help develop the establishment of regional networks. Cathy can be contacted at cathy@citywide.ie or 01 8365090

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6. Support for Local Groups & Community Reps

Citywide facilitates FETAC accredited training for

• Community Reps on Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces
• Managers of Community based Drug Projects

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