Sligo Centre for Independent Living - Inclusion, Equality, Empowerment

Sligo Centre for Independent Living CLG (Sligo CIL) is a not for profit organistation set up in 1996 by a group of local people with physical disabilities - Sean Brennan RIP, Eugene O’Brien RIP, Tom Cunningham and Gerry McEvoy. It continues to have strong representation of people with a disability at a director level today. Its purpose is to promote self-determination and independence for individuals living with a disability while also fostering their integration and inclusion into the wider community. Sligo CIL  is independently run but affiliated to a larger network of CILs nationally and internationally and prides itself on being a professional modern non-profit organisation, now providing all aspects of non-medical support to people with disabilities.

Sligo CIL has a number of different projects and services including the provision of Personal Assistants, Health Care Assistants and Social Care Assistants in the County Sligo area; a CE Scheme in which they train people in healthcare; a social inclusion project called Number 45 which is an innovative and very successful community integration and engagement project. They have also introduced a project called Still@45 to grow a community space for contemplation, meditation and stillness. The team in Sligo CIL also advocate on behalf of individuals with a disability both at a local and national level including: 

• signposting individuals towards local and national resources.
• checking in with service users regularly and offering emotional support when indicated.
• organising social outings/gatherings annually including Clublandia, a nightclub experience. 

DFI's Communications Manager Brenda Drumm met with Maria Mulligan, CEO, to find out about the history of the organisation, the services they provide, the challenges and what keeps her going. The Number 45 project in Sligo Town is one of the most uplifting places to spend time! 

You can listen to the interview with Maria here. 

You can watch Maria's CEO Tik Tok Postcard here.

You can find out more about the work of Sligo CIL on their website.