Enterprising Athenry ADC Ltd. – August 1996

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Enterprising Athenry ADC (Area Development Company) Ltd. was formed in May 1996 to provide all of us with a new way to achieve improvements and developments. The aim of the Company is to assist and support developments which the people of the area want to see happen. So the company is about “doing things for ourselves” and “getting things done for ourselves”.

Clearly therefore the Company is about all of us working together for our future, our children’s future and the future of the Athenry area. The central role of the Company is to provide all of us with the opportunity to be shareholders in shaping and securing the future progress, prosperity and quality of life in our area.

Enterprising Athenry ADC Ltd. Is established to promote, support and assist every type of development in our area. This includes the farming and business sectors, the cultural, heritage, social, educational and recreational areas. While the Company can help to progress every aspect and facet of life, it clearly has no role in replacing (or displacing) the functions or role of any existing voluntary organisation or State agency.

Enterprising Athenry ADC Ltd. is about filling the gaps and voids in development that exist at present and getting things done in a way that we never thought was possible.

Why was This Name Chosen?

The two second level schools, Presentation College and the Vocational College, in the Athenry area cater for pupils from Attymon, Carnmore, Clarinbridge, Craughwell, Gurteen, Kiltulla and Turloughmore. Clearly all of these localities are part and parcel of the Athenry catchment area so while the stimulus for the establishment of the new Company is coming from the people of Athenry Parish the long term aim is to serve the wider catchment area.

The word “Enterprising” was deliberately chosen for a couple of reasons. It reflects the fact that our area is endowed with an enterprising and creative people who have the enthusiasm and commitment to initiate and lead developments. It is by harnessing this resource – our main resource – that a new way forward will be found to underpin progress.

There is another reason. Experts tell us that in 20 years time, two out of every three people employed across Europe will be involved in producing products and services that don’t yet exist. Clearly the times ahead are going to be times of change. While this may mean loss of jobs in some areas it indicates an opportunity to create jobs in a whole lot of new areas. We need these new jobs in the Athenry area and we need to equip and support ourselves to meet that challenge.

Another consideration was the need to support and facilitate the enterprising people in our area dedicated to community projects directed at improvements in the quality of life for our people.

Our Company, Enterprising Athenry ADC Ltd., is set up as a vehicle to enable all of us to work together in harmony.

Legal Status and Company Membership

This new way forward is being approached in a business like way. The Company is limited by guarantee with no share capital and incorporated under the companies Act 1963 to 1990.

Membership of Enterprise Athenry ADC Ltd. is open to all adults living or working in the Athenry parish or the surrounding area. An annual membership subscription investment is required for registration as a member of the Company. The annual subscriptions from members provides a source of local funds to meet the Companies expenditure connected with new developments and improvements.

Legal Right of Members

The legal rights of members are set out in the Articles of Association – copies of which are available to members. The following is a brief summary of those rights.

Members are entitled to attend all members meetings of the company, including general and special meetings and to vote at these meetings.

Members are entitled to go forward for election to the Board of the Company at each Annual General Meeting.

Members are entitled to inspect the management accounts of the Company at any time and also to receive a copy of the annual accounts, auditors report, and director’s report.

Progress on Getting the Company off The Ground

An Organising Core Group, Interim Board, was formed in May 1996. Since then this Group, assisted by a much larger group of promoters, have been busy visiting every home in Athenry Parish to secure the registration of new members to form Enterprising Athenry ADC Ltd. The number of members registered to date indicates the widespread willingness of people to invest in the future of the Athenry area. Their membership subscriptions will provide a sound base of local funds to the Company. More importantly this base of local funds will leave the Company in a strong negotiating position to seek financial support from other sources.

We have now arrived at our next step forward which is the recruitment of a Development Manager. We are currently seeking professional advice on this. Before this article is printed we hope to have made good strides in shortlisting a number of applicants for this very important position.

What Developments will the Company Support?

The simple answer is that the Company will support what its members want. As soon as the membership campaign is complete the Core Organising Group will consult with the members. While it hasn’t been decided how this will be done, the aim will be to encourage members to join one or more Project Teams, particularly if they have a skill they can share, an idea they wish to develop, or if they are interested in finding an idea or opportunity. Any input from members will be encouraged in support of enterprise, business and community projects.

Peter Seery

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Written by Peter Seery

Published here 04 Nov 2022 and originally published 1996

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