Training Links funds and supports networks of community and voluntary organisations for joint training.
Since 2005, The Wheel’s Training Links Programme has met the training needs of nonprofit workers across Ireland. This includes volunteers and staff from charities, community groups, and social enterprises.
2024 – 2026 Programme
This year we have awarded €255,000 to 10 Training Networks, composed of a total of 140 charities, community and voluntary organisations and social enterprises from all over the country.
Impact Summary
The Artificial Intelligence Social Enterprise Network (AISEN), led by the Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI), will provide social enterprises with training to adopt and use AI effectively. Participants will learn to streamline operations, enhance decision-making and improve service delivery using AI tools such as Open AI, Co-Pilot, and Gemini. They will also explore the ethical and privacy aspects of AI. The programme includes developing AI implementation plans and completing a capstone project to solve a real-world problem within their enterprise.
Network Members
Impact Summary
In line with ‘Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025 – Ireland’s Future,’ the Home Visiting Alliance Training Network aims to enhance the skills of Home Visitors throughout Ireland to meet the evolving needs of families and society through a series of online training webinars. This includes interdisciplinary skills such as cultural sensitivity, trauma-informed care, empathy, communication, resilience, creativity, and problem-solving. The plan seeks to develop a flexible, knowledgeable workforce capable of addressing emerging challenges in at-risk communities. It emphasises improving early childhood home visiting practices, promoting lifelong learning, and increasing skilled Home Visitors to support marginalized families.
Network Members
Early Learning Initiative, National College of Ireland
Northside Partnership
Lifestart Foundation Ltd
Let’s Grow Together! Infant and Childhood Partnerships CLG
Louth Local Development CLG
Brill Resource Centre
Parents First (Laois, Offaly) CLG
Daughters of Charity Community Services
Youth New Ross
St. Ultans Childcare Project
Impact Summary
The National Alliance of Centres for Independent Living (NACIL) has 17 member organisations. Collectively these organisations provide services to over 2,000 disabled people across all five HSE Health Regions.
It will support NACIL to:
-Navigate the changing landscape of health and disability services in Ireland.
-Be better informed and positioned to ensure that the independent living services they provide, grow as Ireland progresses with the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).
-Help build the newly formed Alliance.
-To build sustainability and organisational stability, with a strong focus on the commonality between participants.
Network Members
Impact Summary
The LGBTI+ Training Links Network offers service providers in the LGBTQIA+ community sector the chance to participate in training, network with others in the field, and share experiences to benefit the sector as a whole. The network provides opportunities, such as the continued professional development conference, which is a two-day event featuring workshops, speakers, and time for connecting with other attendees. This creates a space for connection, learning, and strengthening bonds within the LGBTQIA+ community sector.
Network Members
Impact Summary
The Dóchas Leadership Programme 2025 is a collaborative effort between Dóchas and 15 of its member organisations, working in partnership with UCD Innovation Academy. Following a similar course delivered in 2023, it brings together emerging and existing leaders in the sector to focus on creative thinking, innovation and leadership. An inclusive approach involving online delivery allows participation of personnel from across the network, including those in the Global South. Through this programme, Dóchas provides a platform for participants to connect, coordinate and collaborate, continue peer learning and exchange, and apply skills and best practice to sectoral initiatives.
Network Members
Impact Summary
The Rethinking International Volunteering Network will work to support the sector to strengthen individual and collective values-led approaches to international volunteering and development programming. Tailored trainings will support participants to explore the different dimensions of values-led volunteering, building capacity to mainstream learnings across their organisations and broader networks. Areas to be explored include safeguarding, inclusive programming, collective care, ethical communications and fundraising, and challenging the harmful practice of orphanage volunteering. The network has identified these are priority areas where joint training will them to strengthen collective impact and quality, at a time of rapid change.
Network Members
Impact Summary
By engaging in this programme we aim to add value in the leadership, management, and operational skills of grant making organisations to increase impact, build governance and inform grant making strategies, in support of an agile, responsive community of grant makers addressing beneficiary needs. It will help in the support and development of high-quality, impactful, sustainable, and responsive grant making programmes to maximise impact of resources.
Network Members
Impact Summary
The network aims to upskill community and voluntary groups in the Cork City & County Geographical areas to support practitioners and volunteers in providing an effective, appropriate and shared response to Keeping Children SAFE & PROTECTED from harm. Desired outcomes include:
-Increased confidence and capacity within the community and voluntary groups across Cork in keeping our children and young people safe from harm.
-Provide an appropriate, effective and accessible response to training needs gaps identified by practitioners and volunteers.
-Deepen the knowledge, understanding and skills for working in this complex are.
-Provide a platform for the sharing of best practice and expertise and further collaboration in providing a shared response.
Network Members
Impact Summary
The Physical Activity Social Innovation for Health (PASIfH) training link aims to upskill each of the network organisations on Impact Management with a core objective progressing towards the development of a Common Outcomes Framework. The Common Outcomes Framework will provide an organised, generalised, set of outcomes and outcome indicators that establishes a universal approach for impact evaluation. This process will aim to define a collective and sector-led understanding of how physical activity programmes improve outcomes for all stakeholders.
The result of which will help to inform or adapt programme design (as the framework can be referenced to integrate greater health promotion outcomes); promote shared and consistent measurement of impact that results in peer-to-peer based evidence; empower each of the network organisations to ‘talk about’ themselves in a more systematic way to all stakeholders and enable a range of wider benefits including supporting programme beneficiaries to greater understand the positive outcomes that they can expect to experience from their participation.
Network Members
Impact Summary
We aim to build knowledge and skills across front line practice; developing a targeted approach within a shared framework; creating dedicated support and services for families. The project aims to increase the awareness of the needs of families by creating a shared understanding of how systemic issues are impacting on lives and family wellbeing. Through training we hope to develop a knowledge hub, lending to peer support, best practice, referral pathways and a united approach to service delivery. We aspire to creating opportunities for lifelong learning supporting the retention of staff and knowledge in the Dublin 7 and 1 areas.
Network Members
Paul Ring, Step by Step, Child & Family Project
Geraldine Nugent, Aosog, Child & Family Project
Sarah Kearney, Daughters of Charity
Dublin City Childcare Committee
Anne Staunton, Rainbows Ireland
Aileen Hickey, Parentline
Geraldine O Driscoll, Ozanam House, St Vincent de Paul
Chime, The National Charity for Deafness and Hearing Loss
Dublin 7 School Completion Project
Bradog Youth Services
Dominic Justice of Ireland
Are you interested in forming a Training Networking, or connecting with potential new partners? Please fill the below Expression of Interest form and we will circulate the responses gathered to all respondents in advance of the next round of Training Links funding.
To learn more about the Training Links programme read a case study from one of our Training Networks or check out our video links
""It has helped establish a culture of learning and capacity building across a sector that was previously notable for its absence""
– Brendan Mulry, Meals on Wheels Training Network Coordinator (2021-2023 Training Links Programme)"This grant allowed us to revise the teaching practices of the courses we deliver, bring them in line with current methods and technologies, update and revise our training materials, train new trainers to deliver our courses and deliver GDPR and Data protection training to member station volunteers, boards and staff. "
– Mary Lennon, Craol Training Network (2022 – 2024 Training Links Programme)Find out how you can cut your costs, and maybe even avail of FREE membership, by joining The Wheel today.
