New ACT remote working hub remembers former manager

The new ACT Business Hub in Athlone will be known as the Michael Fuery Hub, in memory of the former Manager of Athlone Community Development Association (ACDA), who died in 2020.

Mr Fuery's family were present at the remote working hub based in Ball Alley Lane, on the town's westside, when it was officially opened by the Minister for Rural and Community Development and Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, on Thursday.

With the assistance and support of the Minister’s Department of Rural and Community Development (over €64,000) and of Enterprise Ireland (€60,000), major refurbishment and improvements have been carried out at the ACT centre over the past two years as part of a total investment of €150,000, the remainder matched by ACDA's own coffers.

The funding allowed for roof repairs, insulation, windows maintenance and a general upgrade of the premises which also houses offices leased to organisations like Athlone Community Radio, St Hilda's and a Traveller mediation service among others.

The addition of the new Business Hub development allowing for remote or co-working represents a "landmark achievement", according to ACDA.

Manager Alan Coffey said there are ten hot desks in the new hub at the moment, and should the demand be there, there is scope to grow that number in the future.

He encouraged workers to register with the connectedhubs.ie platform where they can book desks around the country, including Athlone, with the click of a button.

For new registrations, a digital voucher scheme will allow three free days at hubs countrywide. ACDA's involvement with the national connectedhubs.ie concept represents a new and exciting chapter in the history of ACT, the organisation said, adding that all stakeholders look forward to progress and success in the years ahead.

On the occasion of the official opening, the current board acknowledged the many leaders and volunteers whose tireless efforts have contributed to the economic, social and cultural development of Athlone and its environment over the past thirty years.

Owned by the community, ACDA was established back in 1992 as an initiative by Athlone Rotary Club to stimulate further employment-generating activities in Athlone.

As a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status operating under the registered business name of Athlone Community Taskforce (ACT), the mission is to create employment and enterprise opportunities, and measures leading to these, in consultation with the Athlone community and statutory agencies

At the outset, the association purchased the existing premises in Parnell Square, Athlone and developed a Business Development Centre to provide incubation space for new enterprise ventures and house a wide range of community services.

Through partnerships between community groups, statutory bodies, and social partners ACT’s main priorities have been to identify measures required to combat unemployment, and undertake programmes designed to counter identified disadvantage in the wider community.

Numerous projects, services and training programmes have been delivered over many years and the Board of Management, chaired by Pat Campbell, is continuously seeking opportunities to improve the range and scope of activities on offer.

While in Athlone, Minister Humphreys also launched the first ever National Hub Summit, taking place in the town, which brought together businesses, hub managers and policy makers, less than 18 months after the launch of the Connected Hubs platform, of which the Athlone hub is a member.

She confirmed that the number of remote working facilities registered with Connectedhubs.ie will pass the 300-mark next week and more than 10,000 workers will have registered with the platform by the year end.

The Minister also announced that each local authority outside of Dublin has been given a special budget to promote their area in order to attract remote workers and mobile talent, while a new pilot scheme that will match employers and employees to specific hubs will be launched in the New Year.

“It’s hard to believe that less than three years ago, remote working was nothing short of a concept in Ireland. It’s now an everyday reality for thousands of workers and businesses, across this State. We have made extraordinary strides in terms of remote working," she said. “My department alone, has invested over €100 million in developing state-of-the-art remote working facilities in every county in Ireland."