Kildare-based project launched to help Ukrainian refugees integrate

A new EU-funded pilot project launched in North Kildare, bringing together local communities, employers, and Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection to explore practical approaches to refugee integration. The project will run for one year across Maynooth, Kilcock, Leixlip, Celbridge, and Straffan, gathering evidence to inform local authority practice and national policy on refugee integration.

Co.Here is funded under the EU’s Social Innovation+ programme and conducted by partners from University College Dublin, the non-profit Helping Irish Hosts, and using an ethical ‘people data’ platform from international tech partner Pairity.

Research lead from UCD School of Politics and International Relations, Dr Graham Finlay said: “Welcoming newcomers brings real opportunities but it also creates challenges for communities under pressure. With Co.Here, we want to understand, through evidence, how communities and newcomers can find common ground and build the kind of belonging that lasts.”

Co-Founder of Helping Irish Hosts, Jill Robinson said: “At its heart, Co.Here is about joining the dots between real people and real experiences. It builds on lived community experience and applies technology to make those efforts more practical, connected, and lasting, for everyone involved.”

The launch was held at the Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, and was attended by members of local communities as well as local councillors and TDs. Attendees were invited to take part in an interactive ‘Belonging Wall’, sharing ideas on what truly helps people feel at home.

Speaking at the launch, Kildare North Councillor Angela Feeney said: “I am delighted to support the Co.Here project. It is a model of good practice, taking a partnership approach to solving everyday problems. A key part of the project is listening to people’s lived experience, looking at what is already in place in our communities, and using technology to help communities and newcomers connect in ways that work for everyone involved. It is by working together that we can achieve so much more.”

Over the next year, Co.Here will invite Ukrainian newcomers, local residents, community groups, and employers in North Kildare to take part. Participants will be matched with opportunities in learning, work, education, health, and social life, while also sharing their insights on what helps people feel at home.

By gathering this evidence, the pilot project aims not only to improve support locally but also to inform integration policy and practice nationally.

Principal and Dean of UCD College of Social Sciences and Law, Professor Niamh Moore Cherry said: “At a time of huge geopolitical upheaval, social disruption and migration, we need co-created, community-centric social innovation initiatives like this to provide the holistic, evidence-based policies that will enable communities to thrive, even in adverse circumstances. Social sciences research has never been more necessary to safeguard our society and deliver the right to safety and dignity for all.”

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