Rethinking Integration from the Ground Up
Co.Here is a new, EU-funded pilot project connecting displaced Ukrainian people and local communities in North Kildare - through deep listening, ethical technology, and local coordination.
Officially titled Community Connect under the EU’s ESF+ Social Innovation+ Fund, Co.Here is Ireland’s only project selected under the Access EU strand - positioning the country at the forefront of innovative, community-led integration practice.
Why it Matters
Welcoming newcomers brings opportunities, but it also creates challenges - especially for communities already under pressure. Co.Here is designed to support both: to make integration sustainable for local communities and meaningful for displaced people.
At the heart of Co.Here is the idea of coherence: integration works best when we see the full picture - who people are, what communities can offer, and how they can grow together.
How it Works
Over 18 months, Helping Irish Hosts, UCD, and Pairity are combining their expertise to research, develop, and test a model that sees the whole person and the whole community.
We’re working with displaced Ukrainian people across five North Kildare towns - Celbridge, Kilcock, Leixlip, Maynooth, and Straffan - connecting them with opportunities in education, work, language, health and social life.
This isn’t just about matching people to services. It’s about matching people to places, in ways that make sense for both sides.
Though designed around Ukrainian displacement, Co.Here is being built to go further: offering a scalable, human-first, tech-supported approach to integration and community cohesion that could shape future policy in Ireland and beyond.
Our Approach
Co.Here brings together the strengths of communities, research, and technology to test what really helps people feel at home.
Deep Listening
We start with stories, not statistics - hearing directly from newcomers and communities. Integration is a two-way process.
Local Support
Our Community Liaisons are on the ground to guide, connect, and provide practical support every step of the way.
People-first matching
Using Pairity’s ethical tech platform, we connect people with real opportunities in education, work, language, health, and social life - always with respect for choice and privacy.
Building belonging
With UCD’s independent research, we’re learning and testing what works to create true connection and lasting inclusion - for everyone involved.
"It's not about managing people - it's about joining the dots
and making space for them to find each other."
- Jill Robinson, Co-Founder, Helping Irish Hosts
Ireland’s community-led hosting network, building on three years of lived experience supporting hosts and guests.
Partners
University College Dublin (UCD)
Providing independent research and evaluation and leading on governance
International partner delivering
ethical matching technology
Co.Here (Community Connect) is co-designed and delivered by Helping Irish Hosts, University College Dublin (UCD), and Pairity, with participation from Ukrainian newcomers and communities in North Kildare.
With participation from Ukrainian newcomers and communities in North Kildare, Co.Here positions Ireland at the forefront of innovative, community-led integration practice in Europe.
Context
Irish communities stepped up in extraordinary ways to welcome more than 115,000 displaced Ukrainians in response to the invasion of Ukraine - often despite stretched resources and local challenges. Through Helping Irish Hosts, thousands of households opened their doors, showing what’s possible when people open their homes and hearts.
That experience didn’t just provide shelter, it created a wealth of data, insights, and lived experience about what makes hosting work, where the challenges lie, and how communities respond under pressure. We captured much of this learning in our "IMAGINE IF" report, which highlights the lessons from Ireland’s hosting experience.
Co.Here is the natural next step. Building on this knowledge, and adding ethical technology and academic research,
the project asks a deeper question: what truly helps people belong?
This pilot project is about more than meeting immediate needs. It’s about listening and learning, and turning community generosity into practical tools, smart systems, and evidence that can support long-term inclusion and sustainable integration. By working closely with both newcomers and communities, Co.Here will generate insights to inform future integration policy and practice in Ireland and across Europe.
From local insight to system-level change, we’re turning lived experience into lasting impact.
Join Us at the Launch
We’re kicking off Co.Here with a community launch event, and everyone is welcome.
Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth
Thursday 2 October 2025
5.30 – 7.30pm
Come along to hear more about the project, meet the partners, and share your own ideas on how we build belonging that lasts. The evening will include contributions from University College Dublin, Helping Irish Hosts, Pairity, and local participants, plus an interactive Belonging Wall where you can add your voice.
Ласкаво просимо всіх
Get Involved
We can’t build this without you | ми не можемо це побудувати без тебе
Co.Here is now inviting expressions of interest from people who want to help shape what real belonging looks like
- from both sides of the welcome.
If you're based in Celbridge, Kilcock, Leixlip, Maynooth, or Straffan, we’d love to hear from...
Together, we’ll explore what’s already working, what’s missing, and how we can build stronger, more connected communities - through interviews, workshops, and focus groups starting from September 2025.
For general inquiries, email: jennifer@helpingirishhosts.com
Ми зараз перекладаємо цей вебсайт. Натисніть кнопку, щоб отримати інформацію українською мовою.
Напишіть Марині: maryna@helpingirishhosts.com
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.