Muintir na TÍre & Sligo Lend a Hand welcomes Healthy Ireland funding in support of a Digital Connection Project

Muintir na TÍre & Sligo Lend a Hand welcomes Healthy Ireland funding in support of a Digital Connection Project

Over the coming months the Muintir na Tíre and Sligo Lend a Hand will work with the Sligo Local Community Development Committee’s Healthy Ireland programme.

The project is funded through Healthy Ireland and will support communities to digitally connect individuals to reduce threats to health and wellbeing.  We look forward to working with the Healthy Ireland Coordinator on this exciting new venture.

Staying Connected is one of five main themes in the recently launched Government of Ireland “Keep Well” campaign.

The project is unique in that it will provide one to one digital training for individuals.  This project was designed with Covid in mind and will be able to continue during covid restrictions, with a strong emphasis on reducing isolation through increased use of technology alongside local radio and social media. Staying connected during this pandemic is very important and with the existing network of Community Alert groups in the county this project can identify those in our communities who live alone.  Traditionally local support organizations would at this time of year maintain connections engaging service providers and agencies to deliver information at local seminars and social events.  This project is about encouraging connection and information delivery via different media and devices.

It is however critically important for individuals and groups in making connections to do so safely and in a manner which contributes to a greater feeling of wellbeing.

Launch_Muintir na tire

On Mondays starting November 9th for five weeks at 10.30am on OCEAN FM’s North West today programme Muintir na Tire with other key partners will chat about how individuals can make and keep connections, what groups can do to make connections locally and the supports that are available to support both of these actions.  Podcasts with supporting information and contact details will be available on www.sligolendahand.ie and www.muintir.ie. Hard copy information packs will be available mid-December for distribution to those who are not yet online.

In January 2021, a programme of one to one training on the use of connectivity devices will commence, so watch this space.

Speaking at the launch Cathaoirleach Councillor Dara Mulvey LCDC Chairperson welcomed this project.

“At this point in time where connectivity is so important to preserve health and wellbeing, it is exactly the type of project that can make a real difference to the lives of those who are living alone.”

 

The Healthy Ireland Fund supported by the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.