08.02.2013
Rural Dwellers Gather to Highlight Issues
Issues facing people living in rural communities were highlighted at the first of two public meetings organised by the Dublin and Glendalough Social Action Committee. The meeting took place in East Glendalough School in Wicklow town last night (February 8) and was addressed by former IFA president and MEP, Alan Gillis, from Grange Con and facilitated by Ruth Handy, a former senior specialist with the Irish Management Institute, from Greystones.
Introducing the meeting, committee chairman, the Revd Isaac Delamere, said they were hoping to reach out to rural communities, hear what the issues on the ground are and decide how they can be addressed. He said that people were often baffled by the term social action. But he pointed out that social action could involve mother and toddler groups, visitor groups or men’s sheds. “In the simplest terms – it is following the example of Jesus,” he stated.
Mr Gillis highlighted some of the issues facing rural people after which Ruth Handy asked people to divide into groups with the aim of identifying the problems they saw people struggling with in their own communities.
The groups came up with a wide range of issues which included:
· Worry about security in the home.
· Isolation among people of all ages.
· The lack of transport.
· Difficulties finding secure and reliable tradespeople.
· School transport which in rural areas is affected by fluctuating numbers.
· Lack of support for people who have been bereaved or separated.
· Lack of places to meet which could be shared by the whole community.
· Lack of combined operations to avoid duplication of services.
· Poor communication to let people know about activities or supports.
· Men are more prone to isolation than women.
· The lack of facilities for children in their late teens.
· The high rate of suicide, and the affect suicide has on a community.
· The closure of Post Offices, Garda Stations and local shops.
· The lack of support for families who are undergoing huge changes.
· The lack of broadband and poor mobile phone coverage.
The groups were then asked to come up with ways of tackling the issues raised in three categories.
Suggestions for actions to tackle issues surrounding isolation and the elderly included:
· Pool information with other organisations.
· Start with small initiatives such as organising a good neighbour week.
· Identify the needs of the community.
· Identify a meeting place of some sort to enable people to get together.
· Organise a lunch club to provide meals and interaction for the elderly.
· Compile a community trades directory with a list of trusted tradespeople.
· Start a befriending and visiting scheme on a one to one basis.
· Arrange monthly tea/coffee and organise to collect senior members of the community to bring them to it.
· Start a parish volunteer group in which people who needed small jobs such as having a light bulb changed or a piece of carpentry work done could be linked with suitable volunteers.
Suggestions to alleviate issues facing young families and teens included:
· Start an action group for young families for when their children leave primary school to keep them involved with the community.
· Find a new model to deal with the erosion of Sundays so that people could still get together.
· Broaden the horizons of groups to include activities, such as walking groups, picnics and other affordable group activities.
· Use technology to communicate with people either by text or closed groups on the internet.
· Provide reliable, up to date information on what is available in an area.
· Get the whole community involved.
· Mother and Toddler groups are a great support network for young families and a link could be made with the local public health nurse who would know if there are isolated families in the area who could be invited to join.
· Start a babysitting group.
Suggestions for tackling infrastructure difficulties included:
· Car pooling – which could be used in many scenarios.
· Rural transport schemes.
· Providing up to date information on what services are available and getting the information into the community.
· Utilising the Citizen’s Information Bureau
At the end of the meeting, participants were encouraged to think of some actions they could take in their own communities to help people who are struggling. Ms Handy intends to compile the information from the meeting for the Social Action Committee.
The committee has organised a meeting for the West Glendalough area which takes place in The Jonathan Swift National School in Dunlavin on February 28 at 8.00 pm.