| What is Healthy Ireland in Kildare? |
Healthy Ireland is a national response to improve health and wellbeing across the country, a framework for improved health and wellbeing sets out the vision, goals and priorities for 2013-2025. In late 2017, an application for funding in Kildare was made jointly by the Kildare Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and the Kildare Children and Young Peoples Services Committee (CYPSC). Both organisations have responsibility for the coordination of Healthy Ireland Strand One
Healthy Ireland One:
In late 2017 the Department of Health funded the first round of Healthy Ireland Initiatives through a joint application from Kildare Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and Kildare Children and Young Person’s Services Committee (CYPSC). €138,400 was available to improve health and wellbeing across the county. A small sample of the activities funded across Kildare from January to March 2018 includes: Dance targeting older people, mental health programmes, couch to 5k in targeted communities, the development of a website outlining the impact of cannabis use, health and wellbeing information events, physical activity programmes engaging with people with disabilities.[1]
Healthy Ireland Two:
Following on from a very successful first programme further funding of €112,100 became available in 2018. A second joint application was made by Kildare LCDC and CYPSC to build on the first round of funding. Initiatives funded during round two include; a series of train the trainer and health and wellness programmes for ‘Active Communities’, A Health and Wellbeing Symposium Conference, Heads Up young men’s’ programme, Social Farming and the development of a youth informed website ‘Tobacco, Cannabis and You’. In addition to the funded initiatives, organisations worked closely with Kildare libraries through “The Healthy Ireland in your libraries” and participated in a social media workshop funded by Kildare LCDC.
Healthy Ireland Three:
A third joint application for Healthy Ireland Funds was made by Kildare LCDC and CYPSC in September 2019. An initial sum of €374,100 was approved for Kildare, an additional allocation of €70,147 extended the programme from July 2021 to December 2021 (total budget €444,247). A further extension was granted from December 2021 to March 2022 as an acknowledge to the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on implementation nationally. Actions under round 3 Healthy Ireland funding were completed by 31st March 2022. Evidence across the actions highlighted the impact of the HIF Round 3 funding for Kildare. Programmes targeted the most disadvantaged communities and target groups which is very positive. Examples are outlined below of work that has taken place with the most vulnerable to promote and support healthier lifestyles- homeless children and families, people living with addiction, disadvantaged teenage girls, older people, people with disabilities etc.
While Covid-19 was a significant challenge for all actions during round three, support to request changes and adapt delivery of actions has resulted in a completed programme of work. A key success of the overall Healthy Ireland programme funding in Kildare, provided by the Department of Health and administered by Pobal.
A Health and Wellbeing subgroup meets bimonthly and reports into Kildare Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and Kildare Children and Young Person’s Services Committee (CYPSC). The programme is supported by the Healthy Ireland Co-ordinator in addition to the LCDC and CYPSC Coordinators.
Kildare HI Round 3 Actions
The programme of work under Strand one of the Healthy Ireland Fund and Community Mental Health Fund set out ten actions funded in Round 3.
1 Motivate and Activate, Kildare Sports Partnership €106,000
2 Support for Homeless Families, Peter McVerry Trust €94,508
3 Social Farming, County Kildare LEADER Partnership €10,000
4 Safer Alcohol Programme, South Western Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force €8,700
5 Community Engagement €44,946
6 Kildare Health and Wellbeing Plan, Kildare LCDC €18,475
7 HIF Coordinator €67,500
8 Rural Men’s Programme, Heads Up Kildare €32,050
9 Regional Family Support Service, Hope Cottage €32,050
10 Community Mental Health Fund Action: Small Grants €30,000
Healthy Ireland Four:
An interim fund of €40,000 is available to Kildare LCDC until end of December 2022. Healthy Ireland Programmes are being delivered by Project Partners Kildare Sports Partnership.
This funding is allocated across three key areas;
Delivery of a series of Health-Related Programmes
Delivery of a Capacity Building and Skills Based Training Programmes
Providing programmes and equipment to ensure sustainability and maximising local resources
For more information on Healthy Ireland or any of the above programmes, please contact Laura Kelly, Healthy Ireland co-ordinator for Kildare at: lkelly@kildarecoco.ie
February 2022: Positive Ageing Walk LtoR Collaborative Partners Karen Heavey, HSE and Laura Kelly, Kildare County Council
May 2022: Dawn Walk Launch LtoR Health and Wellbeing Subgroup members Karl Duffy, CKLP, Laura Kelly, Kildare County Council, Sarah Shakespeare, Teach Dara FRC, Maria Healy, Kildare County Council
October 2022, pink parkrun in Castletown House, Celbridge for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
November 2022, Youth Physical Literacy Training in collaboration with Kildare Sports Partnership, CYPSC and InSync