Lansdowne and District Residents' Association (LADRA)

Text of email sent to LADRA members on the 27/03/2020

Hi All,

Another week has passed and I hope you are all well.     Your weekly communication from LADRA (during this crisis)  is a press release I received from the Community Development Manager in the DCC  i.e.  Dublin City Council has announced a new partnership with ALONE to provide support and assistance to older people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kind Regards,

Bernadette,

Chairperson, LADRA

   Media Release                    Thursday March 26^th

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL PARTNERS WITH ALONE TO HELP OLDER PEOPLE

The organisation which supports older people is working with a number of partner organisations to align its support services for older people. 

Dublin City Council has announced a new partnership with ALONE to provide support and assistance to older people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with Pobal and the Dublin City Age Friendly Alliance, these partner organisations will be working together to align with the sector, streamline requests for help, and ensure that vulnerable older people across the country receive the support and assistance that they need.

ALONE currently operates a national support line for older people that was set up in collaboration with the HSE and the Department of Health. The line is active from 8am to 8pm seven days a week, and has received more than 3,300 calls to date.

Commenting on the partnership the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Tom Brabazon, stated “While we find ourselves in an unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital that we look after the members of society who are most at risk. The reality for a lot of elderly people in this situation is that they are too scared to go outside in case they come into contact with a carrier of the disease and fall ill with the virus. By working together, we can ensure that when these older people call the support line they are given the advice and help that they need by a trained volunteer.”

The support line is to be a single point of contact from which all requests can be assessed and processed appropriately. This will be achieved by bringing together An Garda Síochána, community partners, volunteers and Dublin City Council to provide a national response and create a model that other groups and local authorities can replicate. The organisations will work together to ensure that all staff and volunteers providing supports are fully trained and Garda vetted, and adhere to best practice guidelines for dealing with older people. The group will also work towards developing long term relationships in the event of other crises in the future and to main a link with the older people in our community.

Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, said, “The main requests that our phone operators are getting at the moment are for information and daily contact but as we move to the next phase there is increasing demand for deliveries of food, medication and fuel, which are things that most people take for granted. We hope that this partnership will enable us to increase the levels of support that we already offer to older people across the country, who may be feeling scared or isolated due to the necessary health restrictions imposed to stop the spread of Coronavirus. We are already working with multiple partners and going forward we will involve other organisations to help address health and wellbeing issues.”

ALONE are working to add other local authorities to this partnership. Several other County Councils have indicated their interest and it is hoped that this partnership can provide a model of how the community and voluntary sector can work together with the local authorities throughout this crisis.

Beatrice Casserly who heads up the Dublin City Age Friendly Programme added, “Many older people are self-isolating as a precautionary measure to avoid contracting Coronavirus, however this can make everyday tasks such as grocery shopping or collecting prescriptions impossible. With the introduction of a streamlined support service, we can ensure that these people are looked after when they most need it. Until the curve has been flattened and it is safe for normal life to resume, our organisations will work together to protect the vulnerable members of our community.”

If you need support, or would like to make a referral, call the support line on: 0818 222 024

Assistant Commissioner Orla McPartlin, An Garda Síochána stated, “An Garda Síochána is pleased to support this worthwhile initiative between ALONE and Dublin City Council by providing as much support as possible during these challenging times.  I wish to reaffirm the public commitment made by Deputy Commissioner John Twomey on behalf of An Garda Síochána to support the most vulnerable in our society, particularly our elderly and isolated.  An Garda Síochána has always worked closely with our communities and we continue to do so in these extraordinary times.  We look forward to the continued collaborative efforts with local authorities and community groups such as Alone and others.”

ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Tom Brabazon M. 086 809 2944
Dublin City Council Media Relations Office T: (01) 222 2170 M: 087 740 0277

Fionnuala Ennis, Limelight Communications, 086 319 9226

Kathryn Byrne, Limelight Communications, 085 233 6033

NOTES

ALONE is a national organisation that supports and empowers older people to age happily and securely at home. We support individuals and their families, work with other organisations, and campaign nationwide to improve the lives of older people. We work with all older people, including those who are lonely, isolated, homeless, living in poverty, or are facing other difficulties. We support them through these challenges to help them find long term solutions.

ALONE provide Support and Befriending, Coordinated Support, Age-friendly Housing, and BConnect technology and community services. We use individualised support plans and provide one point of contact for older people to access health, social care, housing and other services to improve physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. ALONE enables outcomes including improved quality of life, community activation, and implementation of national strategies.

Text of email sent to LADRA members on the 20/03/2020

Hi All,

Hope all are well.

Please see the email below from the Community Development Manager in the DCC South East Area which I have been asked to circulate.

We  had a great response from residents willing to help other neighbours if needed over the next few weeks  and I am delighted to let you know that we have a list of 25 people who have volunteered to help if neighbours need shopping,  medication collection etc,  and also  dog walking if requested over the next few  weeks.

Just let me know if any person needs this help.

I will continue to keep you all updated with information  I receive from the DCC, the Gardaí or other relevant government bodies over the next few weeks.

Take Care,

Bernadette

Chairperson, LADRA.

——– Forwarded Message ——–

Hello everyone

Please see message below from Deputy Commissioner Twomey regarding the commitment to provide increased support and community engagement across the country during these challenging times.

Would you please share this message with your Community Group members and on social media.

Any person with concerns for themselves or for a neighbour should contact their local Garda station.  Contact details, including email contact, for all Garda stations can be found on the Garda website or in any phonebook.

Thank you.

GARDA PRESS RELEASE

“An Garda Síochána is in the process of hiring additional vehicles to provide additional mobility to our members nationwide to provide increased community support and community engagement across the country. 

Speaking today Deputy Commissioner Twomey stated that “As a community at this time we need more than ever to support the most vulnerable in our society, particularly our elderly and isolated.  An Garda Síochána has always worked closely with our communities and we continue to do so in these extraordinary times”.

An Garda Síochána continue to urge families, neighbours and community groups to engage with people in line with ‘social distancing’ guidelines. 

As an organisation, Gardaí across the country are being asked to actively identify those persons most at need, particularly those with limited local family or social support.  In these cases An Garda Síochána will assist. 

These ‘contingency’ vehicles will be used to maintain personal interactions and where needed to assist and support people, which may include collecting medical prescriptions, attending hospital appointments and other supports they may need.  They are not ‘primary response vehicles’.

An Garda Síochána will also use these opportunities to link identified people into local, national and state services where appropriate.

Any person with these concerns for themselves or for a neighbour should contact their local Garda station, Contact details, including email contact, for all Garda stations can be found on the Garda website or in any phonebook. 

An Garda Síochána has established a COVID-19 National Co-Ordination Unit operating from Garda Headquarters under Deputy Commissioner Twomey, Policing and security to co-ordinate and manage a strategic Garda response to this dynamic situation.  Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security currently chairs daily meetings with Regional Commanders and Heads of Section monitoring the evolving position”.

Thank you

Best Regards

Declan Hayden

Community Development

South East Area

Dublin City Council

Wood Quay

Dublin 2

+353 1 2223413

 To All LADRA Members.

Hello All,

In light of this Coronavirus, the potential health implications and the government restrictions imposed on all of us,  I would like to inform you that a group of neighbours have volunteered to help  vulnerable/at risk neighbours in the LADRA community area to get shopping, medication etc if needed.  2 people have also offered to walk dogs if required.

Therefore if you need any help over the next few weeks with anything, or you are willing to help your neighbours if needed please let me know.

Please spread the word of this volunteering offer to your neighbours who might not be members of LADRA.

Take care of yourselves and your families over the next few weeks.

Kind Regards,

Bernadette,

Chairperson, LADRA

BULLETIN RE IRELAND DENMARK MATCH ON 18th NOVEMBER FROM AVIVA STADIUM

Dear Householder,

 I am writing to you in relation to the up-coming EURO 2020 match against Denmark on 18th November. Ahead of Dublin’s hosting of the UEFA EURO 2020 Finals in June, the Dublin Local Organising Structure made up of FAI, Dublin City Council, the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport and Aviva Stadium in conjunction with An Garda Siochana, the National Transport Authority and Iarnród Éireann, will embark on a trial operation exercise on the 18th. The purpose of the exercise is to examine logistics, mobility, safety, security and stadium access.

 Let me say at the outset that the fact you are living in the area will be totally respected so in a sense nothing will change for you in terms of access / egress with the exception of the DART as below.

 Central to the exercise will be the temporary closure of the Lansdowne DART Station for a five and a half hour period on Monday 18^th November  from 5.30pm to 11.00pm.

 The games organisers will be mounting an information campaign in advance of the game to inform both normal users off the DART and also fans going to the game. As the DART will not be stopping at Lansdowne Road Station people will be reminded to either use Grand Canal Dock or Sandymount stations. Regular users of the Lansdowne Road Station and match ticket holders are encouraged to visit www.euro2020.fai.ie where details on this exercise and FAQs can be found.  

 Dublin has not hosted an event of this magnitude before and all aspects of the preparation including this exercise are being developed to ensure the safety and security of citizens, football fans, and visitors to our city. The UEFA EURO 2020 tournament in Dublin will see different profiles, different dynamics, different mobility patterns and different ticketing systems in place compared to normal international fixtures. UEFA has made a recommendation to increase the size of the Outer Perimeter in order to ensure there is no congestion in areas around the Aviva Stadium ahead of the 4 games scheduled to be played at the Aviva Stadium in June 2020.

 The Republic of Ireland v Denmark match  was selected for this exercise to create a live test scenario with spectator numbers similar to those expected for one in the UEFA EURO 2020 Finals Tournament. The access procedures will remain the same but fans using the Green, Red and Purple access routes into the Aviva Stadium will go through an amended ticket and security check featuring additional barriers on their route to the Aviva Stadium. Fans using the Blue and Orange access routes will remain unaffected.

 If you do have any queries in relation to the above you can contact Killian Keys (killian.keys@ogilvy.com / 086-1024302) or Kate FitzGerald (kate.fitzgerald@ogilvy.com / 086-3873083)

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