Under Round 3 of the Healthy Ireland Programme, 2019-2022, The Kilkenny Local Community Development Committee implemented a Community Engagement Programme, Healthy Ireland Actions including a specific Community Mental Health Action and a Mental Health Small Grants Scheme
Videos of the Healthy Kilkenny Launch can be accessed at the following Links:
Healthy Kilkenny Video (Short Version)
Link to Healthy KK Video (Long Version) on Youtube:
Healthy Kilkenny Community Engagement Programme
- Provision of COVID-19 Care packages across the South East to individuals who were cocooning in response to the COVID 19 Pandemic.
- Provision of Mental Health Resilience Packs to young people and individuals/families who are affected by Domestic Abuse
- Set up the Kilkenny Domestic Abuse Network, an Interagency Committee aiming to develop a formal Domestic Abuse Action Group and develop a Domestic Abuse Service Directory Resource
- Community Engagement consultations and activities with One-Parent Families in Kilkenny
- Development of an Accessible Kilkenny City Bus Map for people living with intellectual disabilities
- Community Engagement event in collaboration with Kilkenny Arts Office for a Knitting Project implemented during COVID 19 restrictions
- Community First Responder Event in Collaboration with Kilkenny Civil Defence
- Healthy Kilkenny Awareness-Raising campaigns through local radio, social media and merchandise
Healthy Inclusive Communities:
- Under the Healthy Ireland Fund ,Kilkenny Recreational Sports Partnership, rolled-out Physical Activity programmes in our communities targeting areas of the highest deprivation in Kilkenny and communities who have the greatest risk of experiencing health inequalities. Some of the programmes included; Online Physical Activity Classes, Ladies Lets Move, Yoga for Men, Couch to 3k, Men’s Yoga, Cycling Programmes, Activator Poles Walking programmes, Judo, Outdoor Adventure Activities, Multi-Activity Summer Camps and Soccer Programmes.
- Healthy Kilkenny and Workhouse Union Facilitated workshops to inform the Local Transport Plan/Kilkenny Development Plan on Place Making and the Infrastructure with an emphasis on cycling with people living with disabilities and chronic disease, members of the Travelling community, older people, one-parent families, new communities and people accessing Mental Health services.
- Kilkenny County Council is creating a Masterplan for the HSE’s St. Canice’s Campus in Kilkenny, which has enormous potential for development and is in close proximity to many other City amenities. The Masterplan will consist of a written statement and accompanying maps including a Vision, Policies and Key Objectives specific to the Site. As part of this Masterplan, Healthy Kilkenny captured the voices of Young People to create a vision and spaces and places for young people. Workhouse Union Facilitated Workshops with youth groups and Youth Services in Kilkenny. The themes of the Workshop focused on Health and Wellbeing, Nature, Growing Accessibility and Play.
Read the Lacken Masterplan Report
Kilkenny One-Parent Families:
There are 6,790 one parent families in County Kilkenny comprising 14.3% of all families and 5,813 are headed by women and 977 by men and 18.6% Children. The Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) had concerns that the one parent family voice had all but disappeared from the landscape of groups they engage with and in 2019 a needs analysis was undertaken with local agencies and one parent families in Kilkenny. The full report can be viewed at: Kilkenny One-Parent Families – Voice, Visibility and Support for those Parenting Alone – November 2020 – Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (readkong.com)
Healthy Kilkenny supported actions recommended in Voice and Visibility Plan. A Facilitator supported the following activities and actions:
- Engagement with one-parent families in Co. Kilkenny, gathering insight on parenting experiences & offering information and signposting support for parents
- Engagement with Services that support and work with Parents Parenting Alone to foster connections with a wide variety of organisations and agencies that support one parent families.
- Identify parent advocates within the County and support the development and build the capacity of the Kilkenny One-Parent Community Network
- Develop Information and Resource Hubs, such as; Signposting Resources, Awareness-Raising Campaigns, E-mail Account, Social Media and a Website for one-parent families in Kilkenny. The website can be accessed at the following link: http://kilkennyoneparentcommunity.ie/
Healthy Ireland Regional Actions
The regional action seeks to implement a collaborative programme of work across the five counties of the south east (Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Carlow) specifically addressing policy priority areas of:
• Healthy Food Made Easy,
• Tobacco Free
• Positive Ageing
The action adopts a targeted approach specifically supporting disadvantaged groups and communities to support their health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.
It adopts a partnership approach between LCDC, HSE and CYPSC as well as community groups and youth organisations. All aspects of this action support the adoption of health enhancing behaviours and builds capacity with individuals and groups to promote health and wellbeing across many settings.
Healthy Eating: The Healthy Food Made Easy is a 6-week nutrition and cookery course developed by Community Dietitians. This course is aimed at helping people of all ages to make affordable healthier choices when shopping, cooking and eating which in turn can ultimately help reduce diet-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer. The course includes a theory section and a cookery demonstration section. Each session is 2½ hours long. The Healthy Ireland fund supports the roll-out of the Healthy Food Made Easy programme with groups in Kilkenny. To find out more about the Healthy Food Made Easy programme view the following link:
As part of the Tobacco action, Adult Resilience Training has been delivered from Carlow Regional Youth Service across the five Counties in the South East. The Adult Resilience programme is known as “Strong not Tough”
Positive Ageing: A regional steering group was set up to plan and deliver an online suite of pre-recorded videos across the themes of Health and Wellbeing, Culture and Diversity and range of information on service provision and supports for older adults for Positive Ageing Week in Sept 2020. One of the direct outcomes from the positive ageing week was around the challenges faced by older adults accessing online supports and resources. As a result, a digital champion initiative was rolled out in the South East. All Videos can be viewed on Youtube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh5Cw-f2PxbwJgoVnP7E5rg
Community Mental Health Fund Action: Kilkenny Social Prescribing Service
The Kilkenny Social Prescribing Pilot Service began in July 2020 with Kilkenny LEADER Partnership and is funded through Healthy Kilkenny. To date, the Social Prescribing Service has worked with people from the ages of 19-90, and has supported people throughout Covid-19, linking people into community -based activities and services. Social Prescribing supports the health and wellbeing of people, connecting them to community-based activities and services on their own doorstep, such as, walking groups, training and employment supports, mental health supports. It offers people a Social Prescription, rather than just a medical one. Social Prescribing is an evidence-based approach, proven to provide unique opportunities for support. It helps build positive mental health, creates connection in communities and helps people manage and plan their own wellbeing
Social Prescribing is aimed at anyone over 18 living in Kilkenny who need some support in accessing services in their community, it can be difficult to know what is available to us sometimes. It’s great for people who want to take better care of their health, or who might be feeling stressed, alone or struggling with a chronic health condition.
Download Social Prescribing Flyer
Community Mental Health Fund Small Grants Scheme
Eight successful applications for the Small Grants Scheme were approved by the Kilkenny LCDC in September 2020. The Community Mental Health Small Grants Scheme was available for Community Groups and Local Agencies to deliver Mental Health activities and actions with the shared objective to improve Mental health and Wellbeing in Kilkenny. The Initiatives involved:
- Mental Health workshops, healthy eating and activities for young people (Foroige Kilkenny)
- One Million Stars Project: An awareness-raising domestic violence campaign for communities and people that are affected by Domestic Violence in Kilkenny. The project involved engagement with a wide range of communities through creative art and weaving workshops that enable them to connect and increase awareness about Domestic Violence and available supports (Amber Refuge)
- Community and Creative Arts activities combined with skills-based workshops to promote mental health and wellbeing in the natural environment for women (Open Circle)
- The development of the new Lifelinkk Website to increase the awareness about Mental Health supports and signposting that are available in Kilkenny. This project also involved the purchase of equipment for the new Crisis Café Pilot in the Involvement Centre in Kilkenny (Lifelinkk)
- Social Farming Placements in Kilkenny (Waterford Leader Partnership)
- Physical Activity/Sports Day and Workshops for the LGBTI community and families (Transgender Equality Network Ireland)
- Mental Health Self-Care packs and workshops for family members who are affected by problem substance use of a relative (The South East Regional Family Support Network)
- Mental Health arts programme for young people in North Kilkenny (Mill Family Resource Centre, Urlingford)