A ride on the Luas Cross City with Joe & Terry

(Above: Joe Dowling who is a Community worker with HOPE in Dublin’s north inner city, pictured travelling on the new LUAS Cross City Line. Photo: Frank Mc Grath, Irish Independent, Online, Saturday 2nd December, 2017)

Last Monday, 27th November 2017, Joe Dowling & Terry Fagan were guests of the Luas and some of the first members of the public to make the journey along the forthcoming Luas Cross City. Joined by members of the press, Joe & Terry shared their thoughts on the latest addition to the city’s transport infrastructure. Their discussion was broadcast on the Sean O’Rourke show on RTÉ Radio 1, yesterday, Monday 4th December 2017.

Terry highlights the need for more public transport infrastructure and refers to other well connected European cities before we’re reminded of how well connected Dublin was in the years of Joe & Terry’s youth. Joe goes on to discuss the positivity of a well connected city and how this is an opportunity for the north inner city with prospects of shoppers, tourists, new buiness and new jobs being brought to more corners of Dublin’s north inner city.

Irish Independent, in-print, Saturday 2nd December 2017.
The Herald, in-print, Saturday 2nd December 2017.

“Joe & Terry were one of the first members of the public to take a ride on the Luas Cross City.”

From Joe & Terry take a ride on the Luas Cross City. Posted by HOPE Hands On Peer Education on 12/05/2017 (3 items)

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About

Hands on Peer Education, is a front-line service in Dublin’s north inner city, where those suffering with addiction and their families can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also offer a wide range of advocacy services. H.O.P.E.’s free and confidential drop-in clinic is open from 10am ‘til 1pm, Monday to Friday.

Now That You’re Here

We love to get feedback, it helps us improve our service to the community. If you have a minute, we would greatly appreciate it if you write a few words about our service. Follow the link below to see our reviews on Google. Click ‘write review’ on the right hand side to add your own.

https://goo.gl/BgznUi

Many thanks from the team in H.O.P.E.

“Resurrecting Dublin’s north inner city” The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Friday 3rd February 2017

Resurrecting Dublin’s north inner city

The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Friday, 3rd February, 2017

Continuing on the topic of the north inner city, The Pat Kenny show explores the real life story of living in Dublin 1 today.

Highlights:

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Listen to the full show here

Dublin City Council Media Statement September 22nd 2016

Creating Tenancies and Supporting Rough Sleepers

Dublin City Council and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive[i] today welcome the commitments from Simon Coveney T.D. Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Simon Harris T.D. Minister for Health and Katherine Zappone T.D. Minister for Children and Youth affairs, to address homelessness with specific focus on the expansion of the Housing Assistance Payment pilot for homeless households, Rapid Build Programme and the Housing First Service.

All members of the Dublin Joint Homeless Consultative Forum will continue to work in partnership to support all the initiatives and deliver on the following key actions;

Ø €4 million to expand emergency accommodation in Dublin – 200 new emergency beds – Dublin City Council and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive will be increasing the number of emergency accommodation beds in the Dublin Region over the coming months.

Ø 1500 Rapid Build Units by the end of 2018 – The expansion of this programme will ensure that families are moved directly out of commercial hotels and into more suitable accommodation. More information here http://www.homelessdublin.ie/rapid-build-housing-dublin

Ø Housing Assistance Payment Pilot for homeless households will be expanded over 2016 and 2017. 550 tenancies will be secured by the end of 2016. A further 1200 tenancies will be created in 2017.

Ø Housing First Service to expand to 300 tenancies, specifically targeting rough sleepers across the Dublin Region. The HSE will increase their funding to provide health, mental health and addiction supports to rough sleepers and individuals accessing emergency accommodation.

Ø Travel and childcare supports for families currently in hotel accommodation

Ø Quality standards in emergency accommodation and the use of assertive engagement to reduce rough sleeping in Dublin.

National Drug Strategy 2017

A new National Drugs Strategy is being developed by the Department of Health and will set out Government policy on tackling the drug problem from 2017 onwards. This new Strategy is important for service users, families, communities and front-line staff working in the field of addiction.

The Department of Health is running a public consultation between the 6th September and 18th October 2016, seeking the public views on the drugs issue in Ireland to help inform the new National Drugs Strategy. At the end of the public consultation, all the views received will be gathered in a report. The report will be provided to the National Drugs Strategy Steering Committee to help inform the new Strategy.

We are all invited to communicate our view in one of the following ways:

  • Visit the page: www.health.gov.ie/drugs-strategy and complete the questionnaire
  • Call the number: 1890 10 00 53
  • Write to: national Drugs Strategy, PO Box 12778, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
  • Email our views to: [email protected]

 

When we go through tough time, little things like talking about our problems, getting regular exercise, drinking less alcohol and being involved in activities we enjoy can make a big difference to how we feel. Find the little things that work for you at yourmentalhealth.ie

If you or anyone you know is at risk from drug or alcohol addiction, H.O.P.E. is here to help. Feel free to drop in for a chat. Our daily clinic is open from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.

Help us put the road to recovery on the map.

Leave HOPE a review.
Leave HOPE a review.

We need your help. HOPE are trying to maintain a place on Google Maps. We know the brave people of the North Inner City are always keen to help.  On their Maps, Google highlights a place that has a lot of Internet activity. For example, website clicks, Google Plus clicks and Google Reviews. The more people that check the map for a place, or review a place, the better chance a place has at being highlighted on the map. This is where you come in. We are looking for reviews. We are confident that the sincere people of the community we serve can provide reliable and unique reviews of the services HOPE provides.

If you follow this link it will bring you to HOPE’s Google Maps profile. At the bottom of our profile, you will see the review section. There you can contribute to our online presence.

 

 

North Inner City Investment

Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking to Joe Dowling from the Hope Project and Terry Fagan of the North Inner City Folklore Project after meeting with local community groups to discuss new measures for north inner city Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking to Joe Dowling from the Hope Project and Terry Fagan of the North Inner City Folklore Project after meeting with local community groups to discuss new measures for north inner city Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

HOPE is very excited to hear about this attempt to solve the difficulties of drugs and gang related violence facing the area. The high levels of social inequality suffered by the communities of the NIC have been growing for decades. This investment – which has been dedicated to local sports facilities, street and building maintenance and recovery projects – is long overdue. While this endeavour has come at a great cost to the NIC communities, it is with great excitement that we welcome this new government led initiative.

Community World Café

North Inner City Community World Café
North Inner City Community World Café

Last week the community (Wednesday 22nd June) of the North Inner City played host to its first World Café. Community members of all rank came down to O’Connell’s School Hall to take part in what was hopefully the first of many community brainstorming sessions. Most in attendance were local representation in the form of Councillors and Ministers. As well there was a variety of community representation from the various community organisations that are on the ground working directly with the community. There were some local residents in attendance too.

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At this, the first of it’s kind, community brainstorming session, a number of topics were put forward to guide the discussion. Each table had two topics, and participants were asked to pick a table where they would brainstorm for a certain period of time before swapping table to a new topic. After two rounds of brainstorming, everyone’s ideas were shared and everyone was given the opportunity to make their agreements known on poster paper.

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The main point of this meeting was to identify the most critical issues faced by the community and to possibly come up with some creative solutions. All of this, so the community can hand the new government-run drugs task force a detailed list of issues as identified by the community.

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North Inner City World Café

North Inner City World Café

On Wednesday, June 22nd, 2016, the community of the Northeast Inner City is invited to O’Connell’s School on North Richmond Street to participate in a community run event. In an attempt at solidarity and to revitalise the community, members of the community are invited to take part in this brainstorming session to help identify the most crucial issues and hopefully come up with creative solutions, desperately needed by the community.

world cafe
world cafe

North Inner City Older Persons Group Seeking Sponsorship

NORTH INNER CITY OLDER PERSONS’ GROUP
SEEKS FUNDING/SPONSORSHIP

According to the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland, ‘‘Social engagement is key for the health, well-being and independence of older people’’. Further, ”Community projects that cater to the needs of diverse groups of older people are important in encouraging social engagement and interaction’’.

North Inner City Older Persons Group
Chair Person – Tony Dunleavy, Member – Mary Byrne, Secretary – Irene Crawley, Committee Member – Maggie O’Dea, Treasurer – Joe Dowling.

The North Inner City Older Persons’ Group is a voluntary organisation that holds a biannual day out in the summer and in the winter. Every year, around one hundred and fifty older people from the tight-knit community of the north east inner city descend on the Waterside Hotel in Donabate, North County Dublin. Over the years the group fund-raised amongst themselves and small local organisations. Through collections and raffle tickets the group funded each event themselves. This year, they would like to get funding through sponsorship.

“One of our biggest fundraisers – the late Paddy Behan – he’s gone.”–Tony Dunleavy

Each event costs in and around seven thousand euro. With transportation, food, drinks and entertainment for the evening, it works out to about 40 to 50 euro per head. A staggering amount for those only in receipt of the O.A.P. These are people who are mostly living in isolation, with little to no family. A lot of the older people in the community have lost their families to drink and drugs. All they have is themselves and their neighbours. Subsequently, for most of these older people, this is their only form of social outing!

Committee Member, Maggie O’Dea, describes how the wheelchair bound are brough up for a dance.

We would like to close with a great big thank you to everyone that has supported the group’s event in the previous years. Through the hard work and dedication of the community, we have been lucky enough to host this biannual event. This year, however, the hard work of the community is not enough and we need to go further to ensure the older people of this community can still have their day out.

The North Inner City Older People’s Group are looking for direct sponsorship or donations to help fund the biannual day out for the older people of the North Inner City. Donations can be made out to ‘The North Inner City Older People’s Group’, AIB Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin 1. NSC: 931136. ACC.: 04486042. No amount is too small, and remember, a little help can go a long way.

Joe Dowling; Treasurer, N.I.C. Older People’s Group. 018 878 404

Article in the Herald June 6th

If you or anyone you know (older persons) is at risk of isolation or loneliness, there are a number of organisations that can help.

The Senior Help Line is a confidential listening service run by older people for isolated or lonely older people for the price of a local call anywhere in Ireland. The lines are open every day from 10am to 10pm, Lo-call: 1850 440 444

ALONE supports vulnerable older people providing temporary or permanent housing and combatting isolation and loneliness in society. Volunteers and staff work with older people in ALONE’s dedicated housing projects and in the community. 016 791 032

Friends of the Elderly is an Irish charity that brings friendship and social opportunities to the elderly, especially those who live alone. Its volunteers visit the elderly in their homes in the Greater Dublin area. 018 731 855

As well, the Citizen’s Information website details the various groups working in consideration of Ireland’s older people.

Article in the Herald June 6th