Kilkenny County Council are joining together local organisations to assist citizens of the county during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The move comes as part of a national strategy to have each city or county’s local authority coordinate a community response forum.
Among the supports in place for Kilkenny include a dedicated community support helpline. You can call the helpline for free, any time from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week on 056 7794145.
Helpline is just the start
The new phoneline is just one aspect of the Forum’s work. Its core aim is contributing to the community-wide effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Kilkenny County Council, through this group, will ensure that the wide variety of groups working across the City and County to assist those in need, will do so in an organised, collaborative and targeted way.
The Council’s COVID-19 Community Response Forum is there to ensure the very best use of the many resources assisting vulnerable persons with their daily needs at this unprecedented time, whether that is collecting medication, food shopping, social support and contact.
Covid-19 Kilkenny Community Respsonse Forum – The participants
- Health Service (HSE)
- Kilkenny County Council Staff led by Senior Executive Officer, Community Department
- Community Champion nominated by the Wheel.
- An Post
- Community Welfare Service
- An Garda Síochána
- Tusla
- Local Volunteer Centre
- Local Development Companies
- Red Cross
- Civil Defence
- GAA
- Irish Farmers Association (IFA)
- Public Participation Network
- Age Friendly Network
- Local Link
- Citizen’s Information
- Alone
- Migrant Forum
- Religious
“There are a number of agencies currently doing excellent work in delivering care to older and vulnerable people in our communities.”
“These groups are currently operating independently of each other and Kilkenny County Council’s role is to provide a targeted, integrated and coordinated approach to the delivery of these much needed services to our more vulnerable citizens across the City and County during the COVID-19 pandemic”, said Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council, Colette Byrne.
“Kilkenny County Council is ideally placed both statutorily and regionally to channel this great work and provide the governance structure in partnership with all stakeholders.”
“This public health crisis has changed life for so many, and we are there to help with that change. Our own staff whose day-jobs have changed due to this crisis, will be a key resource in the management and operation of this community support programme along with our partner agencies/groups”
Find more details on volunteer groups and local supports here.
An information leaflet including the new freephone number and other information will be distributed around the City and County, particularly to vulnerable households, over the coming days.
