Festivals are an enjoyable addition to the life of a community; they are a welcome break from the sometimes mundane run of the mill routine and offer us the opportunity to let our hair down. Read More
Welcome to the West Armagh Consortium's website. We hope that you will find this both interesting and informative. We would like to take this opportunity to give the reader some background to us.
The West Armagh Consortium (WAC) was constituted in November 2002 as a voluntary amalgamation of local community groups from Armagh City West. As a non-sectarian and politically unaffiliated umbrella organisation, the Consortium welcomes affiliations from all new and existing community and voluntary groups in our catchment area. The groups currently affiliated represent districts within the three electoral wards of Abbey Park, Callanbridge and Downs.
Update for volunteers on Covid-19 Armah Community Response Group
•We are continuing to distribute PPEs to healthcare workers.
•Fairlawns Care Home
•Hamilton Court Nursing Home
•Sunnymede Nursing Home
•Fivemiletown Health Centre
•Green Park residential Home
•Radiology departments in CAH and Daisy Hill
•Individual doctors and nurses in various hospital from Daisy Hill-RVH-Altnagelvin and CAH
•We have given workers in shops throughout the town basic PPE equipment.
•Disinfecting of shop entrance areas.
•We have responded to several requests for help and delivered a number of help packages.
•We are continuing to build up stocks of foodstuffs for these packages. We expect this to be a long play and want to buld up sufficient stocks for when the economic consequecnes of the crisis starts to bite.
•The team of seamstresses are continuing to make scrubs, masks and scrub bags enabling us to respond to individual requests from health workers.
Update for volunteers on Covid-19 Armagh Community Response Group
There are 20+ seamstresses ready to work from home on the sewing together of scrubs for local hospitals
A local businessman is cutting out the templates for the scrubs that will deivered to the seamstressess homes.
Donations of materials came in in repsonse to an appeal for materials and continues to do so.
We are currently in process of buying foodstuffs for help packages that will be delivered to the old and vulnerable. Prioirty will be given to people with little or no family safety net.
The issue here is not the grocery list that people have identified but what is available to buy. Even retailers are being limited the the amounts that they can pruchase.
Where posible we will create a buddy systemfor the most vulnerable that will enable the volunteer to assist with the needs of the person who is self isolating. This may well be getting grocieries, medications etc. There will be a set of guidlines for volunteers printed below.
PPE equipment has been sourced and is being donated on an on going basis to frontline workers in the NHS.
Volunteers are making homemade PPE which although not suitable for frontline NHS will be very useful for volunteers when carrying out their duties.
Guidlines for volunteers
Be clear about the role you are taking on. Do not over-stretch yourself by agreeing to take on too much.
Bear in mind the situation that we are in,Covid-19 may go on for a long time.
Make sure you are clear on the contact details of who is co-ordinating the activity.
WAC is a Registered Body for Access NI Checks and are obligated to ensure that procedure is adhered to. Under normal circumstances an Enhanced Check would be carried out however given this emergency situation it will not be feasible to complete applications but you will be asked required questions. i.e. Do you appear on a barred list. Please do not be offended at this question as it is a mandatory question that has to be asked.
Do not volunteer yourself if you feel unwell.
Protective clothing will be worn at all times, especially with the distribution of help packs.
Do not enter anyones home. If delivering, knock door, leave items and then retire to a safe distance.
Any volunteer undertaking shopping for a vulnerable person take care to ensure clarity. It is advisable to take pictures of reciepts where possible and avoid handling or exchanging money, again if possible.
Do not share any information that you may gain about a vulnerable person.
Always try to maintain the recommended social distancing of a minimum of 2 metres from everyone including other volunteers.
Welcome to what effectively will be our notice board that will act as an update for the volunteers who have signed up with our Community Response Group to help during this Covid-19 crisis. We hope to use this as a platform for passing on information and would recommend a regular check in.Unlike social media the infomation here will now disappear with aditions beyond our control.
Actions so far.
The volunteer database contains over 100 volunteers
We have distributed leaflets througout the town along with large posters giving information and containing our contact numbers
A number of areas have complied lists of OAPs and other vulnerable people that we will need to monitor
We have sourced funding that will be used to purchase essentials that will be delivered when required specifically those in identified need.We have limited resources so will we will rely on volunteers local knowledge here
We have sourced PPE items which we have given to ICU in Craigavon, where it will be put to good use.
We are currently sourcing more of these items in repsonse to requests from other areas.
We will be in contact with volunteers as this situation progresses. You will be asked to help in varous ways but efforts will be made to connect volunteers to the roles they listed on the registration form.
The Housing Executive have been in touch to pass on information on how they will be operating during this Covid-19 crisis.The Armagh office along with all other offices will be operating on reduced staffing levels.They will not be conducting home visits. However, they will still be dealing with emergency repairs and issues of homelessness. Repairs schemes have been suspended and the matter is constantly under review.
If you would like to volunteer to help out during the Covid-19 crisis and get involved in the community response. Please click the following link to see the form for registering volunteers -
PICTURED AT THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE MEETING ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
The growing coronavirus crisis has prompted community groups, sports clubs, businesses, church and some frontline medical groups in Armagh to come together to formulate a community response to this pandemic. At a meeting held in the West Armagh Consortiums' hall on Wednesday night representatives from all these bodies met to discuss the on-going crisis and to see how we as a community can pool resources and put into practise measures that will help the community. An initial course of action undertaken by the group will see the drawing up of a directory of local resources, including volunteers willing to help out, volunteers with skills and expertise that could be of benefit to an agreed action plan. It is expected that that action plan will include assistance to people forced to self-isolate, assistance for our most vulnerable citizens and the distribution of any accumulated materials. That assistance may well include the collections of groceries, or medications and help to replace fuel such as gas cylinders or coal. . It was agreed to coordinate this response through the West Armagh Consortium based at Sherrys Field Recreational Centre. The centre will act as the main focal point for delivery of an agreed action plan. Both the Pearse Og and Harps clubs will serve as drop off points who in turn will feed into the WAC centre. All the groups have agreed to encourage their respective volunteer bases to get involved. The names and essential skills contained within these volunteer bases will be collated together to produce an overall database to cover an even wider area. Assistance that can be delivered by volunteers will be managed through the WAC to maximise effectiveness.
We are asking anyone if they would like to volunteer or help in anyway possible to contact either of the following numbers 028 37522579 or 07763818393 or 07759949314. There will also be a Go Fund Me Page set up on Facebook for anyone wishing to give financial assistance.
It is well know that most people who smoke do want to give it up. The health hazzards are well documented and added to that, now is the social aspect for smokers who find it increasingly difficult to find smoking designated areas. The WAC, working with Public Health Agency will be delivering a smoking cessation programme at the WAC Healthy Living Centre , Sherry Field Recreational Centre.This is an update on a prevous programme originally planned last year which unfortnately could not be delivered at that time. The programme will consist of a workshop encouraging participants to adopt a programme for non-smoking that will be followed up with secondary meetings to chart progress. The frequency of those meetings will be determined at the initial meeting of the participants.
If you are interested in taking part in this programme contact Nora at the WAC office or Stephen on 07759949314.The health benefits of giving up the 'dreaded weed' are increasingly complemented by the financial benefits, that improve with every increase in tobacco taxation.
Two charities benefited from the West Armagh Community Festival's fun raising venture that saw a number of hardy community activists climb Slieve Donard to hold a poc fada.£3,173.58 was raised and was divided evenly betwen the Lord Mayors Charity Fund and Lisanally Special School. Stephen Fields from West Armagh Consortium presented one of the cheques to the Lord Mayor Cllr, Mealla Campbell while John Fields presented the other cheque for Lisanally Special School to Eileen McCann.
What is Social Prescribing? It is a communinty approach to health and well being.SPRING is the Healthy Living Alliances' Social Prescribing Programme being delivered through its network of Healthy Living Centres.The West Armagh Consortium Healthy Living Centre,based at Sherrys Sports Complex is part of that network and where our local SPRING social prescriber is based.
The West Armagh Cosortium will be offering a free counselling service starting in early January. Counselling covers a wide range of issues and by its very nature is tailored to the clients individual needs.The service will be strictly managed in line with recognised and approved proceedures and protocols.Details of this srvice are contained within the poster below. Contact Emma to book an appointment.
There was a wee grey toy rabbit lost during Sundays parade. It was lost around the Charlemount area. It is a childs' comforter . If anyone knows anything about this can the get in touch. 07759949314.
In a follow up to this story, there is a happy ending. The grey rabbit was handed in at the Shambles Yard were the council had organised a family day. A council worker took it to lost and found and when she seen our social media posts contacted the consortium. We are pleased to say that rabbit and child have been reunited, much to the relief of the child's parents, who said that 'it restores you faith in human nature when your realised that someone made the effort to return the toy'
The streets of Armagh were thronged with people who came out to enjoy the community parade organised in response to the ABC Councils decision to change its own St. Patricks Day Procession. Lead by a flag party consisting to 25 national flags and walking behind the St. Patricks Flag, the parade made it way through the streets for its finishing point at Sherry Field Sports Complex. Even the odd shower of rain couldn't dampen people’s spirits who can out in their droves to both spectate and walk in the parade.
The organisers have thanked everyone who helped out with the organising of the parade and the many individuals and business who donated money that was used put the parade over. Speaking on behalf of the organising group, Stephen Fields said “The response to the news that the council had changed the St. Patricks Day parade has been phenomenal. The community stepped up to the plate and came out in force. This was very evident in both the turnout and the volunteers who helped out in every way. This included the making of flags/bunting, the donations of materials, the stewards, messages of support and willingness to be involved. Due to the complete lack of consultation on the part of the council (council has still not responded to our initial letter), we only had just over 4 weeks to organise this parade and it could not have been done without this support. A big thank you to all and all credit is due to the community.
“Sundays parade was an example of inclusiveness. We sought to include as many as possible and to do so in a festive and community spirited manner. Numerous people have thanked WAC and the organising group for putting on the parade, but the real thanks goes to the people who by their actions over the weekend completely vindicated our decision to go ahead and organised the parade in response to the council’s disgraceful decision to change the day.”
It has been described as one of the biggest and colourful parades in years going back to the time when the community used to organise monster parades through the town. Those parades were at a time when the council hardly recognised St. Patricks Day but eventually through constant pressure from local representatives the council began to take the day onboard. However, that has not been a smooth journey, they have almost been dragged kicking and screaming to the conclusion that as a public body they should be supportive of everybody's expressions of culture and views. Nevertheless and even to this day, they have sought to mitigate against the parade and any sense of Irishness . Their choice in bunting omits the recognised colours of green and white. They have a lengthy list of pre-conditions for those wanting to take part in the parade , so much so, that in recent years there has been very little community buy in. This in turn has forced the council to rely more and more on professional street performers. While such acts are very colourful, they alone cannot command the support and widespread community participation.
It was smiley faces all round at the childrens' party held in Sherrys recently marking the end of Carnival . The party was organised by our local polish group POLACY to mark the end of Carnival which is a pre-Lenten event. Such events are traditional in many countries and there are many similarities in how this time is marked.
ThePolish Carnival season includes Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek), when pączki (doughnuts) are eaten, and Śledzik (Shrove Tuesday) or Herring Day. The Tuesday before the start of Lent is also often called Ostatki (literally "leftovers"), meaning the last day to party before the Lenten season.
The traditional way to celebrate Carnival is the kulig, a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snow-covered countryside. In modern times, Carnival is increasingly seen as an excuse for intensive partying. As can be seen from our pictures,everyone certainly enjoyed the event.
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Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC100377
Welcome to the West Armagh Consortium's website. We hope that you will find this both interesting and informative. We would like to take this opportunity to give the reader some background to us.
