Galway County Council

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Healthy Galway

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What is Healthy Ireland?

Healthy Ireland is a Government-led initiative which aims to create an Irish society where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health, and where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society.

Healthy Ireland has come about because of concerns that the current health status of people living in Ireland – including lifestyle trends and health inequalities – is leading us towards a future that is dangerously unhealthy, and very likely unaffordable. The many risks to the health and wellbeing of people living in Ireland include some which are obvious: issues such as overweight and obesity, mental health, smoking, alcohol and drugs. Healthy Ireland seeks to provide people and communities with accurate information on how to improve their health and wellbeing and seeks to empower and motivate them by making the healthy choice the easier choice.

Healthy Ireland aims to address this through six priority themes:

Theme 1: Physical Activity
Theme 2: Mental Health
Theme 3: Nutrition
Theme 4: Sexual Health
Theme 5: Tobacco and Alcohol
Theme 6: Spaces and Places for Health and Wellbeing

We also now know that there are many factors that influence a person’s health and wellbeing, such as their education level, income, housing and work conditions which are determined by social, environmental and economic policies beyond the direct responsibility of the health sector. This understanding calls for a partnership approach in all the actions Healthy Ireland is taking to achieve a healthier Ireland. The health sector alone cannot address these problems – we must collectively change our approach.

About Healthy County Galway

Healthy Galway was established in September 2018. Healthy County Galway is delivered through County Galway Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) through a Sub–Group made up of an inter-agency partnership from a cross section of key stakeholders for example HSE, Galway Sports Partnership, Children and Young Peoples Services Committee, Age Friendly Programme, etc. This Sub-Group has monitored the administration of 3 rounds of funding from the Department of Health’s Healthy Ireland Fund to date and implemented the following projects.

Healthy County Galway Projects Round 3 July 2019 – June 2021

Disability Federation Ireland – a programme of training to improve the Independent Living Skills of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Galway County Council – Healthy Food Made Easy – a community-led approach to improving knowledge and skills of nutrition and cooking by delivering 6-week courses in community venues
Galway Sports Partnership – completing the Ballinasloe Trails project commenced under Round 1 of funding and implementing a community-led Go For Life programme for older adults in community venues
AIDS WEST – implementing a countywide Sexual Health Education Programme in community venues
Galway County Council – undertaking a pilot Town & Village Toolkit for Milltown, County Galway, to identify places and spaces for health and wellbeing
Mental Health Initiatives such as Taking Control Workshops and Stress Control Workshops accompanied by a communications campaign about the importance of maintaining mental health
Community Mental Health Small Grant Scheme – to provide small-scale grants to Community and Voluntary Groups to implement mental health initiatives in their local areas

For more details on any of these please contact healthandwellbeing@galwaycoco.ie

Round 2 June 2018 – June 2019

Round Two of the Healthy Ireland Fund progressed on the good work achieved in Round One with a further 5 projects delivered on actions such as mental health, lifestyle and nutrition, sexual health and smoke free playgrounds. Health and Wellbeing Days were also held across the County and the Islands. Interaction with over 900 people in the County and increased engagement from those in rural isolation, including active retirement groups and farming communities saw another successful round of the Healthy Galway County Initiative.

Round 1 September 2017-June 2018

The Healthy Ireland Fund, Round 1, saw 11 projects delivered across Galway County. The projects were delivered by several lead partners including Croí Heart and Stroke Foundation, Galway Traveller Movement, Western Traveller and Intercultural Development, Galway Sports Partnership, AIDS West and the European Region of Gastronomy. With engagement of nearly 500 people throughout the County, the first round was a great success and showed great community engagement and participation at events.

Contact Information

Andrew Mc Bride

Healthy County Galway Coordinator

Economic, Rural and Community Development Department

Galway County Council | Prospect Hill | Galway

Phone: 091-509521 Email : amcbride@galwaycoco.ie

Useful Links

Galway Sports Partnership