Healthy Ireland Local Government Team Planning Event Day 1 – 10th September 2024
Healthy Ireland Local Government Team Planning Event Day 1 – 10th September 2024
Presentations from Day1
Thanks to all who presented attended and participated in this productive and enjoyable event at the Strand Hotel on 10th September 2024.
The following are the links if you wish to Download the presentations that were made on the day
- African migrant women’s experience of accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in the Midwest
- Migrant Engagement through Sport
- Migrant Health & Wellbeing, Healthy Limerick Collaborations
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Migrants’ Involvement in Health Research
Thematic Focus on Migrant Health and Food Security
Agenda and Speakers
09:30 am – 10:00pm Tea/Coffee & Registration & Introductions – Shannon Suite
10:00 am – 10:30pm Opening address – Shannon Suite
- Mayor of Limerick, John Moran,
- Minister Colm Burke T.D. – Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy
- Kira Fortune, WHO European Healthy Cities Network
10:30am – 1pm: Session 1: Migrant Health and Wellbeing – Shannon Suite
10:30am – 11.10am
Input 1: African migrant women’s experience of accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in the Midwest
- Santhi Corcoran, Lecturer & Researcher, Mary Immaculate College (MIC) & MMCN
- David Chisanga, Midwest Migrant Community Network (MMCN)
- Verena Tarpey Chief Executive, Gender Orientation, Sexual Health, HIV (GOSHH)
Input 2: Migrant Engagement through Sport
- Pat Quigley, Active Cities Officer
- Padraigh Reale, ESF+ Social Innovation in Sport Officer, Limerick Sports Partnership
Input 3: Migrant Health & Wellbeing, Healthy Limerick Collaborations
- Olivia O’Brien, Healthy Limerick Coordinator
- Claire Flynn, Mental Health Ireland
11:10am – 12:15pm Participative Networking opportunity with local stakeholders working in the migrant health and wellbeing space
12:15pm – 1:00pm WHO Collaborating Centre for Migrants’ Involvement in Health Research
- Professor Anne McFarlane, University of Limerick
Lunch 1pm – 2pm
2pm – 4:30pm Session 2: Food Security – Site Visits
Site Visit 1: Tait Community Kitchen, Lord Edward St
Input 1: Healthy Food Made Easy Programmes, Increasing Community Capacity
- Claire Flynn, Sláintecare Community Food and Nutrition Worker
Input 2: History and Objectives of Limerick Food Partnership
- Elaine MacGrath, Economic Programmes Manager, PAUL Partnership
Input 3: The Food Finder – Mapping Access and supply of food & Food Poverty Research
- Catherine Caball, Limerick Food Partnership Coordinator
Site Visit 2: Tait Community Gardens, Tait House, Southill
Input 1: Citywide Gardening Initiative
- Michael Gleeson, Social Enterprise Officer, PAUL Partnership
- Michael Quilligan, Manager, Tait House
Speaker Bios:
Santhi Corcoran
Santhi is a Lecturer and Researcher in Psychology and Social Sciences in Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Republic of Ireland. Formerly with the NHS (National Health Service) in London, United Kingdom, she had a role in local government (UK) as Health and Social Care lead in Regeneration and community development. Santhi also delivers QQI programmes in Health, Social Care, Equality and Disability for the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB), Ireland.
She has contributed to and published articles in health, education, psychology and migration research, and European social care policy briefing. Santhi has contributed to the development of services for displaced communities in the United Kingdom and inclusion projects in the Republic of Ireland. She is an Anna Lindh Foundation Intercultural Education award recipient (2019) and an alumnus and trainer of the Dialogue Perspective programme, which is a programme of the German Federal Government.
She is the co-founder of the Midwest Migrant Community Network – an online community network based on social-justice and education initiatives in Limerick, Ireland and DIEN – the Diversity and Intercultural Education Network of Ireland.
David Chisanga
David is a Zambian media and communications specialist based in Limerick, Ireland. He is a multiple award-winning journalist; a journalist mentor; a TV and radio broadcaster; a blogger; a scriptwriter; and a public relations (PR) personnel. His career spans over five (5) years with experience in broadcast journalism, print and online journalism, radio and TV production, filmmaking, academia and PR. David is currently a PhD Candidate at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) in the Department of Media and Communication Studies. He is the administrative secretary of MMCN. He is also a volunteer at Wired FM, where he produces and presents his award-winning radio programme called “In the Diaspora”. He hopes to make it big in life.
Verena Tarpery
Verena joined GOSHH as Chief Executive Officer in September 2023. Verena has worked in the charitable sector for over 15 years and is a graduate of the University of Limerick with a Bachelor of Laws LL.B. Verena is a qualified Solicitor in Ireland, England and Wales and a Peace Commissioner. Verena volunteers for several organisations across the Midwest including Citizens Information Centre and serves on the board of Clare Volunteer Centre
Pat Quigley
Pat is the Project Lead for Active Cities Limerick, a Sport Ireland-funded initiative under Limerick Sports Partnership. With over 15 years of experience in community development, Pat has led numerous projects across Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, working with organizations such as the HSE, ETB, Department of Social Protection, and Sport Ireland.
Driven by a passion for sustainable community enhancement, Pat focuses on developing targeted infrastructure investment and fostering lasting behavioural change.
The Active Cities Project is based on the WHO’s 2018 Global Action Plan for Physical Activity (GAPPA) and is structured around four key pillars: Active Systems, Active Environments, Active Societies, and Active People.
Pádraigh Reale
Pádraigh (more commonly known as Podge) is from Garryowen in the heart of Limerick City. He started his professional career as a Community Sports Development Officer in the Garryowen Community Sports Hub before moving to Youth Justice for a number of years. For the last 3 years Podge has worked with Limerick Sports Partnership as a Community Sports Development Officer and since September 2023 has been employed as the ESF Social Innovation in Sport Officer.
Podge is passionate about creating pathways to employment and education whilst increasing people’s participation in sport and physical activity, he believes his passion comes from his own personal journey through the power of sport and physical activity. His LSP journey began back in 2010 as a member of the very first and ever successful Voluntary Inspired Participation programme, and he says he has never looked back since.
Claire Flynn
Claire works with Mental Health Ireland and is the Development Officer for Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary. Claire provides support to the community in the coordination of positive mental health and wellbeing activities. As part of her role, she also delivers awareness raising initiatives, targeted education and training on a variety of mental health issues. At Mental Health Ireland, the aim is to promote and enhance mental health, wellbeing and recovery for all individuals and communities. We aim to support people with lived experience of mental health challenges and their supporters and family members in their recovery.
Olivia O’Brien
Olivia is the Healthy Limerick Coordinator based in Limerick City & County Council. Olivia, has over 15 years’ experience of working in the community sector in Limerick City and County with previous roles in PAUL Partnership, coordinating Limerick Food Partnership and in Ballyhoura Development working on both the SICAP and LEADER programmes.
Professor Anne McFarlane
Professor MacFarlane has over 25 years’ experience as a health services researcher with funding as Principal Investigator from the EU, HRB, IRC and HSE. She has extensive experience of national and international inter-disciplinary and inter-agency research collaborations. Her interests are participatory health research, implementation science and migrant health.
Since 2019, Anne is Director of UL’s World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Participatory Health Research with Refugees and Migrant.
