Fingal Inclusion Week – it’s for Everyone!

Next week sees the second Fingal Inclusion Week with over 37 virtual events taking place around the County.

The week, which runs from November 16th to 21st is an initiative of Fingal County Council Community Development Department and the Fingal Public Participation Network.

Fingal Inclusion Week aims to highlight the positive work that communities, agencies and other organisations are involved in to reduce social exclusion and poverty in Fingal.

Mayor of Fingal Councillor David Healy said: “Social exclusion is an ongoing issue for many people and has been brought into sharper focus in 2020 during the Covid-19 restrictions. Fingal Inclusion Week, as well as raising awareness of this issue, will allow people to interact with community groups and join in with fun activities from their homes.”

AnnMarie Farrelly, Fingal County Council Chief Executive, stated: “Empowering communities to look after one another by staying connected to avoid social isolation has been a key objective for the Fingal Community Call Forum since it was set up last March. The current Keep Well campaign is aimed at creating a Healthy Fingal by showing people of all ages how we can mind our own physical and mental health and wellbeing by adding healthy and helpful habits to our daily and weekly routines. We want to create a county where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing to their full potential; where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society; and where wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility. The 37 events planned for Fingal’s Social Inclusion Week will be important steps on our journey towards a Healthy Fingal as they will provide advice and support as well as many chances to engage personally online with organisations who are doing tremendous work in our communities.”

Fingal Inclusion Week is very important to raise awareness of the excellent work being done by community groups and the Fingal Community Development Department and the Public Participation Network to combatting social exclusion.

The week also seeks to raise awareness of the barriers experienced by citizens of Fingal that lead to social exclusion and promote an understanding of inclusion in Fingal.  Participating organisations and community groups such as the Bleeding Pig Film Festival, Empower, Children 4 World Children, Conai Clubhouse, Fingal PPN, Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living and Irish Red Cross are hosting events to explore such issues through a series of interviews and panel discussions.

Fingal Inclusion Week will also provide a platform for groups and services such as Swords Men Sheds, Fingal Volunteer Centre, Mount Eustace Resident Association, Castleknock Tidy Towns and Skerries Autism Friendly Town to open up their virtual doors and tell people about their activities and how to get involved.

All events are free and the programme has something for everybody. There are fun events to join such as a singing circle, a ukeathon, drama readings, a tradathon, gardening and a photography exhibition.

As part of the week-long activities, everyone will have the opportunity to avail of online workshops such as 5 ways to wellbeing for community groups, environmental awareness, one good adult, adult education guidance, podcasts for English language learners, men’s mental health and intercultural and diversity training.

For more information, an online event brochure of 37 events can be found on fingalinclusionweek.ie and https://www.fingal.ie/fingal-inclusion-week-2020 . Places are limited so all events must be pre booked to avoid disappointment.