Dear PPN Members,

This information is issued as part of our #PPNConnect Project

We would like to draw your attention to several useful resources to help you and your group get back up and running again after Covid-19:

Volunteer Ireland have developed a guide on ‘Returning to work safely‘  in consultation with the Department of Rural and Community Development, Department of Health, Healthy Ireland, Sport Ireland, volunteer managers, and Community Call partners. It is based on Health Service Executive guidance.

• The first resource is a ‘Covid-19 Guide for Community Organisations’ prepared by Galway City Community Network and Galway City Partnership.COVID-19 Guide for Community Organisations Final

• The second is a presentation prepared by Volunteer Galway on ‘Re-opening the Voluntary Sector’, held this week Re-opening the Voluntary Sector (please note Volunteer Galway are organising a follow up session on Wednesday 1 July @ 2.30pm, where Liam Scollan will give a ‘guided tour’ of a new manual/workbook format which enables voluntary organisations to take the practical steps to reopening. It enables people to both ‘do’ and ‘document’ so that organisations can be assured of opening well and having their documentation in order. Register here:  https://bit.ly/3eDgiKk.

• Information pack for Community groups returning to work (Irish).

• The fourth resource is a regular Journal called Relate  RELATE_COVID-WORK_ISSUE which provides updates on policy and law in Ireland and is prepared by PPN Member Lorraine Lally in conjunction with the Citizens Information Board. This edition of Relate focuses on Covid-19 and work and maybe beneficial to members- – thanks for sharing Lorraine!

• The fourth is a resource document for community groups at this time prepared by CLANN CREDO (Clann Credo Resource Document).

• Pobal, along with the Department for Rural and Community Development have also collected ‘Information and Resources for the Community and Voluntary Sector on Reopening’ which is comprehensive and can be found here: https://www.pobal.ie/reopeningyourservice/

This is based on existing recommendations from Government. It is intended as a useful resource to help groups make their own decisions on the steps they need to take when preparing for reopening. The guidance does not put in place any new requirements, but instead shows how the information already out there is relevant to the community and voluntary sector.

While this guidance has been developed to help the sector, considerable emphasis should be placed on personal responsibility and the need for people and organisations to exercise judgement in their activities. This is especially important in the community and voluntary sector, given the varied nature of the activities being undertaken.

• Reopening the Childcare Sector: https://first5.gov.ie/practitioners/reopening

For a wide-ranging list of resources prepared earlier this month see: https://www.galwaycountyppn.ie/ppnconnect-collection-of-online-resources-and-trainings/

We hope you find these documents useful and informative- if you have any similar resources to share, please let us know.

PS: don’t forget our free ‘Tuesday Training’ series which starts next week! https://www.galwaycountyppn.ie/ppn-training-for-community-groups/