NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2018 Cork County Public Participation Network News

PPN NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2018 Cork County Public Participation Network News

Cork County Public Participation Network Plenary Meeting 2018

Cork County PPN held its plenary meeting of 2018 at the Oriel House Hotel in Ballincollig on October 2nd last, where PPN Secretariat members welcomed a variety of community groups and individuals from across the County.

The evening was a great success with workshops held around the 3 pillars of Community &Voluntary, Social Inclusion and Environment where PPN members discussed a number of issues currently facing community groups. Guest speakers Des Crofton and Dr. John Mc Namara, joined by Dr Edward Hogan, also held a panel discussion on the topic of stress and post traumatic stress disorder.

Speaking at the meeting, Donal Howard Cork County PPN Secretariat commented, ‘It’s great to see such a high turnout from the Community& Voluntary, Social Inclusion and Environment sectors here at our plenary meeting of the PPN. The workshops are a wonderful opportunity for us, as the PPN steering committee, to hear the issues, challenges and opportunities facing the community groups we represent across Cork County. On behalf of the Secretariat I’d like to thank all those who contributed to the success of this plenary as well as our panellists for their time in joining us. I would also encourage any community groups not registered with us to visit our website www.corkcountyppn.com for more information and links on how to register.’

Photo credit David Keane 2 CORK COUNTY PPN Autumn Newsletter CORK COUNTY PPN Autumn Newsletter 3 4 CORK COUNTY PPN Autumn Newsletter

Photo credit Brian Lougheed Work Matters at the Library The “Work Matters at the Library” initiative offers a free programme of supports for library customers in the area of business and employment. The service is aimed at job seekers and those interested in starting their own business. The Work Matters initiative is available in Library Headquarters (next to the County Hall), Midleton and Bantry library. The service provides a separate study and work area for those taking part in the programme, with Wi-Fi and printing facilities available. There is also a wide range of book stock available, with subjects ranging from psychometric testing and interview skills to starting your own business and social media advice. There are also a number of online resources to support the programme, including e-books and e-audiobooks, e-magazines and online newspapers. There are hundreds of online courses available to library users, many of relevance to those looking to up skill or change career direction. E-language learning is also available. For those who need to research business information there is access to Vision-Net which provides online access to all the latest company, business and director information in Ireland and the UK, including information on company accounts and credit ratings. For those compiling a CV or researching a business plan there are many resources available at your local library.

Fri 24th August - Job seeker information event: Bantry Library held a job seeker information event in the library in partnership with Intreo/Dept of Employment. The morning aimed to provide people with information on training courses and supports available to them in the West Cork area. Partner organisations in attendance were: • Intreo/Employment and Support Service • National Learning Network • Cork Education Training Board • YouthReach Bantry • Cork College of Commerce (West Cork Campus) • Colaiste Phobail Bantry • Employability West Cork Approximately 70 people attended and each of the organisations had clients sign up for their courses. CORK COUNTY PPN Autumn Newsletter 5

LEFT: Maureen Canty, Intreo/Dept of Employment and Noel O’Mahony, Bantry Librarian

ABOVE: Job Seeker Information Event in Bantry library

Thurs 13th Sept – Work Matters/Taste of West Cork in Bantry library: As part of the Taste of West Cork Festival Trish Messom of the Stuffed Olive spoke about her background in the food and hospitality industry and how the Stuffed Olive came to be. Trish discussed the challenges of starting a small business including adapting a premises, dealing with food safety inspectors and EU regulations. She highlighted the importance of being able to continue or go back to further education. She completed a course in speciality food production in UCC while still working which she felt was invaluable, something that she could not have done if only available full time. Childcare is another area she discussed, especially outside of Mon to Fri, 9 to 5, as an issue for her team. She also spoke about the importance of her team, which currently comprises 18 staff members, 10 of whom are full time. She highlighted the need for consistency in production for the cafe and catering business and also the need to be up to date on current food trends, with a huge demand for gluten free and vegan products.

LEFT: Noel O’Mahony, Bantry Library, introduces Trish Messom of the Stuffed Olive.

Thurs 20th Sept – SECAD Employment Fair: SECAD Partnership collaborated with businesses and employers in East Cork to host an Employment Fair on 20th September in Midleton Park Hotel. At the event, jobseekers were able to meet prospective employers, learn about upcoming jobs vacancies and make job applications. Cork County Library had a Work Matters stand at the event to promote the services available at the library to jobseekers and those looking to re-train or change career. There was a lot of interest with over 150 people attending. 6 CORK COUNTY PPN Autumn Newsletter

Healthy Ireland at your Library The Healthy Ireland at your library programme was launched recently. It is a Government led initiative, and is part of a national strategy to improve the health and wellbeing of citizens by placing a focus on prevention, individual awareness and keeping people healthy for longer. Cork County Libraries will offer a wide variety of exciting free talks, workshops and activities suitable for all ages. Events are scheduled to take place between now and mid February and will include a range of talks, workshops and activities for all ages with events happening in each of our 28 Branches. Whether you would like to try chair yoga, learn more about mindfulness, dementia or building childhood resilience, the Healthy Ireland at Your Library programme has an event to interest and educate. While events are all free to attend, booking is recommended. For more information about Healthy Ireland at Your Library, go to www.corkcoco.ie/library-services and Keep up to date with events happening in your local library by following us on Twitter and Facebook. CORK COUNTY PPN Autumn Newsletter 7

Heart Disease and Physical Activity 8 CORK COUNTY PPN Autumn Newsletter

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks. It’s usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early.

Many people with early symptoms of Lyme disease develop a red, circular skin rash around a tick bite. This can appear up to 30 days after being bitten by a tick.and usually lasts for several weeks. Most rashes appear within the first 4 weeks.

Not everyone with Lyme disease gets the rash. Some people also have flu-like symptoms in the early stages, such as: • a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery • headaches • muscle and joint pain • tiredness and loss of energy

The rash is often described as looking like a bull’s-eye on a dartboard. The skin will be red and the edges may feel slightly raised.

To remove a tick safely: 1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool – you can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops. 2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. 3. Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you’ve removed it. 4. Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water. The risk of getting ill is low. You don’t need to do anything else unless you become unwell.

See a GP if: • you’ve been bitten by a tick or visited an area in the past month where infected ticks are found and you get: • flu-like symptoms – such as feeling hot and shivery, headaches, aching muscles or feeling sick, or • a circular red rash Tell them if you’ve been in forests or grassy areas. CORK COUNTY PPN Autumn Newsletter 9

Symptoms of Lyme Disease cont.

Not all tick bites cause Lyme disease Only a small number of ticks are infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. A tick bite can only cause Lyme disease in humans if the tick has already bitten an infected animal. It’s still important to be aware of ticks and remove them safely as soon as possible just in case. Tick bites aren’t always painful. You may not notice a tick unless you see it on your skin. Regularly check your skin and your children or pets’ skin after being outdoors.

What happens at your appointment Your GP will ask about your symptoms and consider any recent tick bites you know about. Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose. It has similar symptoms to other conditions and there isn’t always an obvious rash. Two types of blood test are available to help confirm Lyme disease. You may need to be re-tested if you still have symptoms after a negative result.

Treatment from your GP If your GP thinks you might have Lyme disease, they’ll prescribe a 2 to 3 week course of antibiotics. It’s important to finish the course, even if you start to feel better. Some people with severe symptoms will be referred to a specialist in hospital for injections of stronger antibiotics. People with symptoms of Lyme disease that last a long time will be referred to a specialist in hospital for advice and more blood tests.

Post-infectious Lyme disease A few people who are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease develop long-term symptoms such as tiredness, aches and loss of energy. This is known as post-infectious Lyme disease. The symptoms of post-infectious Lyme disease are often compared to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s not clear why this happens to some people and not others. This means there is also no agreed treatment for post-infectious Lyme disease. Some websites offer tests and treatment for Lyme disease that may not be supported by scientific evidence. Speak to your doctor for advice before buying tests or treatment online.