Disclaimer Although the author has made every effort to ensure that the information in this document was correct at submission, the author does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. © Erris Interagency Working Group Foreword Rural Ireland faces well-documented challenges in terms of rising immigration, lack of services, isolation etc., and in a peripheral area like Erris, these challenges are all the more stark when combined with rural depopulation, lack of job and career opportunities and an ageing population. Recognising the resourcing issues faced by community organisations, and the value of volunteering in helping upskill individuals and combat isolation, Mayo Volunteer Centre initially wanted to become more involved with the many organisations in Erris. Mayo Volunteer Centre aims to promote the value of volunteering and encourages more people to become involved in volunteering across the county and supports them in doing so. A meeting was set up to assess the various needs in the area, and Rosaleen Lally, Manager of the Irish Wheelchair Association, Belmullet and Ann McKenzie of Western Care were both on hand to provide input. After some discussion it was agreed that firstly, a showcase of the various services and facilities Erris had to offer would be organised. Secondly, in order to facilitate the provision of evidence-based solutions in the long-term, some research would be collated, by means of a survey to be circulated within the region to assess the needs of people living there. A number of other agencies indicated an interest in facilitating this research, including Tusla, Mayo North East and Mayo County Council. Anne Finn of Strategic Direction was commissioned to collate the survey and analyse the data. Mayo Volunteer Centre is delighted to partner with the Erris Interagency Committee to present this report on the findings of this survey ‘Looking from the Inside Out’. This piece of research has given an opportunity to gather information directly from people living within the Erris region. It provides a better understanding of issues on the ground and gaps within services. It is an insightful piece of work as Anne made it visually appealing for everyone to gain understanding of the research at a glance. In addition, Anne provided statistics which will help us in planning different projects which was outside of her brief and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for this additional input. The findings of the survey will be used in future to support funding applications, in the development of strategic plans and further developing the Erris region, as well as providing information and insights for the various groups within the Erris community. While this report focuses on the needs within the communities living in Erris, it should be noted that the community spirit and sense of community is especially strong in this area and this research will facilitate them to grow and flourish into the future. Manager, Mayo Volunteer Centre Executive Summary This report is the result of primary research carried out on behalf of the Erris Interagency Working Group. The purpose was to capture the views of people living in the Erris region in relation to services and supports for: 1. Parents/Guardians, children and young people 2. Working age population (aged 18 – 64 years) 3. Older people (aged 65+ years) Some common themes that emerged throughout the survey included: The need for Mental Health supports (especially out of hours services) The lack of access to rural/community transport The lack of local employment opportunities The lack of hours available in home-care packages The main barriers identified included distance from services and lack of access to broadband There was also a sense emerging from the responses that there is a need to establish different types of groups (in local areas in the region) that will provide social opportunities for men, women and parents (especially those with children aged 0-3 years). This was in the context of combating social isolation and reducing loneliness. The need for supports for parents (eg through a Family Resource Centre) was also identified. The main strengths identified were the people (generous, hardworking, kind), community (community spirit and sense of community), satisfaction with services (meals on wheels and disability) and the unique landscape and culture of the region (including the Irish language). The main fears expressed included an increase in the levels of drug and alcohol dependency, declining population, lack of services and safe ‘hang out’ places for young people, lack of supports for Carers and full-time Mothers as well as distance from services and the poor condition of the roads. According to the respondents, the things that they value most about living in the Erris region are the community spirit and unspoilt environment. Albeit that the majority of respondents were volunteers (or had previous experience of volunteering), just 10% were registered with Mayo Volunteer Centre. The majority of people volunteer to give something back to the community and the main barrier to volunteering identified was the lack of time. The types of supports identified so that local community groups can ‘survive and thrive’ included access to training; funding; support existing and recruit new volunteers as well as the benefits of networking opportunities to link in with other community groups. CONTENTS Introduction and Methodology .............................................................................................................. 1 Mayo Social Inclusion Week ................................................................................................................ 1 The Erris Region: An Overview ................................................................................................................ 2 Profile ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 Parents/guardians, children and young people ...................................................................................... 7 Gaps in existing services for parents/guardians, children and young people .................................... 7 Youth ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Parents/Guardians .............................................................................................................................. 8 General ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Working Age Population ......................................................................................................................... 9 Gaps in existing services for Working Age Population ........................................................................ 9 Employment .................................................................................................................................. 10 Enterprise ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Education/Training ........................................................................................................................ 10 Health and Wellbeing.................................................................................................................... 10 Develop a Strategy ........................................................................................................................ 10 Older People ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Gaps in existing services for Older People ........................................................................................ 12 Transport ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Homecare ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Healthcare ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Social inclusion and combating loneliness .................................................................................... 13 Information ................................................................................................................................... 13 Main barriers to accessing services ...................................................................................................... 14 Main strengths of the communities in Erris ......................................................................................... 15 Main concerns of the communities in Erris .......................................................................................... 17 What people value most about the community they live in ................................................................ 18 Volunteering ........................................................................................................................................