Healthy Galway City | Collaboration | Healthy Ireland initiatives in Galway City

Collaboration

The Healthy Galway City initiative seeks to embed collaboration, partnerships and coordinated approaches to achieving health and wellbeing equality in Galway City. The actions outlined in the Healthy Galway City Strategy will be implemented in partnership with key stakeholders. This collaborative approach will be central to achieving a city where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing to their full potential.

Other Healthy Ireland Initiatives in Galway City

Healthy Ireland at Your Library

Healthy Ireland at Your Library provides valuable health information and support to communities and individuals at all life stages.

The Healthy Ireland at Your Library Collection has over 100 titles covering the three Healthy Ireland themes – Eat Well, Think Well, Be Well. The collection is available to borrow in every local library free of charge. For more information and to see if there are any additions to the collection, go to www.librariesireland.ie or drop in to your local library.

A collection of health and wellbeing eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines are also available to download from www.librariesireland.ie.

Become a member today by dropping into your local library or completing the online form. Click here for more information.

Libraries in Galway City:

Galway City Library, Hynes Buildings, St. Augustine Street, Galway, H91 R6WF
Westside Library, Seamus Quirke Rd, Galway
Ballybane Library, Castlepark Road, Galway

Galway CYPSC

Galway CYPSC is a county-level committee that brings together the main statutory, community and voluntary providers of services to children and young people. The committee is tasked under Better Outcomes Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, 2014-2020 to provide a forum for joint planning and co-ordinated activity. To read more about Galway CYPSC click here. The Healthy Ireland Fund has enabled Galway CYPSC to deliver a number of key actions that relate to services for the 0 – 3 years old age group:

With Galway City Partnership, an Early Years Health and Wellbeing Plan for Galway County was developed to set-out a co-ordinated approach for statutory, community and voluntary organisations working with very young children in the county.
Through Galway Childcare Committee, two capacity building programmes were delivered to childcare workers across the city and county. The first of these provided staff with the awareness and skills needed to deliver more outdoor play opportunities to children. The second focused on providing staff with the knowledge and skills needed to make mealtimes healthier and more social occasions.
In partnership with Tusla Child and Family Agency, a series of free talks and cookery demonstrations aimed at parents who are weaning babies was delivered in towns across the county.

The period ending June 2021, will see Galway CYPSC using Healthy Ireland funding to:

Continue, with Galway Childcare Committee, to build capacity within childcare services to provide outdoor play opportunities for children and to make mealtime’s healthy and social occasions.
Deliver, in partnership with Healthy Galway City, Galway County Council, HSE Health and Wellbeing and HSE Community Nutrition & Dietetic Service, the Healthy Food Made Easy programme in Galway County.
Support, as part of a broad coalition of local services including Galway Healthy City, the Not Around Us campaign in Galway County.

GMIT Healthy Campus

GMIT Healthy Campus is aligned to Healthy Ireland’s Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025 and the Healthy Ireland Healthy Campus Charter and Framework to make GMIT a healthier and happier place to study and work for students and staff.

Healthy Campus is a working group, comprised of students and staff from various departments and campuses, which facilitates and promotes various events, activities, competitions, and showcases related to the following health and wellbeing areas:

Physical Health

Addressing the physical health needs of the GMIT Community by promoting and facilitating on-campus and virtual fitness classes, step and cycle challenges, GMIT Sport, motivational speakers, and exploring initiatives to incorporate healthy habits into daily routines.

Nutrition

Facilitating and promoting information sessions, competitions, and other healthy nutrition activities to support students and staff. Healthy Campus works with staff and students from the Culinary Arts and Public Health Nutrition programmes on healthy meal offerings and cooking resources that focus on educating the GMIT Community about cooking, meal planning, and budgeting.

Mental Health

In addition to promoting GMIT’s in-house mental health supports, Healthy Campus organises and promotes mental health workshops and training for students and staff. A GMIT Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy is currently in development along with guidelines for Staff Supporting Students and Students Supporting Students.

Substance Use

GMIT is a Clean Air Campus which prohibits smoking or vaping on any of the GMIT grounds or buildings on the Galway and Mayo Campuses.

Healthy Campus is committed to supporting those who are affected by the Clean Air Campus initiative by providing information, advice, and support.

Through the promotion of safe use of alcohol, Healthy Campus aims to reduce the misuse of alcohol and drugs. GMIT is a Safe Campus in which no alcohol can be sold, distributed, or advertised (other than for training purposes). A GMIT Alcohol and Substance Use Policy is currently in development.

Sexual Health & Identity

Supporting a positive environment for everyone in the GMIT Community by contributing to the training and campaigning of sexual health, gender-specific health, sexual orientation and gender identity, and sexual consent / misconduct / disclosures. Students and staff facilitators deliver Active* Consent Workshops to first-year students on all campuses and Healthy Campus also supports the #NeverOK campaign.

By offering students the opportunity to volunteer on a variety of health and wellbeing initiatives, Healthy Campus supports THRIVE, the GMIT President’s Award for Volunteering.

Healthy Campus works with several internal and external community partners on joint health and wellbeing initiatives and campaigns throughout the year.

Follow GMIT Healthy Campus on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!

HSE – Community Healthcare West

The Community Healthcare West Healthy Ireland Implementation Plan 2018-2022 builds on existing health and wellbeing good practices, and also plans additional local actions to support the implementation of the key Healthy Ireland priorities. Successful implementation of the plan is dependent on effective partnership working.