Blackrock Business & Community Newsletter April 2022

Events in Ukraine over the recent past have shocked all of us with the result that there has been an almost unprecedented outpouring of support from the public at large.  People in Ireland have rallied to the cause and have been really keen to help in any way they can.

The two principal ways to date that people have been helping is by raising money and by providing accommodation.

Ukrainians arriving in Ireland have 90 days to regularise their status. As an EU country Ireland is working with the EU to activate the EU Temporary Protection Directive, an emergency provision designed to respond quickly and humanely to the mass displacement of Ukrainian people.   Once this is finalised, the details will be made available on the Irish Immigration website. In the meantime, displaced nationals arriving from Ukraine can be given accommodation by IPAS. They are also free to source their own private accommodation.

The Department of Children Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has issued the following information to assist displaced Ukrainian nationals.

Eugene at The Wicked Wolf was delighted to be able to host this event with the help of customers, staff and his wife Maryellen.  Most of the prizes came from local BBN people in the village.  There were 16 tables in all with 4 coming from M&S.  Questions ranged from geographical questions on Ukraine to quotes from Shakespeare.  The event raised €1,555 which has now been donated to the Red Cross.

Timeline and management of three Ukrainian refugees hosted in the Blackrock area:

• A local person responded to a request for emergency accommodation for 3 Ukrainians who had arrived in Bucharest from Odesa and needed emergency accommodation in Ireland
• The three arrived at Dublin Airport on 18 March 2022 at 19:00 and went through the processing and registration procedure.  This involved amongst other things getting a temporary visa and applying for a PPS number.  The three were aged 67, 53 and 37 and all were female.  One of the three had medical complications.
• The host provided accommodation for the three in conjunction with a friend.
• Further registration took place at Cork St, Dublin 8 Intreo Centre on the following day.
• Medical care was obtained for the ill woman at a local GP practice.
• A week later PPS numbers were obtained at the Dun Laoghaire Intreo Centre.
• Vaccinations were obtained for all three at the Vaccination Centre at the RDS.
• Applications to IPAS and Red Cross to help with longer term accommodation went unanswered.
• Longer term accommodation was achieved by the guests going back to the airport and seeking accommodation directly at the immigration department there.
• The guests departed for Athlone ten days after arriving.

Comments

• Overall the experience was a very positive one for both hosts and guests
• While it would appear that most arrivals from Ukraine are being put on buses when they arrive and are taken to hotel accommodation or similar, there is and will be a need for short term emergency accommodation in certain circumstances.
• The hosts above would be more than happy to share their experience and advice with anybody thinking of short term hosting as above.  Click here to seek further information.

Quotable

“How could your stay with us as hosts have been improved?”
“Giving information and support about employment system and opportunities in Ireland” – Alisa from Odesa

Deirdre Irwin lives and works in Blackrock.  She is Managing Director of an Environmental, Health, Safety and Medical Specialist Company delivering Occupational Health, Safety & Wellness initiatives to employers and employees both on and off site.  She is working with hospitals on the ground in Ukraine and with Medical Help Ukraine (an association of Ukrainian Medical Professionals) and supported by the Embassy of Ukraine; and also with Ukrainian and Polish drivers to deliver and track goods to their destination.  Deirdre says that her fundraising efforts so far have resulted in medical supplies, blankets and clothes, baby bassinettes, weighing scales, baby bottle food, etc being sent to Ukraine but there is an urgent need to do more.   She adds that further hospital supplies, dressings and, in particular, suction machines and various other pieces of medical equipment are urgently needed.

Deirdre would really appreciate some help with fundraising, and also donations of medical supplies or donations towards the purchase of medical supplies. If you are interested could you please contact her at deirdreirwin11@gmail.com  or 086 819 2372. Details of medical items are being costed at the moment.

It’s been a busy month for Blackrock’s local football club, Granada F.C., as they’ve added a number of fantastic local companies to their Community Business Partnership Programme, showcased the League of Ireland Cup to their young players, and are even opening up a coffee shop at their Hollypark Grounds.

“Our latest sponsor, the School of Rock, is based on Main Street Blackrock, and we’re hoping many of our 1,100 young players will give them a go, to see if they have as much skill with their fingers as they do with their feet,” says Paddy Cranfield, Commercial Director at Granada F.C.

“And we’ve opened the Granada Coffee Company, featuring Bailies Coffee Roasters, Cuisine de France and Lucozade, some big names who’ve joined our programme to support our goals.   “We’ll be serving top-quality Lattes, Cappuccinos, Espressos, Americanos and other fine coffees – for free – in the next few weeks at a special event at our grounds.

“We’d like to invite anyone associated with our club, or anyone who wants to be, down to get a sense of what we do to provide football opportunities for all in our community. Contact me at paddy.cranfield@gmail.com for details,” says Paddy.

There continues to be very positive and enthusiastic support from across the Community for the Blackrock Seafront Plaza concept and to urgently addressing the Bath Place area.
We are continuing to both lobby and work with the Council and our local representatives on Blackrock Seafront Plaza.  It will be important that the whole community remain vocal and engaged on this initiative, so please be sure to lobby your local representatives and the Council at every opportunity on this. Working together we can build a wonderful future for Blackrock through the seafront area.

Frascati Centre have asked us to share their news that the Frascati Centre Retail development is now complete, offering fashion and footwear, body and beauty, health, food retail and an exceptional food quarter from over 33 businesses, with more arriving this year! Check out all Frascati has to offer https://frascaticentre.ie/

Upcoming Events – Easter Weekend – Frascati Centre has a weekend of family fun planned at Frascati, including face-painting, personalised caricatures by Jack Allen, Mad Hatter show, magic, balloon modelling and lots more. See https://frascaticentre.ie/ for full details.

The Natural Bakery Company – The Natural Bakery recently opened its 12^th shop in Blackrock’s Frascati Centre, with seating indoors and outdoors. The choices range from organic to gluten free to their famous Guinness brown bread.  Pop in or check them out online https://frascaticentre.ie/the-natural-bakery
Trendy & Bendy – Ireland’s premium athleisure wear brand has officially arrived to Frascati. This premium brand offers unique figure enhancing support and comfort features, whether it’s for yoga, pilates, running or simply everyday wear for women on the go! Visit them on the ground floor or check them out at https://frascaticentre.ie/trendy-and-bendy

For a list of shops in the Frascati Centre click here

It has been a very busy and great year so far for Blackrock Athletic Club with many younger members taking part in the Dublin Championships and National Indoors to name a few. Check out these great recent videos of our Boys U17 team picking up bronze and U18 team picking up gold at the Indoor Nationals. A huge well done to Blackrock A.C. 2007 girls Holly, Isabel, Natasha and Ruby who represented their school in the National Schools Cross Country event recently. Holly was selected to represent Ireland (for the second time this season) on the Schools International Team and traveled to Wales. A brilliant performance by Blackrock A.C. Junior member Killian, who finished 3rd in the u18 nationals with a new PB of 7:11.

In March BAC hosted Run For Ukraine, covering 3,029km, which helped raise €12,995 for much-needed humanitarian aid on the ground.  More information including current initiatives can be found here.

Servaplex describe themselves as an independent IT Software supplier with clients in a wide range of industries including government, education, financial services, construction and manufacturing.  The company celebrated being 19 years in business and also moved into a bigger and better office in Blackrock Main Street this year.

Servaplex supplies, deploys and supports a comprehensive range of world class IT Management Software solutions for Active Directory, Endpoint Management, Service Desk and more.  Their services include implementation, support and training.   They provide solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

Look out for their on-line masterclasses and workshops. You can see their full range of schedules on their training page here (updated monthly).

Paul Kennedy has recently been appointed as Director of Infrastructure and Climate Change at DLRCoCo.   He replaces Robert Burns in this role.   The BBN looks forward to working with Paul in delivering positive infrastructural and public realm improvements for Blackrock.

TRAINING
1. Adult Education Service South East- Ukraine Response Educational Plan
DDLETB Adult Education Service (South East) is developing a targeted response to meet the educational/language needs of Ukrainian adults arriving in its catchment area. The service will provide translated information sessions to Ukrainian learners who may wish to access English language tuition.  The service has allocated resourcing to enable an increased provision of free English language classes to respond to local need as it emerges. For further information or to access the service, please contact a member of the team below.

Elizabeth O’Doherty
Adult Guidance Co-ordinator
DDLETB South East
Sydenham Road, Dundrum
D14 YY56
Tel:  01-2989283
Email: elizabethodoherty@ddletbaes.ie

Eoin Mc Cabe
Adult Guidance Counsellor
Adult Education Service – Dun Laoghaire
Loughlinstown Training Centre
Wyattville Road
Loughlinstown
Dun Laoghaire
Co. Dublin
(Tel:  01 204 3603)
Email: eoinmccabe@ddletbaes.ie

FUNDING
Improved homes for older people and those with a disability as over €80 million in funding announced
Grants of up to €30,000 are available to assist people with a disability in carrying out necessary works to make a house more suitable for their needs. Additionally, grants of up to €8,000 are available to assist older people to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out on their homes and grants of up to €6,000 are available for mobility aids. Read more here.

INITIATIVES and OPPORTUNITIES
1. The People’s History of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown – Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in partnership with the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin, is carrying out an extensive oral history project, The People’s History of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. We are hoping to make contact with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and all areas of the county, to carry out informal interviews capturing their own and their families’ experiences. We would love to reach out to members of the various community groups, clubs and associations around the county as we are sure that they have a wealth of information to share.
Interviews can be carried out at the Lexicon Library in Dún Laoghaire, at the National Folklore Collection in UCD, or in the interviewees’ own homes. There is no need to prepare any notes or other materials, and we are interested in families of all sorts – not just families who might have had unusual experiences. We would be very grateful if you could put us in touch with members who might be interested in participating in this important study of the memories of the people of one of the most fascinating areas of Ireland. Please email peopleshistory@dlrcoco.ie or call Deirdre Black at 087 1183160.

2. Become a Childminder – As part of the Governments National Action Plan for Childminding, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) have asked Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Country Childcare Committee reach out to a diverse range of organisations to help encourage the recruitment of new Childminders to the sector, as well as strengthening links with existing Childminders in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area to best support their needs. Would you like information and /or support on:

• Running a childminding business
• Grants/ funding available for childminders
• Tax exemption for childminders, and more

We have found that lots of Childminders may not be aware of the local supports available to them.  Please contact Emily on 01 2896600 or info@dlrchildcare.ie.

3. Recognition of volunteers who made a contribution during the pandemic – nomination portal now open. Local authorities, PPNs, volunteer involving organisations and volunteer centres were asked to nominate volunteers from their communities before closing date or 13th April. Events will take place during national volunteer week to recognise their contribution. Read more here

CONSULTATIONS
1. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, is proposing sustainable transport improvements on the Rock Road between Blackrock Park and Trimleston Avenue.  The Active Travel Section proposes to undertake a Non-Statutory Public Consultation for the above Scheme and welcomes all submissions and observations on the scheme as proposed. The scheme is being prepared in accordance with Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994.  The deadline for submissions is the 27th of April 2022. Read more here.

2. Public Consultation on the Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants in open now. The government wants to make sure that people with disabilities who want and are able to work are supported and enabled to do so. To do this, the government wants to get your views on how to improve how the ‘Reasonable Accommodation Fund’ grants operate. Please send your views by 5pm Friday 29 April. Read more here 

3. Public Consultation on utilisation of National Lottery Funding – The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is currently conducting an independent review of the allocation and utilisation of National Lottery funding. The National Lottery is operated under licence by Premier Lotteries Ireland, on behalf of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The National Lottery is also regulated by the Office of the National Lottery Regulator. Thirty cent from every euro spent on the lottery is returned to the Exchequer to be used for Good Causes Projects, and the National Lottery Act 2013 sets out the purposes to which this money should be assigned. The deadline for submissions is the 22nd of April 2022. Read more here 

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