Shining a Light on Our North East Com...

The demands on voluntary and support services during a crisis like COVID 19 can be overwhelming. With this in mind, Dundalk Credit Union has made the decision to repurpose its recently announced Community Support Fund 2020 as a COVID-19 Community Response Fund and together with Cuchullain Credit Union to offer financial assistance to those organisations and groups within our wider community that are putting the needs of others ahead of their own in response to the impact of COVID-19.

Two of our very first recipients were Cú Chulainn Blood Bikes and Women’s Aid Dundalk, organisations that show us that even with the challenges of COVID 19 they have adapted and responded with resilience and determination.

Cú Chulainn Blood Bikes is a charity that operates entirely by volunteers and public donations. The Charity provides a swift and free service to HSE hospitals throughout the North East, collecting and transporting Blood, Blood Products, Human Tissue, Patient Files, X-Rays and Infant Milk.

To help combat COVID 19, Cú Chulainn Blood Bikes has adapted their voluntary service to support the community and local hospitals, delivering PPE and helping to ensure that blood samples are transported quickly and safely to laboratories for testing. They do not only operate this voluntary service by road, but also by air – they have recently transported an order of vital PPE by aircraft to a Nursing Home in Co. Cavan. Their out of hours service, delivers a cross border service which include evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays to the hospitals and medical services across the North East.

You can keep up to date with the work of this amazing team of volunteers on the Cú Chulainn Blood Bikes Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/Cuchulainnbloodbikes.ie/ or their website http://www.cuchulainnbloodbikes.ie/.

Another vital community-based service that is a recipient of the COVID 19 Community Response Fund is Women’s Aid Dundalk, who continue to carrying out their work in these exceptionally challenging times.

Women’s Aid Dundalk, an organisation which supports women and children who are/have experienced domestic violence. In challenging COVID times their promise is #StillHere – to listen, believe and offer supports and information.

Women’s Aid Dundalk continues to offer their services and are providing support through their 24hr helpline 042 93 33244, messenger on their Facebook page Women’s Aid Dundalk and their email service – info@womensaiddlk.net.

Their email support is always available.  However, they have dedicated specific times when they are active on the service to provide a faster response:

• Monday – Friday: 10 am – 12 pm

They also continue to provide a Drop-in Court Clinic, where a support worker helps with paperwork.  There is a support worker at their Court Clinic  9.30 am -11 am in Dundalk court house on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Other days and times for this service are updated regularly across their social media accounts.

Women’s Aid Dundalk still support women by providing crisis accommodation or by sourcing other refuge accommodation.

As a community we are thankfully for all the organisations working in our wider community at this time, their tireless commitment to supporting those in need, regardless of the restrictions of COVID 19, shows a commitment and dedication that we applaud and are extremely thankful for.

For more information on the COVID 19 Community Response Fund, please visit https://www.dundalkcu.ie/news_events/joint-covid-19-community-response-fund-launched-by-dundalk-and-cuchullain-credit-unions/