Mid Year Update
As the weather changes after some Mediterranean heat, we can reflect on the changes that have happened this year. The role out of the vaccination programme has given us all a great sense of hope along with the slow opening of hospitality however we all must continue to be vigilant with this Delta variant and be aware of all public health notifications.
In the last few weeks we have officially launched our new SII Connect service on our new website. This is a fantastic addition to our services as it allows all service users to share knowledge and experience about living with a spinal cord injury. If you have a query or problem the solution could be just one click away from someone else in the community so please ensure that you log on & start sharing.
One of the biggest issues for the SII Team over the last 18 months was that we could not access newly injured patients in acute hospitals and the NRH due to Covid 19. If there is no further increase in the Delta variant we hope to be back in a number of hospitals over the autumn to meet with service users and family members. In the meantime if there is anything we can do for you please let us know.
You may have noticed that we launched our first fully accessible fundraising cycle in the Algarve which is from 9th – 16th October in conjunction with the IRFU Charitable Trust. All levels of ability and experience are catered for. We are delighted that this event is being managed on the ground in the Algarve by Paralympic gold medallist Mark Rohan. We would be delighted if you would consider joining us for this adventure.
On the 30th September, we are asking the business community, family and friends to roll with us and show support for the SCI community in Ireland with our ‘A Day in My Wheels’ campaign. We are asking people to experience a first-hand glimpse of the challenges faced by wheelchair users daily while raising both awareness and funds for those who really need it.
As you can imagine our fundraising has been very badly hit this year as we have been unable to host our lunch and balls and we are relying on running both the Algarve cycle and ‘A day in My Wheels’ to replace this income. If you know anyone who can help we would very much appreciate if you could spread the word. And to re-assure everyone, all Covid 19 public health guidelines will be adhered to for both events.
Finally we are currently working on our pre budget submission to Government on improving services for people with a spinal cord injury. We will publish it late August and perhaps you might share it with local representatives to help us spread the word
Be safe and look after yourselves and remember we are always here if you need us
Kind Regards
Fiona Bolger
CEO
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