Connacht Tribune
Galway Simon sees biggest demand in its 40-year history
Demand for the services of Galway Simon continued to grow last year, as the homelessness charity experienced the largest number of clients requiring its help in its 40-year history.
In its annual report, released this week, the charity detailed how its housing and homelessness prevention services assisted 646 households in 2019 – an increase of 17 per cent on 2018.
Just under 450 single people accessed Galway Simon services, in addition to 184 families and 14 couples across Galway City and County.
CEO of Galway Simon Karen Golden said the organisation’s focus remained on finding sustainable solutions for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
“Our prevention services support people at risk of homelessness to sustain their current accommodation or find alternative housing, and to avoid entering emergency accommodation.
“Where people do become homeless, we provide shelter in our emergency and transitional housing while providing support to clients to find pathways out of homelessness, to move into their own secure and affordable home,” said Ms Golden.
The report notes that 2019 continued on the same trend as previous years, with very slow delivery of new housing across private, affordable and social housing in Galway, resulting in a lack of secure accommodation.
Throughout the year, the number of people in emergency accommodation grew from 537 in January to 557 in December – a rise of four per cent on 2018 figures.
There were just over 3,400 households on Galway City and County Council social housing waiting lists, while just 278 social houses were built across both council areas.
The housing crisis has deepened in recent years resulting in sky-rocketing rents, with private rental units costing around 50 per cent more than they did four years ago in both the city and county – averaging at €1,309 per month in the city and €934 in the county.
In all, the charity expended almost €5.3 million in 2019, and recorded a small operational deficit of just under €15,000.
Funding was made up of a mix of statutory and grant income (61 per cent); fundraising, shops and investment (25 per cent); community employment schemes (six per cent); and service charges (seven per cent).
In all, €1.27 million was raised through donations, appeals, fundraising events, sponsorship and through Galway Simon shops in 2019, while 427 people volunteered their time and efforts.
Last year was a significant year for the charity as it marked its fortieth anniversary in October, recalling the early days of Galway Simon Community with the commencement of its Soup Run.
Well-known Galway City man Dennis Connolly served as an ambassador for the event, having been one of the very first clients supported by the Soup Run.
“It was an honour to have Dennis Connolly, who has been involved with Galway Simon Community since 1979, to support our fortieth anniversary campaign,” said Ms Golden.
While the report covers the charity’s activities in 2019, it does include some details of the challenges faced in the wake of the outbreak of Covid-19 in March, which Ms Golden said gave way to a sense of fear across the community.
“The experience of homelessness can have a profound impact on a person’s physical and mental health, and many who we support are extremely vulnerable at this time. The challenge of keeping people safe and well during the pandemic was truly daunting.
“In spite of this fear, our staff and volunteers pulled out all the stops to protect our clients. I am incredibly proud to have been part of the inspirational response of our clients, staff and volunteers to this crisis. Our services have continued to support clients every single day,” said Ms Golden.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
