Revamped Tourist Hub a Lifeline for Achill Cocooners
Since the announcement of the ‘lockdown’ in Ireland to try to control the spread of COVID-19, Achill Tourism has re-purposed its operations to become a hub for the local Community Response. This initiative was covered today (Monday 27th April 2020) by RTE News, with our manager Chris McCarthy being interviewed on RTE Radio One’s flagship Morning Ireland broadcast. The report was compiled by multi media journalist Cian McCormack and was also featured on the RTE News website.
Also featured in the report were local volunteer and chair of Achill Community Alert, Nigel Patten, and two of the recipients of the Community Response home shopping service, Val Stenson and Breege Molloy. Delivery for the home shopping service is provided by Local Link, and driver Michael O’Haire was interviewed in the piece. Deirdre Garvey, CEO of The Wheel, an umbrella group for charities, was also interviewed and said of the Achill initiative that it was ‘a brilliant job’ that mirrors what communities and groups across the country have been doing. She continued, “what has happened in Achill Island is they have taken the people and the organisations that exist for maybe different purposes and they are putting it at the service of care, solidarity, neighborliness and compassion and that is the hallmark of our wonderful community charity sector in Ireland”.
Listen to the radio report via RTE website
