Our services and Community Response under COVID-19
We've adapted our services in recent times in line with COVID-19 restrictions - and are providing one-to-one supports and services to individuals and groups via phone or Zoom - check out www.brayareapartnership.ie to find out more.
We've also gone online with a range of workshops and courses - such as conversational English classes, Well-being programmes, Start Your Own Business bootcamps, Beginners Yoga, Introduction to Online Learning, Career Skills, parents groups and Motivational Interviewing training for staff working in local community groups.
Find out more about our current work here - where you can watch our COVID Community Response video about our recent work such as providing food parcels in the community and digital devices to help older people keep in touch with loved ones.
Providing information in the community
Our COVID-19 Information and Resources page provides information and links to local and national resources and supports across a range of subject areas.
Our Facebook and Twitter pages are sharing valuable information. Our Local Employment Service Facebook page provides regular updates on supports for people who are unemployed and current job vacancies. Our SPECS Bray Facebook page is providing information to support parents and families.
In addition, we manage the Disability Bray Facebook, Disability Bray Twitter, Wicklow Community Directory Facebook and Wicklow Community Directory Twitter accounts and update them regularly with relevant information on developments, supports and services during these difficult times. Please do tag us with anything you want us to share on these pages.
In response to COVID-19 restrictions, we created a series of fun videos for local schoolchildren to help them learn to cook nutritious food at home with their parents, and to teach them the basics of yoga and mindfulness - try them out with your children at home.
The videos are designed to be enjoyable and engaging and to support not only the children’s physical health, but also their mental health and well-being in these challenging times through learning relaxation and mindfulness techniques.
Jigsaw Youth Mental Health service opens in Bray
We are beyond delighted that the new Wicklow Jigsaw service is set up and ready to go in Bray and will be providing a full service starting in the new year. Watch our Journey to Jigsaw video to find out how our Youth Mental Health Network brought the whole community together to work towards this brilliant outcome for the young people of County Wicklow.
ASPIRE Social Prescribing Well-being Programme
Our ASPIRE Social Prescribing Programme supports people with their health and well-being by connecting them with a range of services and activities in their local community, based on availability, individual needs and preferences, and also offers participants online Well-being programmes.
ASPIRE is open to anyone from the Bray or Greystones areas who feels they need support with their health & well-being. The programme welcomes those who are struggling with the impact of current social distancing and limited social contact, would like to improve their emotional well-being, have a long-term health condition, are going through life changing events, or feel socially isolated or lonely.
SEED Social Enterprise project
Our SEED Project provides free training in setting up and running a Social Enterprise.
SEED stands for Social Enterprise Expansion and Development. The project aims to build a more vibrant and sustainable Social Enterprise sector and help groups build their capacity to trade successfully.
SEED is a collaboration between Bray Area Partnership and Southside Partnership and covers the Bray and Greystones Municipal District and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown areas. A Social Enterprise is a business that trades in order to provide goods and services in the community, tackle problems in society and address environmental issues. Profits generated from trading are reinvested back into the business or local community.
Examples of social enterprises could be a community café or shop, a recycling or upcycling project or a workshop creating products for sale – perhaps providing training or employment for marginalised groups.To find out more about social enterprises, explore an idea you may have or find out about the training and supports available, call Eithne Gunning on 01 286 8266.
Our Disability Network has been meeting via Zoom to network, collaborate and work on emerging issues for people with disabilities in the time of COVID.
Recent issues raised by the network include the need for Changing Places facilities in our towns. 19th November was #WorldToiletDay and Changing Places Ireland are campaigning to change the Building Regulations to make it mandatory for public buildings to include Changing Places Toilet Facilities.
The 'digital divide' and lack of community spaces large enough for social distancing for training and group activities have been highlighted by network members. Many people with disabilities are left isolated when they can't access services and supports in person but also don't have the equipment or skills to connect online or take part in online learning.
The network is looking at how these issues can be addressed - including services and groups sharing their spaces and initiatives to support people with getting online.
Our Disability Bray website was completely re-designed earlier this year to make it more user-friendly, accessible and responsive on different platforms.
Disability Bray is a community website with information and listings on all areas of disability, with a focus on Bray, Greystones and North Wicklow, but there's also lots of information relevant to the whole of Ireland.
Sections include Education & Training, Work, Getting Around, Housing, Health & Well-being, Recreation & Social, Supports & Services and Finance.
The site was set up in response to local need and is maintained and updated by Bray Area Partnership under our SICAP programme, with input from members of our BAP Disability Network.
Get listed on the Wicklow Community Directory!
The Wicklow Community Directory is a not-for-profit community website. It lists community and voluntary organisations, clubs and agencies across the whole of County Wicklow - and the activities, services and supports they provide in your local community.
With around 850 listings, it's the go-to place to find out what's on offer in communties across the Garden County. The site is designed to be user-friendly and accessible and you can search or browse under a range of different categories.
It's free to list and well worth doing - with around 29,000 unique individuals logging on every year. You have to be not-for-profit and operating in Co. Wicklow to be eligible to be listed. Click HERE to register and follow the instructions to create your profile and free listing.
The Wicklow Community Directory website is managed and administered by Bray Area Partnership, with funding from Wicklow County Council and staffing resources funded by our SICAP programme.
