A unique three-pronged health and well-being initiative was launched earlier this week in Áras an Chontae, Roscommon. The initiative is the culmination of a unique collaboration between Roscommon County Council, Roscommon Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), the HSE and the county’s Public Participation Network (PPN).
Three documents, the Roscommon Age Friendly Strategy 2025-2030, the Healthy Roscommon Well-Being Strategy 2025-2029 and the Community Resilience Toolkit were all launched, spearheading a vision for the health and well-being of the county’s citizens.
The new Healthy Roscommon Well-Being Strategy is part of a national initiative launched as a response to the growing health challenges faced by the population, including rising rates of obesity, chronic diseases, and mental health issues.
The initiative focuses on promoting healthier lifestyles, enhancing the quality of health services, and encouraging community involvement in health-related activities. It is built on the recognition that health is influenced by multiple factors, including socioeconomic conditions, environment, and personal choices.
Healthy Ireland has four main goals – increasing the proportion of people who are healthy at all stages of life; reducing health inequalities; protecting the public from threats to health and wellbeing while creating an environment where every individual and sector of society can achieve a healthy Ireland
Speaking at the launch of the document, Chief Executive of Roscommon County Council Shane Tiernan said the strategy echoed “the high-level goals brought to the fore in our Local Economic Community Plan (LECP) and is in line with the National Healthy Ireland Framework and The Well – being Framework 2023.”
Business Manager, Health Services Executive and Chairperson of the Health and Wellbeing Subcommittee Eamon Hannan said The Healthy Roscommon Community Wellbeing Strategy “will ensure the implementation of the Healthy Ireland Framework and its objectives for the people of Roscommon.”
Roscommon Healthy County Coordinator Aisling Dunne said the strategy “identifies four key themes to encompass all aspects of health wellbeing and contains associated actions which will provide concrete steps to promote health and wellbeing, reduce health inequalities, and ensure that every individual in Roscommon can lead a life of dignity, respect, and opportunity. “
The second policy launch, The Community Resilience Toolkit, is designed to help Roscommon communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis events, drawing on unique local knowledge, shared values, and learning from evidence-based practices that have helped other communities across the world.
The toolkit is focused on supporting a wellbeing and psychological approach as core components of community resilience. It is designed to be a practical and usable guide for local groups, volunteers, and community leaders to organise, communicate, and care for one another in the face of challenge.
The third and final policy, Roscommon’s Age-Friendly Strategy aims to foster a supportive and vibrant community for all residents, built on the principles of inclusivity, engagement, and empowerment. It seeks to ensure that older residents can live active, fulfilling lives within their local communities.
The overarching goal of the document is to make Roscommon an ‘Age Friendly County’ with all agencies working together to promote and maintain the best possible health and well-being of older people and to make our County a great place to grow up and grow old in.
Chief Executive of Roscommon County Council Shane Tiernan said the strategy “reflects the high level of commitment and focus to continue improving the lives of older people that has been established in the county over the last number of years.
The Roscommon Age Friendly Alliance Group, which I am Chairperson of, are fully committed to this strategy and the actions it contains. It will seek to ensure that this strategy achieves measurable outcomes for older people that demonstrate improvements in their quality of life over the five-year period to 2030.”
Pic by Ger O’Loughlin shows representatives of the Roscommon Older People’s Council, An Garda Siochana, Roscommon LEADER Partnership as well as members and management of Roscommon County Council at the launch of the county’s Age Friendly Strategy 2025-2030. Also in picture is Deputy Martin Daly.
