Catherine O’Toole from the Irish Environmental Network was on Northside Today on Near FM, talking about her work with the network and the PPN Environmental Linkage Group. Catherine’s interview is very informative, interesting, enjoyable and encouraging. This is our sixth slot on John Healy’s show, and we are very grateful to be able to promote the PPN with the public, in this way.
Catherine is a member of the newly activated PPN Environmental Linkage Group, which has recently migrated to Salesforce Chatter, where they share information about the Climate Action, Energy and Environment Strategic Policy Committee (SPC). This week, for example, your two reps from this committee, Trevor and Robert, were able to post the agenda for the meeting held on 31 March, and ask for suggestions and guidance. This should help them spread out the responsibility and share the work. If you would like to join this linkage group, please email us and we will send you an invite to Salesforce Chatter, where you can start to engage with the group.
You can watch the Climate Action, Energy and Environment SPC meeting here and sign up to watch and listen back to all council webcasts on this page too.
If you would like to join the Planning and Urban Form linkage group, please reply to this email and we will add you to the mailing list, and if you would like to join the Travel and Transport linkage group, they currently communicate through their Facebook page. The Disability Thematic Group is open for new members to join and soon, very soon, we will have other linkage groups developing (including for the JPC/Housing/Arts/Finance and Economic development).
There are still four vacant seats open for nomination on committees and you can find out more about this process here. The call for nominations is open until Friday 09 April and you can read more about how the nomination and election process is at the core of PPN work in the PPN Handbook (2020).
The PPN LCDC reps met online this week too, to talk about how to share information and updates in-between meetings. It was agreed to try a Linkage Group for this group too, and more information to follow. Further information about your excellent LCDC reps here.
Hopefully, you will get a chance to meet some of them at our plenary in May.
The PPN has re-registered 271 member groups so far in 2021, and we are delighted about this. However, there still must be a number of groups who have not re-registered. Please re-register as soon as you can or email us for assistance and please let us know if you are having difficulties.
Please save the date for Thursday 27 May for our PPN Plenary from 7.00pm – 9.00pm for an interactive zoom and an opportunity to network with all the member groups and hear from the Secretariat.
Other news from the network
The National Housing Strategy for Persons with Disabilities 2022 – 2027 is being developed. The strategy is about facilitating the provision of housing options and related services to disabled people to allow individual choice and support independent living. If you would like to complete the survey you can do so here and please share this chance to get involved with people you think would be interested. The deadline for submissions is 16 April.
Fighting Blindness are asking all adults, living with visual impairment in Ireland, to take part in an important Charles Bonnet Syndrome survey. This survey is conducted in collaboration with UCD and you can access the survey here.
Dublin City Council really do have a wide range of activities online from lunchtime history lectures, to fitness classes, digital skills workshops and even a five days Easter drama workshop for children from ages 9 – 12 here.
There are excellent training opportunities with Volunteer Ireland and The Wheel
You can also find out all about funding opportunities, advice, and guidance with The Wheel here.
The next PPN Bulletin will be posted on Friday April 16 and you can read back over the past three months of PPN Bulletins here.
A happy Easter holiday to you all.
#DCPPN
