PRESS RELEASE: Wednesday, 13 November 2019
For Immediate Release
Issued by the Wheel
IRISH PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE KINDNESS THAN THOSE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, ACCORDING TO NEW REPORT
Most people in Ireland experience kindness in their communities, and compared to our neighbours in the UK, Irish people are more likely to take part in collective actions like volunteering, according to a report and survey published today, on International Kindness Day, by Carnegie UK Trust and The Wheel, the national association of charities. The findings will be announced this evening in Dublin at the launch of the final report of the People’s Conversation, a series of public consultations that took place over the past three years.
According to the survey carried out by the Carnegie UK Trust in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, three out of five people in Ireland strongly agree that people in their community are kind – the highest percentage of any jurisdiction in the survey. People in Ireland are also more likely to volunteer or set up community organisations, a trend supported by the findings of the People’s Conversation contained in the new report.
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The People’s Conversation project has seen hundreds of people take part in discussions about what needs to change to create a truly inclusive and participative Ireland, and has resulted in the publication of four influential reports. This final report presents a blueprint of actions to support a more inclusive Ireland with a vision for a more enabling state.
Commenting on the launch of the final report of the series, entitled Participating People, Ivan Cooper, Director of Public Policy at The Wheel : “This report has found that people in Ireland continue to be very much involved in their local community, participating socially, giving financial support and volunteering their time to local, national and international causes. It also found, however, that too many people in Ireland are still excluded from participating in day-to-day life because they lack the material means to do so. In addition, it identified a big deficit in both the quality and quantity of opportunities for people to engage in setting public policy priorities through our democratic structures and processes.”
Sarah Davidson, CEO of Carnegie UK Trust added, “We’re delighted to see the publication of the Participating People report. The Carnegie UK Trust knows that supporting people to participate is essential to our wellbeing. It has been encouraging to have so many people engaged in lively discussions about what meaningful participation in Ireland should and could look like.”
The report and survey findings will be launched at a special event at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin, and will feature a live recording of Dil Wickremasinghe’s popular Insight Matters podcast. The event will hear contributions from some of Ireland’s best-known activists, including:
- Fr. Peter McVerry, lifelong campaigner in homelessness and poverty and founder of the Peter Mc Verry Trust;
- Salome Mbugua, Head of Operations and Strategy with AkiDwA and chair of the working group on Ireland’s Third National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security;
- Stephen Teap, Cervical Check campaigner and member of 221Plus Patient Support Group;
- Molly Redmond, Student Climate Strike Activist with Fridays for Future.
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Interviews available. Contact Gert Ackermann on 086 176 9287 or Sarah Monaghan 087 672 1154.
Notes for Editor
About The Wheel
The Wheel is Ireland’s national association of charities, community and voluntary organisation and social enterprises and charitable organisations. With over 1,600 members, it is the largest representative body for the community, voluntary and charity sector. Visit www.wheel.ie for more information.
About Carnegie UK Trust
The Carnegie UK Trust seeks to improve the lives and wellbeing of people throughout the UK and Ireland. Particularly those who are disadvantaged. It’s their goal to change minds by influencing public policy and change lives through innovative practice and partnerships. Visit www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk
