Community urged to direct rough sleepers to Tallaght Adventure World
By Mary Dennehy
AS DONATED supplies continue to be dropped into Tallaght Adventure World, organisers have encouraged members of the community and local services to immediately direct people sleeping rough or at risk to the play centre where they will be given food and shelter as Olphelia storms through.
Community-led soup kitchen VISIT is, with support from Cllr Dermot Richardson, owner of Tallaght Adventure World, providing shelter to people sleeping rough – thanks to an “immense” outpouring of support from local people and businesses.
As winds pick up across the area, Cllr Dermot Richardson told The Echo: “Not everyone has access to social media so we need the community and local services who know of anybody sleeping rough or at risk to direct them to Tallaght Adventure World as soon as possible.
“Organisations such as Focus in Tallaght have already been in touch about directing people to us and we would encourage all services in the area to work together in making sure that nobody is left on our streets today.”
He added: “Since we put the message up on Facebook last night the response has been unbelievable, our phones have been ringing all night with people wanting to volunteer or donate items.
“The community is once again pulling together to look after our homeless people.
“While authorities were still talking this morning, volunteers had this organised in Tallaght.”
A team of volunteers, many of whom are experienced from delivering the annual Christmas Day dinner for the homeless in Tallaght Adventure World, will be on site today alongside volunteers from the Red Cross and Civil Defence – including two medics.
During The Echo’s visit to Tallaght Adventure World this afternoon, Nicola Moore of Visit said: “We drove around last night trying to get the word to people sleeping rough but we need the community to help spread the message before the storms hits this afternoon.
“We don’t know how many people will turn up yet but nobody will be turned away.
“If we need to organise transport to get people here we will, just ring us.”
She added: “If it wasn’t for the response of communities right around the country more people would be dying on our streets and we hope that what we’re doing here in Tallaght Adventure World will help prevent that.”
Donations continue to be dropped into Tallaght Adventure World with some of the local businesses who have supported volunteers to date including Musgraves, the Maldron Hotel, Marks and Spencers, Mace in Killinarden, Brennan’s Bread, Firhouse Scouts, Harvey Norman Tallaght and Thomas Lynch, a local bread man.
Call Dermot on 087 2036468 or Nicola on 087 3679223 or contact the team through the VISIT Facebook page.
