Housing Executive funding helps Good Morning Down thrive during lockdown

Pictured (from left) are Linda Baker project co-ordinator for Good Morning Down, Aidan Harris Senior Telephone Carer, Kathleen Greenwood Senior Telephone Carer and Carole Toner, Housing Executive.
Pictured (from left) are Linda Baker project co-ordinator for Good Morning Down, Aidan Harris Senior Telephone Carer, Kathleen Greenwood Senior Telephone Carer and Carole Toner, Housing Executive.

Funding from the Housing Executive’s Community Safety budget has helped Good Morning Down, based in Downpatrick, go from strength-to-strength during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Since 2003, the service has provided a caring telephone befriending and support line to elderly and vulnerable residents in the local area. 

With its team of volunteers, it aims to reduce isolation and exclusion and help vulnerable people feel safer at home and increase awareness of community services and local events.

Good Morning Down works closely with local statutory organisations in a bid to create a safer community.  

A recent £5,000 Community Safety Grant from the Housing Executive helped the service with overall running costs during last year. 

Project Co-Ordinator, Linda Baker said the funding enabled Good Morning Down to thrive when it was needed most during the pandemic.

She said; “We have made 22,324 support calls from April 2020 to March 2021, an increase of 9,812 since the lockdown began and we cleared any waiting lists that had existed before March 2020. 

“Good Morning Down is currently supporting 172 vulnerable residents in our area which is a substantial increase in call recipients on the previous year and the referrals keep coming.

“We would not have been able to maintain the service and allow it to evolve without the financial assistance of our Housing Executive Community Safety grants.

“With Community Safety funding awarded at the end of the 2019/20 we were able to update out computer equipment and introduce a new telephone system.

“This allowed us to use an app from home on our mobile devices and purchase headsets for everyone ensuring no cross contamination.

Jill Smyth, the Housing Executive’s Community Safety Manager, said she was delighted to provide financial support for this vital service that reaches out to elderly and vulnerable residents in the Down District.

She added; “The aim of our community safety funding programme is to help residents in our communities feel safe and confident in their homes.  

“Good Morning Down continued with the delivery of their excellent service during lockdown ensuring those they support didn’t feel even more isolated.”