StopCOVID NI Mobile App
COVID-19 Update from NICVA’s Chief Executive
StopCOVID NI Mobile App
Northern Ireland’s Health service has launched this App to help ‘contact tracing’ of people potentially infected by the virus. It is a major aid in the battle to control the spread and stop a return to lockdown.
NICVA fully supports and encourages everyone to use the App. We have engaged extensively with the Department for Health’s Digital Team developing the App and the PHA’s Contact Tracing Steering Group particularly on the privacy issue for users.
The Contact Tracing steering group and the App Team have engaged with Northern Ireland Human Rights Groups, the Human Rights Commission, the Older People’s Commissioner and the Commissioner for Children and Young People to hear their views, answer all their questions and give full assurance on the App.
The Team’s response has been first class and they have produced a decentralised App that will not intrude on individual’s privacy, like tracing their location but will achieve the desired health outcome. Health Minister Robin Swann urges everyone to use it and his full statement is here.
This is a vital public health tool and NICVA encourages all voluntary and community groups and their members to download the App and then promote it widely to all their associates, friends, and relations. The more people who use it the better the protection for us all.
For more information and to download the StopCOVID NI App on the Apple Store click (HERE) to download the App from Google Play click (HERE).
The COVID-19 Charities Fund
This fund reopens to applications on Monday 3 August 2020. The programme has already reached a diverse range of charities. However, re-opening for a further three weeks will allow those charities that may not have had time to gather the required information and approvals in time to apply.
The criteria haven’t changed – it is providing financial support to charities who have lost income due to the impact of COVID-19 and are not able to cover unavoidable costs until 30 September 2020.
While local charities can apply for up to £75,000, so far the majority of groups applied for less than half of that and the average request was for £21,000.
Over a third of applications to date have been for less than £10,000 so this fund is for local charities of all sizes facing different levels of financial hardship. Having free reserves also doesn’t exclude a local charity from applying for this fund. For more information click here.
Here is also a link to the latest charities to receive funding from the programme.
Stay safe everyone,
Seamus McAleavey
Chief Executive
