Dromore community helping to shape wellbeing action plan

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council held a meeting with Dromore residents to discuss the development of a community wellbeing action plan.

Dromore, home to thriving clubs and groups such as Tummery Athletic FC, Dromore Health and Wellbeing, and Dromore GFC, was surprisingly identified as a target area in NISRA deprivation statistics.

The council’s initiative, previously piloted in Drumquin and Fintona, aims to address this by collaborating with the local community.

At the meeting, the council’s community support officer, Billy Joe Irwin praised the strong community representation and emphasised the importance of collaboration.

“There is a lot going on in Dromore which is a credit to everybody here,” she said.

“We are trying to identify gaps, and then find out how we can use our resources to work together to fill them,” Ms Irwin continued.

“The plans are very much based on the needs of the groups in this room – and the area itself. Basically, what would you like to see introduced to the town, or what would you like to collaboratively work on.”

Attendees highlighted several issues, including the need for childcare, better street lighting, and improved ethnic relations.

One disabled resident highlighted the “limited opportunities” for disabled people in terms of playing competitive sports.

“There really isn’t many competitive sporting activities for disabled people locally,” they said.

Another resident highlighted the untapped potential of Dromore’s natural surroundings, particularly the forest areas. “Dromore Lough has planning permission for a walkway, which would eliminate the need to walk through town where it’s unsafe due to traffic. You could connect the lough to Kildrum Forest, which has unofficial mountain bike trails and could provide a track for walking and running,” they said.

A member of Dromore’s new running group also voiced concerns about safety, especially as nights grow darker. “We often use a 2km route down Dromore Road, over Crawford’s Lane, and back into town, but we need street lights installed along the one unlit stretch to make it safe for running at night.”

The discussion then moved to the need for increased awareness of defibrillators in the town. A resident noted, “I don’t think the general public knows where the defibrillators are. There’s one at the Presbyterian Church beside Tummery Athletic, but it’s not registered. We need to add it to the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service database and put a graphic online showing all their locations.”

The meeting also touched on building relations with immigrant communities. A representative from Dromore GFC said, “We should reach out to immigrant communities living in Dromore and introduce them to different clubs and groups locally.

“It’s not that we’ve been unwelcoming, but we haven’t exactly been welcoming either.”

The varied and interesting suggestions offered by Dromore residents left the council representative with a lot to consider.

Ms Irwin wrapped up the meeting with a commitment to reconvene at a later date, and continue shaping the wellbeing action plan for Dromore.