Since we moved the main office of EHFF to Ireland at the end of last year, in anticipation of the disastrous outcome of Brexit, we did subsequently report in our newsfeed that we had successfully applied for Charity status in Ireland and this was granted in May. After the summer break we have started a process of getting some direct link with the Republic of Ireland in terms of our work, over and above having our office there. So far this amounts to three strands, all having the status of ‘work in progress’.
Firstly, we are in touch with the Health Service Executive (HSE) regarding their policy position and activity in the area of patient empowerment, with a view to collaboration through our major current project CEMPaC. Secondly, we are badged as co-sponsoring/supporting the next European Health Literacy conference, in Dublin next Spring, in part through the kind auspices of Kristine Sorenson of the Global Health Literacy Academy, one of the EHFF Community, who is developing the programme with Prof Gerardine Doyle of UCD.
Finally, we have been talking over some time now, to another Irish Charity, FEASTA, which is concerned with environmental issues and sustainability as Sean Conlan, one of our Directors and founders, has been on their Board for some years. We now wish to collaborate more closely with FEASTA through some kind of joint project and we are starting to try and define what might be appropriate and manageable.