Navan Order of Malta looking for new local heroes

Having played a major role in helping the health services and local community during the Covid-19 pandemic, Navan Order of Malta is looking to recruit new members,

They are looking for volunteers over the age of 16 and from all walks of life.

“It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, fit or unfit, we have members of all ages and from all walks of life,” says Lt Miriam Shinner.

The Order of Malta has played a big role in community life in Navan for generations and provides first aid and ambulance cover at major events, provides back up cover to the National Ambulance Service and other organisations in the event of an emergency, supports young people in personal development and provides training to its own members and to the public.

The past two years of the Covid-19 Pandemic was where the Order of Malta really showed its worth and even now, the Navan branch is helping deal with the current wave of cases.

“We provide logistical support and ambulance cover for the National Ambulance Service.

“At the moment the service is so stretched and so many staff members are off sick because of Covid,” Miriam explains.

“We help with things like bringing patients from Navan to hospital in Drogheda or bringing people home from hospital.

“Of course we were very busy at the height of the pandemic, bringing people to appointments when it was too dangerous for them to get public transport and bringing samples to laboratories.

“We supported the vaccination programme, bringing people to appointments, delivering the vaccine and administering the vaccine.

“We were tasked through Meath County Council's volunteer centre and helpline to pick up prescriptions, or shopping for the housebound or those that were cocooning.”

The Navan Branch of the Order of Malta was founded in the 1960s and has provided an invaluable service to the local community since then.

The first branch of the organisation in Ireland was founded in Galway city in 1938 and the Order has a presence in 102 countries.

At the moment they are actively helping refugees fleeing Ukraine and the organisation in Poland and Ukraine in particular are very busy at the moment, while here in Ireland the organisation is also giving its support.

Miriam says they have 15 active members in Navan week to week and 40 members overall.

“We provide emergency cover with our ambulances and assist the HSE with emergency planning.

“We are regularly tasked by the National Ambulance service to assist with the current wave of Covid and during storms.

“ We help out in times like heavy snows, when we are called up by the Department of the Environment,

“A command centre is set up and there is an inter agency response.”

The Navan branch received substantial funding from Meath Leader which allowed them refurbish their premises at Academy Street into a very modern training site.

As well as holding their own weekly meetings there, they also run training courses.

Community care work is also a big part of the organisation's work and their volunteers bring people to church services and appointments.

“We are also involved in a food parcel programme with Marks and Spencers where we identify instances of need in the community.

“In non Covid times we provide emergency cover at concerts, festivals, fun runs and cycles as well as at Navan racecourse.”

Miriam joined the Order of Malta when she was 16 and had to get involved in community service for the An Gaisce programme. She has now been in the organisation 25 years.

“I met my husband through the Order of Malta, which isn't uncommon, and made a lot of lifelong friends. It is very rewarding,

“There are all sorts of roles people can fulfil in the organisation from logistical and support to roles like providing first aid and ambulance cover,

“We provide full training. It definitely isn't a requirement to have previous experience.

“There is a role for everybody,” Miriam says. Anyone wishing to join should email navan@orderofmalta.ie