Dear Member,
I hope this message finds you well. We have some important updates to share regarding our membership at COPD Support Ireland.
As discussed in our National Group Representative Forum meetings, starting in 2025, we will be introducing a small membership fee. Until now, membership and attendance at our classes have been free, thanks to the generous support from the HSE. While this funding will continue to cover the cost of delivering exercise classes, rising operational costs necessitate a small membership fee to sustain our support services.
The annual fee for 2025 will be €20 per member. We will send out payment instructions by the end of April. If any member is unable to make this payment, please reach out to us. It is not our intention to exclude anyone from membership; we want to ensure everyone remains part of our community.
To collect membership fees, we will use a digital payment method called Enthuse, which some of you might recognize as our fundraising payments platform. This method requires an email address to process the payment.
If any member wishes to set up an email address but doesn’t know where to start, please reach out. We can direct you to some fantastic resources, including:
- Age Action Ireland’s “Getting Started KIT” (link available here: Getting Started KIT | Age Action)
- Alone’s national support line on 0818 222 024 for assistive technology support.
Thank you for your understanding and support. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Warm regards,
Karen Halligan
COPD Support Ireland Team