We have rolled out a dedicated WhatsApp Community service to members, to make more efficient the way we share Society news and resources. Members can join the main hub and then opt into specific sub-groups that match their needs. For example: Conferences & Events, Travel, Updates from Treatment Centres, Outreach. The platform is one-way in that only Society posts are allowed. This enables updates to reach people quickly without chat clutter and allows us to moderate all content to keep it accurate.
Since launching on 17th April, the uptake has been strong:
- Conferences & Events has 63 members
- Treatment Updates has 63 members
- St James’s has 56 members
- CHI Crumlin has 28 members
- CUH Cork has 15 members
- UH Galway has 15 members
- Travel has 43 members
- Physio & Pilates has 19 members
- Volunteers has 18 members
- Outreach & Support has 23
To boost engagement further, we will host a stand at the October Conference with a live display as to how it all works with a QR code so that members can join the service on the spot. We will also open a temporary, conference-specific group to share real-time schedules, reminders, and polls while our conferences and events are running, then archive it afterward. This initiative aligns with the strategic plan’s goal of clearer, faster communication and is already proving an effective information channel.
Our Outreach Coordinator Robert Flanagan is managing this WhatsApp Community and is happy to answer any queries you might have about it. You can email Robert at robert@haemophilia.ie. To request to join the Community, please email Rob and provide your full name and number.