Irish Street is a lifeline

Conscious of the fact that people at retirement age and older have a specific set of needs, administrator Claire McCready and Caroline Temple, who co-ordinates activities at the centre, are keen to hear from anyone in the community retirement age who would like to add interests, activities to their daily routine and who want to broaden their social circle.

“What we offer here at Irish Street is far more than just a few clubs and activities. Where older people are concerned those groups and clubs are a gateway to so much more,” said Claire.

“We are able to offer advice and support on a wide range of issues from benefits and pensions to support if someone takes ill. We can arrange home visits and we have members who act as a point of contact and someone to talk to and we also have a role to play in terms of people’s personal and social development, so there is a strong pastoral element to what we offer here. Frequently you will find older people suffering from the effects of loneliness, maybe even suffering from depression or neglecting themselves after a bereavement, and in extreme cases people may even lose interest in life completely.

“I also work with specific groups of people including a team of women who work with people living with Parkinsons Disease. A lot of people that I come into contact with are carers, and they, too, need support. We also work with organisations like Citizens Advice Bureau, the Housing Executive and some of our volunteers also help out in people’s gardens and in making sure members know about personal safety. We pride ourselves on being able to help with a range of small but vital jobs that make life easier for older people,” she said.

Caroline chips in, saying: “Ensuring that people have a social life is at the heart of what we do. Making sure people can meet, have a cup of tea and are able to talk is vital. We have two women here, Laura Smyth and Liz McKittrick, who run the bingo group, organise prizes and days out, which members love. They are local women who know who many of the vulnerable members of society are and they know whose door to knock on. Befriending these people is vital because a lot of older people live on their own and these visits are a lifeline to them.”

Laura, who has run the bingo group at Irish Street for 10 years, said: “The club is very well supported. It used to be run at night, but we changed it to a morning because many of our members did not want to go out at night. Our group gives people a reason to get up, because we have brunch afterwards. We also run day trips twice a year, at Christmas and in the Summer, which are popular, and people enjoy being part of that.”

Like other community groups, funding is vital, and Irish Street receives a grant from the Department of Social Development, but also have to fund raise to ensure current activities can be maintained.

Anyone who would like more information on any of the activities at Irish Street should ring 028 7131 8357.

People are also welcome to pop into the centre at any time and speak to a member of staff.

Among the activities currently on offer at Irish Street include the Tuesday night women’s group for all ages, the bingo group on a Wednesday morning, which has 30 to 35 members, on Thursday there is a curling club, which can also cater for those with mobility issues, and on Friday morning is the luncheon club, while in the afternoon is the Men’s Club.