Once again we consolidated our six major activities and started our befriending service, here is some more detailed information regarding all our major activities.
Care and Repair – We did 288 jobs, gardening, painting, and support rails being the biggest activities. Unfortunately Halco Hire shut down so we had to purchase our own equipment but good news we were able to purchase a van in November. Interesting that over 20% of our 160 clients are now in Co Meath
Failte Isteach (English conversation classes). Much the same as last year with 40 students a week and 15 teachers. We had a very good attendance at our “Certificate of Attendance” awards evening at the Highlands Gallery where the certificates were presented by the Mayor Kevin Callan.
Good Morning Drogheda (confidential phone service). The number of clients we call went up from 80 in 2014 to 132 in 2015 an increase of 65 %, the number calls also increased by the same percentage. 27% of our calls are to people who live in Co Meath.
We still had some problems in the summer time with some of our volunteers looking after grandchildren or going on holiday.
Our Office continues to be very busy; we dealt with 745 individual cases /interventions. Entitlements/social welfare and utilities being the biggest categories we were involved in. Thankfully we were able to employee our key worker Ann with a small minimum wage salary.
Befriending – Early in the 2015 myself & Oliver attended a meeting in Dublin run by Concern, to see what was involved, and in May that we were very lucky to be able to secure Paulette on a CE scheme to run the Befriending service. Up to December 2015 we had seen 25 volunteers, 26 clients and have 16 matches.
Computer Classes – 75 students and 10 teachers, still very popular, more people coming along with Tablets and Ipads.
Senior Help Line – After 7 years of manning the Senior Help Line the service was finally amalgamated and moved to Dublin. The 22 volunteers were presented with a certificate of appreciation at a farewell lunch. Just as a foot note, some of those 22 volunteers are still with us doing other work.
Some Other Notable Events:
We gave presentations to the Osmond home in Mornington, the East Meath Active Retirement Group in Julianstown and to the new students attending the carer’s course in DIFE College. We had a stand at the Home Security/ Crime prevention Expo in Navan, the Sosad event here in Drogheda and the Drogheda Library.
Gerry Adams TD came to see our facilities and the services we offer. He tried to help us secure funding for a Van for our Care & Repair service.
24 Transition students from St Oliver’s School came in to ask questions on what services we had to offer.
Karen Smith CEO of Age and Opportunity paid us a visit to see our operation as did Mariam from Flexibus to explain how Flexibus would be operating.
2 of our clients spent a week at the Lions Club holiday event in Trobolgan
Globe Travel kindly donated some of their older computers
12 of our volunteers worked at the Maritime Festival
We applied for funding from POBAL for a van but unfortunately we were not successful
Dr Seamus McCaul from the cottage hospital gave “Reminiscence Training” for our befriending volunteers.
I was asked to join the Genio project in Dundalk who were doing a two-year study on severe Dementia /Alzheimer’s.
We continued to play a very positive role in the Louth Age Friendly Alliance
Some of our volunteers took part in a video with the Boomerang Club showing what it would be like living in a society with no old or young people.
Positive Ageing Week was again a success despite the rain as was the Lions Club T dance which was attended by 30 of our clients and volunteers.
We registered ourselves with the Charity Regulator Authority
We had volunteers helping the Knights of Saint Columbanus with their Drogheda Camino walk.
We and Paddy Townley were on LMFM radio discussing and explaining the costs involved with funerals.
We had a rent review and signed a lease for another 5 years
Unfortunately, Mary Leonard had to resign from our committee due to health reasons. Helen Murray and Roisin Hoban joined our committee.
For those who like statistics our 99 volunteers contributed 7,416 hours to our community, in financial terms if we were all paid the minimum wage of € 9.15 that would equate to €790,000
So, to all our volunteers, we cannot possible thank you enough for your enormous contribution to making this such a fantastic place to be involved with and your commitment, enthusiasm and dedication, in helping people, some of whom are a lot less fortunate than ourselves.
Fundraising:
- Flag Days in May & July
- Church Day Collection in August
- Easter Raffle and Coffee morning
- Bag Packing in February, August. October and December
- Carol Singing in Scotch Hall in December
- Bucket collection at Bellewstown Races .It was much more successful than 2014.
Dave Turner and Oliver O’Connor – November 24th 2016