Muintir Bhaire Community Council Newsletter
www.muintirbhairecc.com
Issue 16 February / March 2010
Social Centre Update
The Community Council is pleased to report that the Social Centre for Older People, which it set up in 2009, continues to develop and expand. In December there was a Christmas party in Kilcrohane Hall and the National School children came and performed their Christmas play, which was enjoyed by all. In addition, there was carol singing and live entertainment with James Kelleher.
Monthly Lunch:
The first monthly lunch of 2010 was held in Bridge View Restaurant on 27th January and there were 26 people in attendance. The dates for the next two lunches are as follows: 24th February 2010 and 31st March 2010
All older people in the area are welcome to join in the monthly lunch and we look forward to seeing new faces each month.
Gentle Exercise:
It is hoped to get a weekly gentle exercise group up and running. Margaret McCarthy, who is a trained PALS leader, is happy to share her experience with us. Anybody interested in taking part should come to Kilcrohane Hall on Tuesday next, 9th February 2010 at 10.30am. There will be tea/coffee and a brief chat followed by gentle exercise. Men and women are welcome.
Day Trip to Mizen:
Julie O’Neill, the Social Centre Coordinator is exploring the possibility of organizing a trip to meet up with members of the Mizen Social Centre.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for activities, please let us know. You may contact Julie on 086 159 1040 or Eileen at 027 67004.
A.G.M. of Muintir Bháire Community Council
Our A.G.M. will be held on Thursday night, March 11th at 8:30 p.m. in Kilcrohane Hall. On this night, we will provide an update of our activities during the past year as well as plans for the coming year which is the last of this Community Council’s tenure.
Light refreshments will be served afterwards. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Carers’ Cookery Demonstration
West Cork Carers Support Group have organised a cookery demonstration and talk for Family Carers in The Good Things Café, Durrus on Monday, 8th March from 10.30am to 12.30pm. If you are a family carer and you would be interested in attending, you should contact West Cork Carers Support Group at 027 53848 to book a place. The cost of the demonstration is €10 including refreshments.
Historical Talk
On Friday, March 26th, Muintir Bháire Community Council has invited Hazel Vickery to give a talk in Kilcrohane Hall on ‘The Whytes of Bantry’. The talk will commence at 8 p.m. and light refreshments will be served afterwards. The entry fee for the talk will be €5. All are welcome to come to what promises to be a very interesting and informative night.
Evening Classes
We are delighted to report that there has been great support for the evening classes organized by Muintir Bháire Community Council. There are 15 people taking part in the Art Classes, which run on Tuesday nights from 7pm-9pm.
On Monday nights, 15 people are taking part in Conversational Irish from 8pm-9pm, while on Thursday nights from 8pm-9pm there are 15 participants in the Aerobics Classes.
If there are any classes that you would be interested in participating in and would like to see taking place locally, please contact us and we would be happy to see if it is possible to run them.
Kilcrohane Carol Singers
The Kilcrohane Carol Singers donated €200 of the money they collected to flood relief in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway where Fr. Dan O’Donovan is curate. They gave €300 to the Comforts Fund in St. Joseph’s Unit in Bantry Hospital. The remainder will be used to purchase two candlesticks for the altar in Kilcrohane Church and sent to victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Many thanks to all those who generously supported the Carol Singers.
Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly (DUMP)
A free service to dispose of unused or out of date medicines will be available to the general public in Cork and Kerry from Monday, 1 February 2010. The new service is known as Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly (DUMP).
The DUMP campaign, which has been organised by the HSE with the community pharmacists in Cork and Kerry, will run in participating pharmacies until Friday, 12 March 2010. Pharmacies in Bantry are participating in the scheme.
G.A.A. Fundraising Dance
A fundraising dance in aid of the Muintir Bháire G.A.A. will be held in the Westlodge Hotel on Saturday, February 20th at 9:30 p.m. Music will be by Patrick O’Sullivan and Jimmy Buckley. Tickets are €20 and are available on the door. The rural transport bus will run for free on the night.
Please contact us if you have any items for inclusion in future newsletters.
We would be grateful if you would let us know if you have any up-coming events. We would hope this would ensure that local community events do not clash. You may text or telephone one of the following:
Annette Nicholas 086 3206046
Anne O’Donovan 086 6017648
Mary O’Mahony 027 67060
Deirdre Towns 087 7940860
Rowing Club News
Ahakista Rowing Club members are starting off the year as they mean to carry on – with energy and enthusiasm. Training currently takes place three times weekly both indoors and on the water.
The club competed in the ‘Killorglin Head of the River’ on Saturday, January 23rd which involved rowing over 2km. The Ahakista squad included Lauren Arundel, Carmel Nash, Darragh Nitsch, Brendan O’ Donovan, Niall O’Donovan, Jon Pooley, John O’Mahony, Morgan Finch, Brian Cronin, Colin O’Donovan and Gibbs Ross.
The club are planning to take part in a 10km row each month in Skibbereen for training purposes. Over the next seven months the club will also run an indoor rowing competition, again for training purposes.
Meanwhile, the club members hope to take part in the 10 mile ‘Valley Run’ to be held in the Mealagh Valley on Valentine’s Weekend.
Ahakista Community Association
The A.G.M. of the Ahakista Community Association was held on November 15th last. The following is a list of elected officers:
Chairperson – Michelle O’Brien
Vice-Chair – Kieran Connolly
Secretary – Deirdre O’Brien
Treasurer – Martin O’Brien
P.R.O. – Sheila Ellis
Cancellation of Bus Éireann Service
Unfortunately, Bus Éireann will be withdrawing their Saturday service for the peninsula as of the end of February as there has been little uptake for it.
Traditional Churns Wanted
The Community Council is hoping to renovate the creamery stand Foilkilla and is looking to purchase creamery churns for this project. If you have some available, please contact Charlie McCarthy on 027-61226
Alarms for Older People
A grant of up to €300 is available for the installation of a socially monitored alarm. These alarms can be worn as pendants and enable older people in an emergency situation to alert a central answering service by pressing a button. A person will answer their call for help, assess the situation and alert family/neighbours who can help from a list of contacts available to them at their centre. If you know of anyone who could benefit from this, please contact Community Alert representatives Margaret McCarthy 027-67103 or Michael Murphy 027-67048 to get an application form for funding.
The A.G.M. of the Community Alert Groups for both the Kilcrohane and Durrus areas will be held in Durrus Garda Station on Thursday, February 11th at 8 o’clock. Anyone is welcome to attend.
Home Adaptations for Older Person or Person with a Disability
Adapting your home to suit the needs of a disabled or older person is a potentially costly business, particularly if structural changes are necessary. There are a number of grants available for this purpose:
If you have a medical card or a long term illness card, you may be entitled to get essential items of equipment free of charge. First, you must be assessed by a relevant professional, such as an occupational therapist or a physiotherapist.
If changes need to be made to your home to make it suitable for someone with a physical, sensory or intellectual disability or a mental health difficulty, you may be eligible for a Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability. You must apply to Cork County Council for this grant
Local authority home improvement loans are available to owner-occupiers who want to carry out necessary work to improve, repair or extend their homes.
The Mobility Aids Grant Scheme provides grants for equipment designed to address mobility problems in the home, for example, grab-rails, a level access shower or chair-lift. It is designed to fast-track essential items that are required to allow you to remain in your own home. The amount paid under this scheme is less than under the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability and the cut-off point for household income is lower. However, you may get essential mobility aids quicker under this scheme and up to 100% of the cost is covered up to a maximum amount. If the work you need done costs over €6,000 you should apply for the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability. The Housing Aid for Older People Scheme is used to improve houses which are unfit for habitation. The type of work which is grant aided includes structural repairs, replacement of windows and doors, cleaning and heating.
For more information on any of the above, you should contact Cork County Council, Kent Street, Clonakilty, Tel: 023 88 33328 or drop in to Bantry Citizens Information Centre, Wolfe Tone Square, Bantry: Tel; 027 52100
Useful Contact Numbers
Bantry General Hospital 027 50133
Bantry Library 027 50460
Bantry Garda Station 027 20860
Durrus Garda Station 027 61002
Fr. Galvin 027-61013
Citizens Information Service 027 52100
Community Welfare Officer 027 50538
MABS Money Advice & Budgeting 023 8855155
Southdoc 1850 335 999
West Cork Women Against Violence Project 1800 203 136
West Cork Development Partnership:
Bantry Office 027 52266
Clonakilty Office 023 8834035
West Cork Carers Support Group 027 53848
West Cork Rural Transport 027 52727
Muintir Bhaire Community Council Newsletter
www.muintirbhairecc.com
Issue 16 February / March 2010
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