South Kerry Rural Men’s projects provided Social Gatherings for isolated rural men.

Description

1. Background
The group held its first gathering in 2009 in the Red Fox in Glenbeigh. The group meets five to six times a year for a day long social gathering and information exchange. It helps to get men more active in their communities. Its help them to form networks with other men is similar situation. The gatherings help to reduce rural isolation and feelings of exclusion. Kerry Community Transport provides buses to collect all the men and transport them to and from the planed social gathering event within the county. South Kerry Development Partnership CLG through its Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme provides officer support to organise and co-ordinate the events. The Garda, Fire Service, HSE, retired GAA players, and others have addressed the men at various gatherings.
Outings were arranged to the following locations over the last five years West Cork, Ploughing Championships, Dublin, Belfast, Dingle & West Kerry, Listowel races, Cliffs of Moore, Willie Clancy Festival, Bunratty Castle, Crag Caves, Bonane Heitage Park, Muckross House, Valentia, South Kerry, Cork, Cobh, Ballinkelligs and five football games in Croke Park.
Currently there are over 250 men on the rural men’s data base with over 200 of them active in attending the gatherings. On average up to 50-100 men attend each event.
2. The aim of the rural men’s group is to provide social gathering for rural men in South Kerry. The gatherings provide a social outlet for these men who due to the changes in community life do not have the same opportunities to meet and talk as they did in the past.

South Kerry Development Partnership CLG (SKDP) is a community-led local Development company operating in a largely rural area in South-West Ireland.

It aims to promote the development of vibrant and sustainable communities in the region through increasing economic activity and improving the situation of the more disadvantage people and communities.
While Kerry is known for its beautiful landscape, farming and tourism, much of that beauty arises from countryside that is remote and actually quite difficult to live in. With over half the population living in rural settings outside the urban centres (Cahersiveen, Kenmare, Killarney and Killorglin) there are challenges for many in being or feeling disconnected.
Following research into this subject-area (which revealed that men in Kerry are particularly susceptible to social isolation) SKDP initiated the ‘Rural Men’s Group’ in 2009; a group dedicated to expanding social outlets for men whose opportunities to meet and talk have reduced over recent decades.
Ireland and Kerry particularly have changed a lot over recent generations; the fabric of community is different to when we were growing up. The creamery is gone and the post-office is no longer nearby. Being able to adapt to those differences can take time as well as life skills that might need to be developed.
Social Isolation can arise when someone has an absence of social interactions, social support structures and less engagement with community activities.
Rural Isolation has much the same meaning, but in a countryside setting where the community may be physically more spread out.
Either can lead to a feeling of loneliness.
If someone senses that they are lacking connection and contact with social interactions to the extent that they are wanted or needed, they can be described as experiencing Loneliness.

Aim of Initiative

To provide social gatherings for isolated rural men. These gatherings provides a outreach opportunity to engage with the men and maintain regular contact with the men. This regular contact with the men helps to build friendships which allows opportunities to share experiences and discuss any issue the men might have. Any issues that arise can be dealt with through referrals to stage agencies and government departments. The Key element of assist men is to provide the space where they have the opportunity to get things off their minds. A problem shared is a problem halved. The social gathering provides the space to talk which is key to addressing any issue.

Who is it aimed at

Isolated rural men in South Kerry. The aim is to get similar projects up and running in other parts of the country to build momentum and to show that isolated rural men need social inclusion programme supports.

3 Steps critical to success

1. The need for the project was identified due to the high levels of men living alone in South Kerry. Also the high numbers of death by single, older, rural men thorough suicide was noted and provided the initial discussion with in the Agriculture Sub-committee of SKDP.
2. Getting started and organising the first gathering is very important. It important not to be afraid and just do it. The physical appearance of rural men getting onto a bus and going away for a day is very important in selling the benefits of the project to the wider community.
3. The out reach element of the project is very important. Setting up local groups to steer the project gives the men an opportunity to feed up information from the ground. This keeps the project grounded as the men have a direct input into where they want to go and what the gathering will be.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Out reach will always be a challenge and we continue to reach out to the most marginalised rural men. This will be ongoing and different strategies will be required to reach different me.
2. We have come across some men who are living in very difficult situations. There standard of houses and their personal hygiene is not what it needs to be. Some have no running water and one case has no water and no electricity. get these men to relies that that need help is a challenge.
3. We need to get other groups around the country doing the same to help isolated rural men’s in order to build momentum and to show Government that the gatherings are a good starting point in tackling rural isolation. It’s important we tell the story of the success of this project so that others hear and understand.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. The project has highlighted the need to provide supports to rural men and that social inclusion remains a issue when men get older. The wider rural community can clearly see the project in operation. The project is self sustaining with the men paying the cost of each gathering and it creates employment in rural areas for bus drivers, hotel and restaurant staff. Up to €3,000 is collected and paid out in each gathering.
2. The HSE have become aware of the project and HSE public health nurse regularly refer men to the project. HSE mental heath service have always referred men to the projects. Local community groups, family members and members of the faming community and GAA club refer men to the project.
3. South Kerry Development Partnership CLG has committed funding from SICAP to support the appointment of a rural men’s officer due to the success of the project.