- Castlefen housing estate, Sallins, County Kildare has today been awarded the status of Ireland’s first Age Friendly estate.
- This status was awarded to the Estate by Age Friendly Ireland, following an extensive programme of work to improve the estate for older residents and a re-assessment by Age Friendly Ireland.
The community of Castlefen housing estate, a local authority housing estate in Sallins, County Kildare has today (September 6) been awarded the status of Ireland’s first Age Friendly estate. With the support of a Kildare County Council community worker, Castlefen embarked on a programme of work to improve the environment, the housing provision and the community supports for older people, making the estate more Age Friendly and inclusive for all generations. The community undertook this body of work because they recognised the diverse needs of older people who reside in the social housing estate.
The process commenced in 2019 with a walkability audit, where older residents identified issues with the estate that could be improved with public realm works. A programme of work was delivered over a number of years, supported by members of the Kildare Age Friendly Alliance, including the Local Authority, An Garda Síochána, the Education and Training Board, Tuath Housing and other groups.
Key changes as a result of the process were:
- Installation of speed bumps and dished kerbs at entrance to the estate to improve safety and accessibility
- Re-surfacing of footpaths to create a continuous accessible route
- Awareness campaign targeting inconsiderate car parking
- Installation of a number of dedicated Age Friendly Parking Bays
- Upgrading of public lighting to improve residents’ feelings of safety
- Re-design of the walkway and installation of outdoor gym equipment to create a new focal point for the community
- New Age Friendly Housing was developed, integrated into the existing mature housing. This is an infill development of 29 new units for Tuath Housing, designed by Van Dijk Architects who have considerable expertise in designing housing for ageing communities.
- The development of an Age Friendly Garden with new planting and accessibility works. This garden space has considerable goodwill and engagement and is a good example of how small interventions can help develop community spirit.
- Accessibility works were completed in the community centre, including the provision of more suitable chairs.
- Integration of Age Friendly features such as planting, seating and car parking with the new housing development.
- Public seating was installed in outdoor locations – with Age Friendly features such as arm rests and backrests at a suitable height for older people and in good locations.
- The community centre now has a particular focus on the needs of older people, including them in events and making sure all information is accessible.
- Newsletter, welfare checks and age friendly food hampers were provided during the pandemic and have been sustained, along with community supports such as help with form filling.
- A range of supports and services for young people is also provided on-site including a youth choir, youth service, afterschool clubs and summer projects.
Following this Age Friendly process, Castlefen is now considered a demonstrator model for housing estates that want to adopt this process and be more prepared to support their ageing communities. Age Friendly Ireland will showcase the work of Castlefen as a model of good practice nationally and internationally.
Speaking at today’s event, James Lawless TD, Minister of State with Responsibility for Transport, Climate and Communications said: “I am delighted to be here today with the residents and community of Castlefen to launch Ireland’s First Age Friendly Housing Estate. This is a massive achievement and a credit to all of those involved in making this happen, in particular the Kildare Age Friendly Alliance. This is the first of its kind, and will no doubt be used as a model for other estates across the country. Congratulations to all involved.”
John Mc Loughlin, Chairperson of Castlefen Residents Association said: “As we looked around our estate, we realised our friends and neighbours were getting older and wanted to remain living independently. We decided to be pro-active by putting some measures in place to make Castlefen a more Age Friendly estate. We realised that we are all growing older at the same time, and we wanted to future proof Castlefen to ensure that anyone who chose to, could continue to live here comfortably. We are very proud of the progress we are making in all areas and we are doing our best to provide positive experiences for everyone within our estate.”
Sonya Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Kildare County Council said “Kildare is a long-standing member of the Age Friendly movement, now in our fourth successive Age Friendly Strategy. We are committed to ensuring a socially inclusive approach to all age friendly work in the county. I believe the development of Ireland’s first Age Friendly estate here in Castlefen is only the beginning and will be an important blueprint and guide for others to follow, improving the quality of life of our older citizens.”
John Malone, Chair of the Kildare Age Friendly Alliance said “The project in Castlefen is a shining example of the practical application of the Age Friendly concepts and is a tribute to the vision and spirit of the local community.”
The Kildare Age Friendly Programme is a multiagency programme hosted by Kildare County Council that supports the development of services and infrastructure to meet the needs of the growing population of older people. Age Friendly Programmes are designed to assist ageing populations to live in their own communities as active, valued members and to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. By focusing on the diverse needs of older people, the Age Friendly approach improves communities for all generations. In Ireland there are now over 830,000 people age 65+ and this figure will grow to 1.8 million by 2057. The World Health Organization has called on counties to prepare for demographic ageing as it will present a significant challenge for many areas of national policy.
