Introduction

Roscommon’s Age Friendly Programme organised a Six Step Climate Action Programme for over 60’s with Jacinta Barrins, this commenced in January 2025.

The course facilitator, Jacinta Barrins provided this unique programme of work to accommodate the ageing population for sustainable futures as they have long term knowledge on what has changed within society through generations. She explored ways in which they could have impact on climate change around them, whether that was by buying smarter with consumer choices each day or passing down environmental stewardship values to a younger generation.

There was great interest in this course. We had thirty participants who all engaged wholeheartedly in the programme and all made lifestyle changes to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Age Friendly Ireland in Meath secured a budget from the Women’s Health Fund (Dept. of Health) to do some targeted work with women living in residential care i.e. Community Health Fund Community Linkage Project. The project will seek to address health outcomes for women in long term residential care by bringing volunteering supports, befriending, creative engagement and other activities into the nursing homes. This is a pilot project to take place over an 18 month period.

Given that the impetus for this project came from Roscommon’s Age Friendly Ambassador Paddy Joe Burke, Roscommon is one of the participating counties. There are 3 nursing homes in Roscommon participating in the project.

The project will be managed under the Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme, they have a co-ordinator in place to deliver the actions.

In Roscommon’s quest for an Age Friendly Train Station in Carrick on Shannon, the final report of the Walkability Report was presented to our Age Friendly Alliance at their May 2025 meeting. Declan Gaffney, National Age Friendly Technical Advisor gave an excellent presentation to the group, this initiative is progressing well.

Creative Roscommon Open Call

We were successful in an OPC application for this and will host a ‘Culture Night’ in King House, Boyle on Friday, 26^th September 2025. The theme for this will be ‘The Ballad of Mary Spain’ and the song writer and singer is one of our OPC member’s Veronica Barrett. This will be a night of music & culture.

Bealtaine 2025

Our Age Friendly Programme Manager attended a wonderful Bealtaine Event in Strokestown, Roscommon in May 2025. This was a very well organised event with poetry recitals and crafts in the morning, followed by a delicious hot lunch. It finished with great music from TR Dallas and plenty of dancing!

Citizen’s Information Roadshow

It was decided at the Age Friendly Alliance meeting in February 2025 that Roscommon’s OPC would work with Citizen’s Information Centre in rolling out information roadshows in Roscommon. We will host two roadshows in Kilbride Community Centre in June (mornings) and two in King House, Boyle in October (evenings). We have agreed on Wednesday mornings 18^th & 25^th June 2025 in Kilbride. The topics to be discussed are:

• Wills & Inheritance
• Entitlements for over 55’s

Contacts