4 March 2021
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Senior Activity packs, an initiative of Playful Paradigm and Age Friendly Cork, were distributed Southside last week bringing smiles in the Spring sunshine. Each community area response team across the city received an allocation but Ballyphehane Togher CDP with the support of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare purchased additional packs as this is an area with a large older population. As Siobhan O’Dowd, co-ordinator of BTCDP explains, “older people have had a hard Covid : cocooning, not seeing family or friends, missing their usual activities. But older people have also been brilliant – the heroes at home: caring for partners, keeping in touch with peers and neighbours, running groups through WhatsApp and phone calls and meeting outdoors when safe to do so. So we wanted to make sure as many people as possible got to enjoy these packs. We’d many willing volunteers across the project helping to assemble these packs and again now helping to distribute them”.
Activity packs were distributed to group leaders in Ballyphehane, Togher, Turners Cross and the Lough with the help of CDP volunteers, Cork City Council, Cork Sports Partnership and HSE Physiotherapy and Community Work and more packs will be distributed in the coming week to group members and older people in the area.
“We only grow old when we stop playing” reads the line on the play box and judging by the reaction that doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon: the packs were received with delight as the contents were explored in the CDP, on doorsteps, in gardens and neighbourhoods.
Playful Paradigm is a partnership between Cork City Council, Cork Healthy Cities, Cork City PPN, Cork Learning Cities, Foróige, the HSE and Cork Local Sports Partnership.
Pictured receiving Senior Play Activity Packs on behalf of Active Women Togher Family Centre are, Vera Hayes and Maureen Kelleher.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Pictured receiving a Senior Play Activity Pack, is Liam O’Huigin, member of the Turners Cross Retirement Group.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Pictured are (front row) Catherina Lane, Cork Sports Partnership and Marthan Halbert, Rapid Coordinator Cork City Council with members of the BTCDP Frday Morning Active Walking group, (back row) Kathleen O’Rourke, Margaret O’Flynn, Theresa O’Sullivan, Group Leader, Bernadette O’Keeffe and Mary O’Mahony, receiving their Senior Play Activity Packs.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.