Celebration time for Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership

Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership is celebrating six years of ‘listening to the voices of older people’ across Mid and East Antrim.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Oct 2019, 10:26 BST
Mayor Maureen Morrow and guests from statutory and voluntary organisations at the MEAAP celebration eventMayor Maureen Morrow and guests from statutory and voluntary organisations at the MEAAP celebration event
Mayor Maureen Morrow and guests from statutory and voluntary organisations at the MEAAP celebration event

Over 170 older people joined the Partnership (MEAAP), Mayor Maureen Morrow and guests from statutory and voluntary organisations to mark the charity’s efforts in helping older people to age well across the borough since it was established. A special day was held to celebrate the work MEAAP has achieved through it’s various projects throughout the past year and also to consult with its older people’s members on what they should focus on next.

From their Agewell partnership with Mid and East Antrim Council and Community Planning partners, this year MEAAP were able to support services such as Good Morning Larne, Carrick and Ballymena to provide telephone befriending to 534 older people across the borough and respond to 435 Home Repair and Home Security Requests with their dedicated handyman service

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from Bryson Energy. MEAAP also provide a one off telephone signposting service to over 50s through their Community Navigator service in conjunction with Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT), and their IMPACTAgewell® project works alongside 15 GP Practices in the area allowing a dedicated team of five IMPACTAgewell officers to visit with isolated older people in their homes.

The Mid and East Antrim Age Well Partnerhip celebration event was attended by 170 older people from Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena.The Mid and East Antrim Age Well Partnerhip celebration event was attended by 170 older people from Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena.
The Mid and East Antrim Age Well Partnerhip celebration event was attended by 170 older people from Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena.

Guests at the event were treated to a display of contemporary dancing by Glenlough Ladies, an Art exhibition by Portglenone Monday Club and Camphill Nursing Home, and a unique music piece created as a result of conversation with Kintullagh Nursing Home and Cloney Rural Development Association.

Project Co-ordinator Deirdre McCloskey said: “We are aiming higher for MEAAP in 2020. Today we asked our older people to

tell us what else we can do for their groups going forward and we are very excited by the responses. We have always and will continue to consult our members on our work and what they want, this has always been part of ours and their success in ageing well in Mid and East Antrim.”

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The charity also launched a new project in partnership with NHSCT at the conference. The “Comfort when you need it most” project is seeking donations of mini toiletries such as mini toothbrushes, toothpastes, tissues and wipes to make up emergency carers packs for people to use when their loved ones are admitted to hospital in an emergency situation and carers do not want to leave. Donations to be left at their office 18 Queen Street, Ballymena. For more information call 028 2565 8604 or email [email protected]