Southwark Irish Pensioners Project
19 Spa Road London SE16 3SA
Remus Eserblom|Dreamstime.com
Southwark Irish Pensioners Project is a Charity that works with some of the most disadvantaged and isolated Irish people in London. These people, who emigrated largely in the 1950s have become marginalised by society. They are unable to return to Ireland, as the people and places they knew are now unrecognisable. Through our Resource Centre, the Community Support Team and our wonderful volunteers, we provide a wide range of services to protect, support and assist elderly and frail Irish people living in and around Southwark.
SIPP Resource Centre
SIPP Resource Centre is open Tuesday to Friday, providing a range of activities including Pottery, Bingo, 25's Card Game, Line Dancing, Hairdressing, Chiropody, Stress Massage and Yoga.
Community Support Service
SIPP Community Support Service operates a seven day service, providing welfare benefits and housing advice, support with making hospital discharge arrangements, organising community care packages, overcoming physical and mental health problems and accessing other services. This is also available to non members.
In the late 1980’s Father Martin McVeigh was sent from Ireland to St Georges Cathedral in Westminster Bridge, aiming to engage with young Irish people in the area. While he was here, he realised that there were large numbers of very isolated older Irish people, so brought together a group of volunteers to provide Christmas and St Patrick’s Day lunches for them. This project laid the foundations for the development of SIPP.
In 1994, SIPP established its first regular lunch club, which has now grown into an organisation with more than 400 people using the services, in addition to many other people who access outreach services and support.
