We provide a lunch and drop-in 4 days a week and community support services, both services overlap and support each other with volunteer input to every part of the service. The Befriending Scheme has found it’s feet and Eileen has so far ‘partnered’ 23 isolated people to volunteer befrienders who are making a real difference to their lives.

The lunch & drop-in continues to thrive, currently we have 439 service users with an average of 66 people coming through the doors every day. We provide approximately 30 lunches daily, for many this is their one meal for the day.

Some service users come in just for lunch or to take part in a specific activity, others come in for advice on a wide variety of issues (benefits, bills, health issues, housing problems etc) others come in to meet with friends, others just for a cup of tea and a chat. Some activities, i.e. line dancing, bingo & bring & buy are run by volunteers - thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm.

See our latest accounts & Annual Return on the Charity Commission Website: Here

ACHIEVEMENTS

- Currently more than 400 members

- 75 housebound & infirm elderly supported in their homes  

- Close working relationships with key support agencies, including local hospitals, housing associations, care homes and specialist providers

CURRENT PROJECTS

- SIPP Lunch Club & Drop-In Centre open Monday to Thursday, providing a range of activities including Pottery, Bingo, 25's Card Game, Line Dancing, Hairdressing, Chiropody, Stress Massage & Yoga

- Community Support Service operates Monday to Saturday, providing welfare benefits & housing advice, support with making hospital discharge arrangements, organising community care packages, overcoming physical and mental health problems and accessing other services

- 38 Volunteer Befrienders visit isolated elderly in their homes and during hospital stays

- Our Handy Person Scheme carries out odd jobs and repairs for members who can't manage themselves and don't have friends or family to help out

- We are currently working with the Irish Oral History Project, which is interviewing our members to find out about their life and experiences, creating a wonderful record for future generations.  You can find out more about their work at www.ioha.co.uk 

- Our Back Home Holidays take small groups back to Ireland each year and our programme of Day Trips throughout the summer take groups to the seaside, the races and other local tourist attractions