Making Connections Project

The group held a meeting towards the end of the summer to plan their activities up to Christmas. The programme was agreed and delivered as follows. The popularity of the communications programme is evident by the group planning a Monday morning and Thursday evening session. This programme gives the participants the skills to use internet, email and mobile phones. Members practise answering phone calls and having a conversation on the mobile phone, much to the hilarity of the other members of the course. This form of fun learning has been very effective as it relaxes everyone and mistakes aren't taken too seriously.

The planning meeting decided to have a very flexible and casual session on Tuesday evenings so that depending on what was happening around town the group could change its programme without any major difficulty, so to date they have had more cooking, bingo, cinema, bowling alley and some arts and crafts are planned for the future. Thursday mornings are kept for swimming and the fitness gym. Each Saturday afternoon the members attend the karaoke session and this year they went to the William Street old peoples home and gave a Christmas concert to the residents.

The engagement with the North West Regional College has proved very successful with a full complement of student volunteers supporting the delivery of the project. The students have also been a support to the Destined members who are also providing volunteer support to the group.

Funded by Reaching Out Connecting Older People, Big Lottery

For further information contact Dermot’OHara

Email: [email protected] Website: www.destined.ie Phone: 028 7136 2424