Ballygalget woman’s two-week walk meeting inspirational people

Ballygalget woman’s two-week walk meeting inspirational people

22 May 2019

A BALLYGALGET woman is one of two volunteers who are spending a fortnight walking in towns and villages around Northern Ireland meeting inspirational people who are improving their communities.

Patricia Fleming, a former camogie player with Ballygalget John Mitchel’s GAC, called into her old club last Sunday accompanied by Rory Mullan from Derry.

They were hand-picked from a raft of candidates to be Big Lunch walkers for this year. 

Starting last Friday, they are visiting different places in Northern Ireland ahead of the Big Lunch weekend on June 1-2.

The Big Lunch event is where over six million people through the UK will meet to share food and eat together.

Patricia and Rory visited Ballygalget to hear about all the great work the club does in the surrounding area.

Patricia, who now lives in Belfast with her family, told the club how its community work was inspiring.

“The reason I picked Ballygalget is that I’m from here, I’ve played on that pitch many times, but I also know the community spirit that exists within Ballygalget. It blows me away when I come home and hear all the things that are happening.

“When I went for my interview after applying to be one of the Big Lunch walkers, I said that if I was chosen I would like to bring the Big Lunch community walk into rural areas and to Ballygalget.

“People here are very community oriented. That is not the case everywhere. A lot of people don’t feel able to knock on their neighbours’ doors.

The club hosted a Big Breakfast fundraiser on Sunday towards sending the club’s U-14 boys and girls to next month’s Feile in Cork.

However, the club is also trying to gather support for a huge number of projects, including cross-community work and is also going to host its own event over the Big Lunch weekend.

A new cross-community gym opened in the club grounds a year ago, which has proven immensely popular with all sorts of people in the local area, including many who had no links with the GAC.

The new building also has space for social workshops and some of the wider community schemes the club wants to pursue.

Last year, Ballygalget won an Alzheimer’s Society Diversity Award for its work in the community.

Club member Roisin Coulter said: “We are working to become a dementia-friendly community. The idea is to educate people about dementia: what are the signs and symptoms, and how to support someone living with the condition.

“Every month we run a free two-hour workshop, with materials supplied by the Alzheimer’s Society.

 “Our club is very much affected by dementia. Quite a number of people in the club are living with a diagnosis within their families. We want to reduce stigma and the social isolation people can feel.”

Aoife Savage, Ballygalget GAC’s Health Club Officer, added: “We are working against social isolation within our area.

“We are trying to improve health and wellbeing – both physical and mental health – of people who live nearby, on a cross-community basis.”

Ballygalget was the walkers’ third stop on their tour around Northern Ireland. They have already visited Belfast and Balmoral Show.

Over the next two weeks will visit other places including Lisnaskea, Portadown, Ballymoney and Derry.

There is still plenty of time to sign up at www.edenprojectcommunities.com/thebiglunchhomepage.