Good Morning Down welcomes tea dancers

Good Morning Down welcomes tea dancers

23 May 2012

THE Co-operative Society’s Community Fund provided the funding for a Good Morning Down tea dance and community safety event held recently in St Mary’s High School, Downpatrick.

The music was provided by Ivan and Hilary Black and food by Anthony Reid, from the Down Residential Project. The PSNI, in conjunction with Good Morning Down staff and volunteers, performed a role play and drama on home security.

Good Morning Down wishes to St Mary’s HS principal Sheila Darling and staff for the use of their facilities and the PSNI who funded the transport.

Special thanks are also extended to students Michaela Byrne, Catherine Braniff and Leanne Deegan for all their help and to all those who made us feel so welcome, the feedback from the older and vulnerable people has been marvellous from the transport to the entertainment to the food they thoroughly enjoyed it all.

They would also like to thank Hanlon’s for the fruit basket they donated to a free raffle and everyone else for their kind donations.

Good Morning Down is a free telephone care and befriending service for adults of any age who may feel vulnerable or at risk for whatever reason.

A spokesman explained: “We will make over 200 telephone calls a week to our members at an agreed time each morning, Monday to Friday, to check that they are OK, have a friendly chat and inform them of any local activities in their area.

“If they wish we can also signpost them on to relevant statutory bodies and other services. If a client does not answer their phone when they are expected to a telephone carer will call the client’s nominated contact person to let them know there may be a problem.”

The spokesman added: “This is an invaluable service, fighting loneliness and isolation among the most vulnerable members of our society. In addition to our core work ringing out to members, we also arrange days out providing essential escorted transport for their members to and from events.

“This provides an opportunity to socialise with other members and with the telephone carers they have got to know so well on the phone.

“For many of the members of Good Morning Down these are very rare opportunities to get out of the house as they often live in isolated rural areas outside of the reach of many of the standard activity programmes.