Older Voices Kildare
We are a Social Inclusion Initiative working to build the confidence and capacity of older people living in County Kildare. Older Voices Kildare (OVK) is focused on creating a Kildare where older persons are included and empowered within a vibrant community.
About Us
Our Aims
⚪️ Assist and facilitate people to explore their own ageing and to challenge the myths and stereotyping that leads to ageism.
⚪️ Provide information on physical, psychological and social aspects of growing older – all of which increase self-confidence and improve mental health.
⚪️ Explore the issues and barriers that older men experience when participating in community programmes and to develop initiatives to address this.
⚪️ Facilitate a befriending service to address high levels of loneliness and social isolation in County Kildare.
⚪️ Develop specific strategies to include more marginalised categories of older people, LGBT+, Travellers, people with intellectual or physical disability, older people in residential or long terms care settings, and people with dementia and their carers.
What We Do
We work with people over 65 in County Kildare.
Befriending Service
The Befriending Project relates directly to enhancing mental and physical health and supporting vulnerable members of society. Indirectly, the service can impact on the need for homecare packages, and hospital discharge.
Referrals can be made by yourself, a family member on your behalf (with your permission) or a health care worker.
Social Prescription
Social Prescription gives an older person a variety of options to explore, and identify themselves, what suits them rather than what a health professional/family thinks they need.
It also allows for the inclusion of people with dementia and their carers. Activities such as Yoga, can be tailored to individual cognitive needs.
Referrals can be made by yourself, a family member on your behalf (with your permission) or a health care worker or service.
Capacity Building
We offer a variety of Capacity Building/ Personal Development programmes.
- Aging with Confidence
- Art Programmes
- Voices Through Art : Self in The Big Picture
- Textiles: Felting, Yarn, Fabrics
- Citizenship & Rights
- On Track (Turning Retirement into Active Citizenship)
- Voter education
- Human Rights and Older People
- Agewise Training for Service Providers
- Dementia Specific Initiatives
- Yoga
- Virtual and In Person Café
- Dementia Awareness Training for carers and caring staff
- Including a Person with a dementia in your community group.
- Volunteer befriending
Kildare Cocooners
Lockdown Creations
Click here to discover more wonderful stories created during lockdown.
- Older Voices Volunteering JournalMarch 2019 It’s been a few months since I finished my training. I’ve read through my notes a few times and have been in regular contact with Sue. Still, I’m a bit nervous, the day has arrived – first contact. It’s local so chances are I’ve probably met the man before – surprisingly I haven’t.Continue reading “Older Voices Volunteering Journal”
- Poem 3– Trish Keane – Midnight shades Midnight shades of blue green reds and a hint of purple to stars of silver in moon lightof soft yellows clouds filled with dark shadows of the mist like rain Bold skys of September air the type that wouldn’t invite you sit down windows closed tightly around not lettingContinue reading “Poem 3”
- Poem 2– Trish Keane – Over fresh fallen pine cones my wheels long to tread Or through the park after night rains fell To see and feel the wind swept trees There leaves bow gentle to soften my face with it’s due To hear birds squabble and sweek The rustle of the long grass a feildContinue reading “Poem 2”
Volunteer
If you would like to be a volunteer and give an hour of your time every week to visit an older person for a cup of tea and a chat, application forms can be downloaded here. Full training and Garda Vetting are provided by Older Voices Kildare.
“During the worst of the lockdown, Older Voices Kildare were able to make 1,100 phonecalls to people across the County who needed a friendly voice. This was made possible by the help of wonderful volunteers. If you are interested in being a volunteer with us, initially over the phone but hopefully face to face when restrictions permit, please get in touch, we would love to have you. Training and support will be provided.“
A message from Denise, OVK Co-ordinator
I first came across Older Voices Kildare through the Befriend program in April. I saw this on Facebook and as it was local to where I live, decided I would sign up to do the training over the 3 weeks.
I had volunteered in the past but it had been a few years prior. What I really liked was that it was in my area and it was only for a few hours a week which I can spare, and I wanted to give something to someone who needed it.
I met Sue and Denise at the training, and they were amazing. Sue kept in contact with me regularly when we were waiting for the Garda vetting applications to come through, I was very anxious to get moving on this! And she found me a fantastic man in Athy to befriend called B, and from the moment I met him, I knew that it was going to be special. He is such an amazing man and I absolutely love spending time with him! Since I started, I have visited B every week! It started off as an hour, but I felt that wasn’t really long enough and I could spare a little more, so I spend 2 hours with him on a Wednesday evening after work and I feel so incredibly content when I leave his house. He has such amazing stories to tell. The first thing he does is make me a cup of tea when I get there, and what I have actually started doing is cooking dinners for him when I visit so he sits in the kitchen when I am preparing a few dinners for him for during the week! He texts me without fail, every time he has eaten them saying how great they are! He was also the very first person to send me a Christmas card this year!
I get such an amazing sense of fulfilment from the befriending program, and I know B gets as much as it out of it as I do!Older Voices Kildare are amazing, the work they do is really phenomenal, and I am incredibly honoured to be a part of it!
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
Maria, OVK Volunteer
Follow us on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/older.kildare
Older Voices Kildare 