Charleville granted Age Friendly Town status by council

LOCAL Cllr Ian Doyle has revealed the good news that Cork County Council has announced that Charleville’s application to be designated an age friendly town 2020-2021 has been successful, and the North Cork town is one of four such towns in the county to qualify in this category.

The others were Millstreet, Bantry and Passage West/ Monkstown. Each town will get €10,000 over the two years to assist in funding age friendly action projects.

Commenting on this development, Cllr Doyle said that this is great news for the people of Charleville and area as it is recognition of the great work that is being done locally for the elderly of the town and area to live safely and securely. He also pointed out that, in fact, it will also benefit people of all ages, as it is underpinned by the simple philosophy of “if you design for the old you include everyone.”

The Charleville bid was led by Charleville Lions Club, supported by Ballyhoura Development CLG, and the application was based on the Charleville Community Plan 2019-2023, which was initiated by Charleville Heritage Society.

The plan involved a number of stages, one of which was to identify the key demographics of the town and surrounding area. The report states that ‘ there is a significant divergence between Charleville and the county, Ballyhoura region and national figures with respect to the elderly dependency and vitality ratios. This implies the population in Charleville is ageing more quickly in comparison to the other selected locations’ (Charleville Community Plan 2019-2023 P. 14).

The plan also identifies seven thematic areas which are of primary concern for development, namely: traffic and transport, mobility and access, amenities and facilities, retail, commerce and tourism, community inclusion, communications and co-ordination, and youth facilities and activities.

Each thematic area is interlinked and highlights the importance of a holistic approach when identifying issues and subsequent actions. There are a number of well-established age specific groups that are well established within the community, and a number of initiatives and facilities have been implemented in recent years

These would include the walkway in the town park, with its outdoor gym, which is extensively used by people of all ages, and both of which exists in harmony with the children’s play area. The local library is another, which opens on to the spacious plaza that is equipped with benches and is due an update by Cork County Council in the near future. The Men’s Shed located in the ground floor of the town’s former Market House caters for men of the older age group, and the Lions’ Club complements the work of the Charleville Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

The fact that Charleville has now been designated an age friendly town by Cork County Council will add greatly to the significance of these facilities and amenities, and the funding accruing from this will be a welcome fillip to the further development of providing initiatives and other projects for members of the local population in the upper age bracket.