Sligo LEADER offer a social hub for communities to come together

WITH rural communities facing challenges to stay socially vibrant, there is the realisation that sustainable social supports are needed within communities, particularly supporting people most at risk from social isolation.

Sligo LEADER Partnership currently operates 3 older person day services on behalf of the HSE with the centres located in Ballymote, Tubbercurry and Gurteen. In addition to this, the company also supports the community in Bunninaddan who host a weekly ‘friendly lunch’ within their community centre.

In total, over 160 people are attending these services weekly. Within these friendly environments is the provision of a range of services and supports including social activities and healthy meals. However, one of the biggest successes of these services is the fact that they offer a social hub for communities to come together, to chat and interact.

There is much evidence to support the view that provid- ing meaningful social supports within communities prevents or offsets the need for more clinical interventions and also positively impacts the overall wellbeing of people attending.

In addition to these services, Sligo LEADER Partnership also offer a range of other formal, non formal and informal supports within the community, and the Rural Social Scheme is a vital component to ensuring the sustainability of many rural services.

Further supports include hosting a weekly social club in the Avalon Centre in Sligo Town and facilitating active age groups where possible. For more information on any of these supports, contact Pat Kilcoyne at pkilcoyne@sligoleader.com or 07 19141138.