'Live Long and Prosper' wins praise from judges

Regan Kelly

St Joseph’s Parish Hall in Rochfortbridge was the venue for the Pride of Place demonstration in the Age Friendly category, on Friday.

The hall was decorated with stalls and information for visitors to engage with, including from An Garda Síochána, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, and Mullingar Homecare.

Representatives from Westmeath County Council presented details of the ‘Live Long and Prosper’ programme to the judges.

The programme helps elderly people in Rochfortbridge take part in exercise that is accessible to most levels.

The presentation was attended by Cllr Aoife Davitt, cathaoirleach, Cllr Dennis Leonard, and locals from Rochfortbridge.

Cllr Davitt said: “This is a great achievement for everyone involved, and it’s a great honour for me to support these projects, because that’s where the council’s bread and butter is.

“This programme is unique, as it’s designed to support older people living in rural communities across Westmeath. It aims to support older people with the additional support that they need.

“We are all proud of the outstanding success of the programme and what they have accomplished so far.”

Rochfortbridge Community Representative Cathy Whelehan spoke to the Examiner following the presentation.

She said: “A big part of this is the social life. Rochfortbridge has an ageing population, and projects like ‘Live Long and Prosper’ help target older person isolation.

“A lot of people have arthritis and things like that, and it was really educational for them, with the team giving them tips and exercises to use to help with that.

“The follow-up support was brilliant as well, as there were other supporting services like the befriending service and phone calls for them.”

Cathy concluded: “The whole day in the Parish Hall here in Rochfortbridge was really good, and I have to say that I’m so proud of the whole team, and it was great to be a part of it.”