The Best Years Resources
Cork Sports Partnership
Cork Sports Partnership has a wide range of physical activity options aimed at older adults, including team-based sports, and independent activities. These programmes cater to a wide range of ages and abilities, and there are options for many different sporting interests. Programmes include: ‘Walking Football’, ‘Staying Fit for The Future’, ‘Sportsfest’ (A miscellaneous come-and-try event), Various different levels and settings for walking, and the partnership is involved with ‘Go For Life’. Their older adult resource page includes a wide variety of individual courses that you can sign up to, including: chair gym exercise class, easy exercise classes, home-exercise workout tracking, community physiotherapy, daily exercises with Siel Bleu Ireland, Activator Poles classes (a Nordic walking style),and set walking challenges
Age& Opportunity
Age & Opportunity hosts the ‘Go For Life Games’- an annual event during which teams of older adults from different parts of Ireland can come together to compete against each other in adapted versions of sport. Run by Local Sports Partnerships and the HSE, the games include sports that can be played in singles, pairs and teams. There are local and county level competitions, and the national games event- plus, some areas register regional teams to compete internationally! Sports competed include: scidil (adapted ten-pin bowling), malai (adapted cornhole), flisk (an adapted frisbee and horseshoe pitching), seated-volleyball, and more, depending on the region
Mens Shed Ireland
Men’s Sheds are an international association. Ireland alone is home to 450 sheds, with over 10,000 members nationally. Most sheds involve a group of older men coming together to engage in woodwork, gardening, carpentry and community work. There are also some specialised sheds that focus on things like restoration work, fishing and music. Sheds are always open to new members who would like to learn new skills, or share the skills they already possess
Housing & Personal Supports
Alone is a national organisation, that provides solutions that allow older people to live in their own homes. They encourage people contact them directly for advice about any situation where the ability to live at home may be at risk due to the effects of aging, as well as any older person who may feel alone or isolated for any reason. They also provide aid to older people living in poverty, or any other difficulties that may need a helping hand to get through. Support is provided through many means: the option of age-friendly housing for those without homes, telephone/in-person visits, housing options with nursing/medical supports, technology and community supports and even personalised support plans tailored to a person’s individual needs.
Food & Supplies
Cork Penny Dinners
Cork Penny Dinners provide 2000 freshly made meals a week- comprised of a soup, main course, dessert, and the necessary biscuits, teas, and coffees. They always have their doors open to those in need of a meal, and can also provide warm clothes and bedding if needed. They can be found at 4, Little Hanover Street, Cork.
Meals on Wheels
Meals On Wheels is set up to provide meals primarily to older people who want to remain living at home, but may struggle to go out to get what they need to eat. The service aims to reduce long term hospitalisations where it is possible.
Educational Classes & Courses
Bishopstown Community School
Bishopstown Community School hosts night classes in a variety of educational areas. Classes currently available include: art, family meal planning, DIY, floristry, French, guitar, Irish Sign Language, spoken Irish, conversational Irish, knitting, English, photography, pilates, Spanish, smart device training, dog training, and ukulele. There is also a Scrabble club held here.
Ballincollig Community School
Ballincollig Community School hosts night classes in a variety of educational areas, with various levels available for many of its courses. Their selection of courses include: fitness courses, Spanish, various types of ballroom dancing, line dancing, astronomy, drama, mindfulness and meditation, yoga, guitar, woodwork, kickboxing, dressmaking, navigation and hillwalking, pilates, painting, mosaics, button accordion, feng shui, disability awareness training, dog training and care, bridge brain training, pension and investment information, Zumba, step aerobics, badminton, stained glass work, smartphone use class, and golf training.
Douglas Community School
Douglas Community School hosts night classes in a variety of educational areas. Available courses come in a variety of levels, including: Italian, German, Spanish, oil painting, ceramics, various types of flower arranging, drawing and acrylics, advanced art, pastels, watercolours, yoga for different levels of ability, mindfulness-based creativity, pilates, tai chi, badminton, Zumba, line dancing, ballroom dancing, golf, drama and creativity, skincare/nailcare/makeup application, confident speech, fiction writing, singing, African drumming, acoustic guitar, ukulele, dressmaking, interior design, photography, family history tracing, and first aid.
Miscellaneous
Age Action Ireland
Age Action Ireland is Ireland’s leading advocacy group for older and aging individuals. As well as rallying for more investments in home care, and increased availability of services that aid older people, such as: repairs of minor household problems, on-call information services, computer training, resources aimed at protecting against elder abuse, lifelong learning circle and an aging and development programme for developing/third world countries.
HSE’s Age Friendly guide
The HSE has a guide with a directory of supports for older people all around Ireland, for various services/aids.