Community-21 – a series of conversations reflecting on community work over Covid-19, funded by the Community Relations Council‘s Media Grant Scheme.
The pandemic has no doubt been a tragedy, but it is unlikely that any group of people have been more affected by it than the elderly. This was certainly the case in Causeway Coast & Glens. Thankfully for older people – and the wider community – they have Bronagh McCrorry of the Building Communities Resource Centre (BCRC) and her colleagues working in collaboration across the council to ensure their communities were, and continue to be, well-supported.
This pertinent work of course began prior to the pandemic, and it quickly became endemic how important their services are as Covid-19 spread across NI. Many older people struggle with isolation in the best of times and this can have a significant impact on their mental health and well-being. Of course, this issue was only exacerbated by the pandemic and the social-distancing that ensued, especially in a rural region like the CCG.
Bronagh and her colleagues Frankie, Marylin and Marie banned together as they always do and found creative ways to ensure that their regular services not only continued, but were also enhanced to better serve communities over the crisis.
Their efforts over this time goes to show that they are well-placed to continue to work on behalf of communities across Causeway Coast & Glens to promote and navigate one community towards a more inclusive future, encompassing young and old, ‘natives’ and newcomers, and residents from every class, culture and creed. No doubt, they’re well on their way.
Here’s a bit more from Marylin and Marie, who I think will share in AvilaMedia’s hope that we are slowly getting back to normal – and looking forward to seeing you out in the community soon!
