Richmount News February 2021 Working together for all in our community Keeping us Connected Richmount News This magazine is designed to help Covid 19 dominated our lives in 2020 and it looks like this could us keep us connected. continue for a while longer, but the hope is that by summertime a It gives you articles to read about in degree of normality may have returned. However, in the meantime the local area and some articles to life goes on and we have to make the best of it. From a community provoke discussion. It also gives association perspective we are still providing services with a partic- details of what activities we have ular emphasis on older people and those who are socially isolated. planned. At this time it is important that the Unfortunately many of our plans made in December last year were community keeps connected and the dashed with the onset of the new restrictions. We had planned for Internet can be a way of doing this. more drive in events and where people could learn to use computers We would encourage more people to and avail of services on the internet. We have not abandoned these use it. plans but we have had to put some of them on hold. However, we realise that this is not for everyone and we will continue The one thing that is becoming increasingly apparent is that the use with regular issues of this magazine of the internet is becoming more important and we would and also the use of DVDs. encourage all in our community to use it. Some people may say : Remember social isolation and I couldn’t be bothered—I couldn’t do it - I’m too old. loneliness can be a killer. You can do it with help - We will help you. See Page 3 We have a very large programme of activities for this year but in the foreseeable future it will have to be delivered online. However, for those who do not use the internet we will try to record the lessons or lectures on DVDs. We will be outlining these activities on page 15 We have established a programme of cooking traditional meals and delivering them to our older people. As well as using the internet and this Read more about this on page 3 magazine to help keep us connected we now have the facilities to produce and copy our own DVDs which can help to keep us connected. We are already recording our Tai Chi and Yoga classes. Richmount Webinars This is a relatively new way of having lectures or presentations. Webinars allow large groups of people to engage in online discussions or training events and share audio, documents or slides – even when they're not in the same place as the meeting host or in the same room where the event or presentation is taking place. People can take part in an event without We had a great afternoon of entertainment at our Christmas party on 21 having to leave their home and if they December. Colin Harney and Lee Lawson ensured that everyone was well wish they can just watch and listen entertained including most of Scotch Street . Lee’s drumming has not only to without having to get involved in the heard, but seen as well : You view this on : discussion https://www.facebook.com/joe.garvey.583/videos/2046186465518275. We are looking forward to the next drive in Party—17 March ?? 1 Our Christmas Party by: Joe Garvey Despite all the gloom and doom over the prospect of not having a Christmas party last year I decided that was not going to happen. So we decided we would have a hybrid solution: Churches were having drive-in services and McDonalds had drive-in take-aways. Well, we just married the two together - we could cook a traditional Christmas dinner and bring it out to people in their cars. However, a Christmas party without some music would be a bit of a damp squib so we needed outdoor music as well, but it really needed to be live music. In the middle of winter ? The solution -we will make , buy or somehow acquire a small outdoor stage. It is said that necessity is the mother of invention and we thought what about a van with those curtains that pull to one side? So off we headed with my “big trailer” to near the border outside Keady and we bought ourselves a “ curtain sider” body off a van. It was popped on my trailer and brought to my yard where lights were fitted and a few other modifications , including heating . Then it was towed by my tractor down to Richmount for the “big day” !! We were entertained by our ever popular singer , Colin Harney and the fabulous, Lee Lawson was our drummer and piper. There were no quiet afternoon siestas in Scotch Street that afternoon!! The food was good and the craic was mighty. It was novel and unusual but everyone seemed to enjoy it. I would have to thank all my cohorts for their help : John Wilson for helping me locate the curtain sider and getting it down to Richmount , also his car marshalling on the day and for giving out the presents in his red and white suit, Martelle McPartland for her help in so many ways, Pauline Rooney, Julie Milligan and last but not least my wife Geraldine . We can now look forward to Richmount Rock Raves this summer. Time for another party ? Why not St Patrick’s Day ? If restrictions are eased we could have a drive in . Failing that a Zoom Party with food delivered to you and we connect on line ? A picture paints a thousand words and the photographs below illustrates what a great but unusual Christmas party we had. Please remember to use to use this voucher by 28 February 2 Dinners for Older People - Good Food & Keeping Connected Delivered to your door for £4 We all know what it is like . If there is only one of you in the house or you are a couple and maybe not just as fit as you used to be. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a nutritious traditional meal delivered to your home at least once per week at a cost considerably less than going to the take away and better for you. In January we delivered 180 meals free of charge to our vulnerable older people who were mostly living alone. We did this with a small grant we received from the Council From February we will be charging £4.00 for a main meal and £1.50 for a dessert. By a main meal we mean meat , two vegetables , potatoes & gravy. A typical dessert would be apple tart and custard. Our main meals are substantial and many of our older people tell us they get two dinners out of one. They are delivered chilled in reusable sealed containers which can be microwaved. These meals, when refrigerated, will keep for three days. Some people have ordered multiple meals and we will vary the menu accordingly. We can deliver roughly within a 5 mile radius of Scotch Street. We are currently delivering out as far as Kernan in Portadown and to near the Birches. However, we can only provide this service if there is sufficient demand. If you are interested please text 07934186635 Let’s get Connected This pandemic has taught us to find new ways of keeping connected. We know that many of our readers use the internet but many do not. One of our members recently told me that he was having a Zoom party for his family and friends for his 85th Birthday. He was more than capable of using Zoom and was really looking forward to it - so age is not an excuse ! Some people are already using the internet but just need a little push to get them onto Zoom. On page 15 you will see a wide range of activities that we have available. These will have to be undertaken via Zoom unless the restrictions are substantially relaxed but that is unlikely for sometime. Not on the Internet ? We have 20 computer tablets and we thought we could have “drive in ” sessions where people could get some lessons on getting connected and be able to use our wi-fi . We hope will be able to do this in the future but in the meantime we would urge our older people to get con- Digital Community Champions nected. If we can help in anyway please contact us. DVDs We are aware that many of our readers are not on the internet and can lose out on many of the activities we will be covering on Zoom or webinars . To help overcome this we have now have a DVD producer where we can record presentations or learning material at a reasonable cost. For those who do not have a device that plays DVS they are available in the shops from £19.99. We have had some DVD players donated to us for use by older people . If you have any spare ones that are work- Martelle McPartland & Joe Garvey. The first of the three “ Digital Community Champions” ing and with remote control we would welcome them. to be trained by the Council in a pilot project to try and It is important we all keep connected ! get more older people to use IT to keep connected 3 A Murder in Coharra - alleged matricide A true story by Martelle McPartland Part 2 In the last edition we told you about the gruesome story of the fatal attack on an elderly lady in Coharra.