Sport

Irish News sport teams up with Neighbourhood News Drop initiative

Pictured at the launch the Neighbourhood News Drop initiative are (left to right) Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at the Henderson Group, Irish News editor Noel Doran, Irish News chairman Jim Fitzpatrick, The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Eddie Lynch and Age NI CEO Linda Robinson. Picture by Mal McCann
Pictured at the launch the Neighbourhood News Drop initiative are (left to right) Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at the Henderson Group, Irish News editor Noel Doran, Irish News chairman Jim Fitzpatrick, The Commissioner for Older People for No Pictured at the launch the Neighbourhood News Drop initiative are (left to right) Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at the Henderson Group, Irish News editor Noel Doran, Irish News chairman Jim Fitzpatrick, The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Eddie Lynch and Age NI CEO Linda Robinson. Picture by Mal McCann

All this week the 'Neighbourhood News Drop' campaign is inviting shoppers to pick up a complimentary neighbour copy of The Irish News from their local SPAR to share with an elderly neighbour in a bid to forge closer connections with older people in their communities.

The Irish News has teamed up with charitable organisations and businesses to launch the initiative, with the aim of encouraging people to become more neighbourly and call in on older people in their communities.

And the Irish News Sportsdesk is backing the caring, sharing Neighbourhood News Drop initiative all the way, hoping for a wide response, and envisaging many GAA club members getting on board.

''We want to see as many people as possible getting involved,'' said Irish News sports editor Thomas Hawkins.

''A lot of elderly people can feel cut off, maybe they live alone, maybe they have health worries, or mobility isn't great and they just can't get out of the house as often as they used to.

''For a whole variety of reasons, older people can feel isolated and this Neighbourhood News Drop initiative is a way of tackling that feeling of isolation and forging strong links with the elderly in our communities.''

The Neighbourhood News Drop initiative will run every day this week, up to Sunday March 3 and has been endorsed by Age NI and the Commissioner for Older People and is supported by SPAR NI.

''GAA club members could avail of the Neighbourhood News Drop initiative to reconnect with older members by calling to visit, and bring a copy of the paper with them,'' he added.

''That older member is often the heartbeat of the club... games remembered, the players, the matches that live in the memory.. they're a goldmine of stories, craic and club and county oral history.

''They love talking to people about a game. Reading the analysis, the match reports, previews, opinion in The Irish News is part of it.

''If they can’t get the paper, they can’t read the match reports.

''So I would urge as many people as possible to join in the Neighbourhood News Drop initiative and use the GAA and a copy of The Irish News as a great excuse to check in on an old friend.''

There are 285,000 older people over the age of 65 living in Northern Ireland, a figure that is predicted to grow to 608,493 for 60+ years by 2039.

Fifty four per cent of those over 65 years old have never accessed the internet, 4.5 per cent live in communal establishments, and 78,101 older people live alone.

''Keeping up to date with the news, Brexit, elections, local government issues (or no government as the case may be in the north), fashion, features, whatever it is that a person likes to read about, is really important,'' added Hawkins.

''And for a great many, sport is another important area, generating conversation, camaraderie, memories, celebrations, and even friendly rivalry among neighbours.

''Who'll win the Ulster Championship, who scored the Celtic winner, who's the Gold Cup favourite, did Carl Frampton win, do you fancy Rory McIlroy for The Open, and so on, sport generates so much interest and debate, everyone has a favourite team, a favourite sports player.

''Throughout life, sport plays a huge part in people's lives, and as people get older it is still a great source of interest.

''Calling in with The Irish News every day and having a quick yarn with an older neighbour about the goings on in sport, maybe how the local kids from the various communities are doing in GAA, soccer, boxing, whatever, can help break down the feeling of isolation, help lift the gloom that they experience.''

For more information on the Neighbourhood News Drop initiative, visit www.irishnews.com/neighbourhoodnews and www.spar-ni.co.uk to find a local SPAR store.

Information on the services provided by Age NI and the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland can be found via www.ageuk.org.uk/northern-ireland and www.copni.org