Ballygalget on the ball helping families dealing with dementia

Ballygalget on the ball helping families dealing with dementia

28 November 2018

BALLYGALGET GAC has been recognised for its effort in helping people who live with dementia in an award ceremony recently. 

John Mitchel’s GAC received the award after teaming up with the Alzheimer’s Society to become the first GAA club to take on the Dementia Friendly programme.

This award recognises the work members do to ensure everyone affected with dementia in their parish and beyond gets the support they need. 

Brendan Birt, a spokesperson for the club, explained that the club had been crossing every cultural and religious divide since it was founded in 1939.

He said that in that time the club had attended to the needs of everyone who live in what is a very rural part of the Ards Peninsula. 

“We are delighted to win this award in recognition of the work that has been done by our club and in the community,” he remarked.

“The first initiative of our new award-winning health and wellbeing centre was to become a dementia friendly community. We already have 65 trained dementia friends and that is growing. 

“As the first GAA club, we wanted to get involved because of the many people within our community who are living with dementia. This has raised the profile and understanding of dementia within our club and parish.”

Although this project is in its infancy, two dementia friendly community workshops have already been delivered creating 30 dementia friends, not only in Ballygalget but in the surrounding areas too.  

Future plans include extending the dementia friends initiative to two neighbouring GAA clubs and to hold a workshop in the local primary school.

Bernadine McCrory, Country Director for Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It is amazing that John Mitchel’s GAC has won the Championing Diversity award and it is a testament to their tremendous work they do.

“The level of nominations received this year was truly phenomenal and there were some exceptional stories heard at the awards ceremony.

“We want everyone affected by dementia to know that whoever you are, whatever you are going through, you can turn to Alzheimer’s Society for support, help and advice.”

She added: “All the finalists and winners at the Dementia Friendly Awards have demonstrated how we can unite against dementia and support those affected by the condition.”