“Your Happy Place” Age Friendly calendar 2023 launched!

The “Your Happy Place” calendar, developed in partnership with the Western Health and Social Care Trust, South West Age Partnership and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and funded by the Public Health Agency, has been launched.

During Positive Ageing Month in October, residents aged 60+ years were invited to submit a photograph or an art piece of their Happy Place as part of a competition to select the images for the calendar. Members of the Fermanagh Omagh Interagency Forum for older people judged the competition and the images by the winner and runners up from the competition are featured in the calendar.

The Chair of Fermanagh Omagh District Council, Councillor Barry McElduff, presented the winner, Margaret Coalter from Ballinamallard, with her prize and formally launched the calendar in December.

Speaking about the calendar, the Council Chair said:

“I was delighted to launch the Age Friendly calendar for 2023 and to present Margaret with her prize.

This is an excellent publication with health and wellbeing tips, awareness days and useful numbers and contacts for a variety of organisations throughout the Council area.  This is important as it contributes to positive ageing.

The Council is committed to ensuring that our older residents lead more independent, engaged and socially connected lives and initiatives such as this help to achieve this.”

Seamus Ward, Head of Health Improvement, Equality and Involvement at the Western Health and Social Care Trust, welcomed the publication saying:

“The Western Health & Social Care Trust is delighted once again to be working in partnership with Derry City & Strabane District Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council, the Public Health Agency and South West Age Partnership to produce the ‘Age Friendly Calendar 2023’. The calendar aims to support emotional health in later years and encourages older people to take five simple steps to improve their wellbeing – connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the ‘My Happy Place’ competition and contributed photographs and artwork for the calendar and I am sure those who receive a copy will enjoy using it throughout the year.”

Allison Forbes, Project Manager with South West Age Partnership said ‘We are delighted again to be working with our partners on this wonderful project.  A big thank you to all the people who sent in images, we had over 30 entries, fantastic to see the talent and enthusiasm from our local older people’

The Age Friendly Calendar 2023 is available from the Connect Centres in Enniskillen and Omagh, the Leisure Centres, via older peoples groups or by contacting South West Age Partnership on 028 8225 1524.  A copy is also available online on the Council’s website, www.fermanaghomagh.com/agefriendly