Cocooning residents of an Adare sheltered housing development staged a charity walkathon within the grounds of their home this morning with the objective of staying active and positive while cocooning and to give back to the community.
Embury Close Sheltered Housing offers independent living in one and two bedroom apartments on the edge of Adare village. Over 20 residents, mainly senior citizens, who live in the development are participating.
The walkathon involved residents walking in relays within the grounds of Embury Close, while maintaining physical distancing, with the objective to raise much needed funds for a number of charities. The oldest participant was 87 years old.
Organised by Embury Close manager, Simon Baker, the walkathon saw each resident walking during a specific timeslot and tracking their distances by carrying a relay baton which houses a Garmin watch donated by Amphibian King, specialist running gear store. At the end of their walk the resident placed the handle of the baton in a bucket of disinfectant from which it is then picked up by the next walker.
Simon is no stranger to fundraising or team activity; an international footballer with the Irish Amputee Football Association (IAFA) he represented Ireland in the 2018 Amputee World Cup in Mexico and the European Championship in Turkey in 2017 and now is heavily involved with the European Amputee Football Federation (EAFF) havng worked with youth teams in Gaza, Tanzania and elsewhere.
In his day job as manager of Embury Close, Simon has been working hard to ensure that the residents of Embury Close are kept safe and happy during the Coronavirus crisis not only organising careful shopping and safety protocols but also an outdoor concert and encouraging residents to stay active within the grounds of the complex.
“Residents told me how grateful they were for the support they had received from the community of Adare. They wondered if there was a way they could give something back to the community that is helping keep them safe.” says Simon “Together we came up with the idea of the charity walkathon. All the participants have different mobility levels but all have agreed to play their part no matter how big or small, proving that as a community, when we work together, anything is possible.”
The walkathon started this morning (Wednesday 22nd April) and will continue while the residents remain cocooned. The residents have already raised over €1,000 on their GoFundMe page before the Walkathon is even started – those wishing to support the initiative can donate here.
The residents have chosen three charities who will benefit.
ALONE is an independent charity that works with 1 in 5 older people who are homeless, socially isolated, living in deprivation or in crisis. http://alone.ie
Barnardos’ deliver services and work with families, communities, and our partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences. https://www.barnardos.ie
Milford Care Centre provides the highest quality of care to patients or residents, family and friends, both in the areas of Palliative Care and Services to the Older Person. http://www.milfordcarecentre.ie