Active retirement groups
Introduction
As people spend more of their active life in retirement, many organisations have been set up to support retired people with new opportunities around hobbies, leisure activities and education. There is a wide range of older retired people’s organisations and most of them fall into one of the following categories:
- Activities
- Campaigning
- Support, including carers’ organisations.
A list of these organisations, summarising their aims and activities, is below. You can contact your local Citizens Information Centre or library to find out details of older people’s groups in your local area.
Activities
Activity-based groups include active retirement associations, sports, arts and culture groups. They include:
Active Retirement Ireland
(ARI)
A national network of local active retirement associations that helps retired
people to enjoy a full and active life and to advocate for them. You can
contact ARI to find your local active retirement association or to get
information on how to set up a new group.
Age and Opportunity
Age and Opportunity works to promote opportunities for greater participation by
older people in society in a range of areas from the arts and physical activity
to promoting age equality.
Campaigning
A number of organisations lobby for the rights of older people. They campaign to raise awareness of the issues affecting older people and influence government policy. They include:
Irish Senior Citizens
Parliament
The organisation represents the interests of senior citizens to government and
other public bodies on issues affecting older people such as income, health or
housing.
National Federation of
Pensioners’ Associations
As a representative body for pensioners’ organisations the Federation aims to
protect and promote the interests of pensioners and retired people with issues
including social welfare, health, superannuation and tax.
Age Action Ireland
Age Action Ireland is a national advocacy body on ageing and older people.
The organisation aims to achieve fundamental change in the lives of all older
people by empowering them to live full lives as actively engaged citizens and
to secure their rights to comprehensive high quality services according to
their changing needs.
Support and information
Many older people are living alone and many others are caring for frail older people or others needing care in the home. There are a number of groups offering support and information to older people. They include:
Seniorline
Seniorline is a confidential listening service run by older people for
isolated or lonely older people. The line is open every day from 10am to 10pm,
Freephone: 1800 80 45 91.
Retirement Planning Council of Ireland
The Council aims to prepare people for the period of their lives which begins
after they retire from work. It develops and organises preparation for
retirement and life changing courses, helping them to become aware of the
advantages and problems of retirement.
ALONE
ALONE supports vulnerable older people providing temporary or permanent
housing and combatting isolation and loneliness in society. Volunteers and
staff work with older people in ALONE’s dedicated housing projects and in the
community.
Friends of the
Elderly
Friends of the Elderly is a charity that brings friendship and social
opportunities to the elderly, especially those who live alone. Its volunteers
visit the elderly in their homes in the Greater Dublin area.
Carers’ supports
The organisation advocates on behalf of family carers in the home. It provides a range of services and supports to family carers including information on benefits and entitlements, respite care and training. It has a network of carers’ resource centres.
The alliance is a national umbrella group which represents family carers’ organisations.