Clare County Library ageing positively and happy to volunteer

Positive Ageing Week 2011 took place from September 23rd-30th and, as it coincided with National Day of Volunteering on September 30th, Clare County Library seized the opportunity to celebrate both of these worthy occasions together. A nationwide Knitathon took place as part of activities organised for National Day of Volunteering so members of the Shannon Apostolic Society visited Sean Lemass Public Library in Shannon on Friday, September 30th where they formed a cosy circle and knit and chatted to their hearts’ content. The ladies in attendance created beautifully knitted squares of all colours to be put together at a later stage to produce a blanket that will be donated to a local charity. Members of the public were encouraged to come along and watch the fun or to join in and some even got handy hints and tips from the experts.

In the De Valera Public Library in Ennis on the same date local senior citizens joined forces with local volunteers to knit a huge number of little hats for the Innocent Smoothie Big Knit campaign. The wonderful array of hats will be placed on special promotional bottles of Innocent Smoothies. Last year as part of the innocent big knit campaign a whopping 80,000 little hats were knit by generous people all over Ireland, raising €20,000 and much needed awareness for Age Action Ireland. The funds were put to great use to ensure that older people in Ireland stayed well and warm and the plan is to achieve the same, if not better, results this year. Clare County Library was delighted to be able to take part in such a worthwhile activity and extends sincere thanks to all who participated.

Also to mark Positive Ageeing Week, Therese Hourigan from the Commission for Communications Regulation held an advice clinic in the De Valera Public Library in Ennis. The aim was to empower consumers to take direct action regarding poor service provision, quality or other issues and to provide users with sufficient information to deal with their service providers. Consumer guides were distributed on the day and many people commented on what a useful service it was.

Photos above show the Knitathon in Shannon, and former Clare County Library staff member Marie Clohessy in De Valera Library, Ennis with smoothies.