CCG were delighted to take part in the recent ‘Men’s Fest’, organised by Newry and Mourne District Council. The event attracted a strong turnout, with people travelling from right across the district to get involved, connect with local services, and enjoy the wide range of activities on offer. It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with the community in such a lively and welcoming environment.

Throughout the day, our team had the chance to speak with many attendees about the work we do, particularly highlighting the impact and benefits of our Good Morning Service. We were pleased to share how the service supports individuals in maintaining independence, reducing isolation, and staying connected within their communities. There was great interest shown in both accessing the service and getting involved as a volunteer.

We also emphasised the positive difference that taking on a meaningful volunteering role can have—not only in supporting others, but in improving your own health and wellbeing. Many people were keen to learn more about how they could contribute their time and skills, and we were encouraged by the enthusiasm and interest shown throughout the day.

In addition to promoting our services, we enjoyed some lighter moments too. We even had the chance to show a group of St Mark’s students what phones used to look like, sparking plenty of curiosity—and a few laughs—as they compared them to today’s technology.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable and worthwhile event, and we are grateful to Newry and Mourne District Council for organising such a successful day. We look forward to continuing to engage with the community at future events.

It was especially lovely to run into some of our current Good Morning volunteers and supporters throughout the day. Familiar faces such as Martin, Gerard, and Seamus from Lislea Men’s Shed were there, and it was great to catch up with them and hear how things have been going in their community. We also had the pleasure of meeting Annie and Ceallagh from our Derramore Hub, who continue to play an important role in supporting local engagement and activities.

In addition, it was wonderful to see Majella, one of our valued partners from the Rural Health Partnership in Cullyhanna. Partnerships like these are so important in helping us extend our reach and provide meaningful support to people across rural communities.

Events like Men’s Fest offer a fantastic chance not only to meet new people, but to reconnect with those who are already giving their time, energy, and commitment to making a difference. It was heartening to see such a strong presence from our volunteers and partners, and to celebrate the positive impact they continue to have in their local areas.

The CCG were delighted to participate in another engaging Study Visit as part of the cross-border, cross-community, Circle of Learning Project.  This time we were hosted by the Blayney Blades and visited the wonderful Mindszenty Park in Castleblayney; we’d like to thank both the Blayney Blades and the Castleblayney Tidy Towns team for their warm welcome and hospitality, and we commend the Muckno Singers for the fabulous entertainment, espousing the ethos of the ‘show must go on’ regardless of the rain showers.

Everyone  was inspired by the story of Mindszenty Finnegan, who sadly passed away in  January 2026

Mindszenty Park

He was named after Cardinal Mindszenty from Hungary, and he lived his entire life in No 4 Lakeview, Castleblayney.  Mindszenty worked as a postman for 48 years, becoming a vital part of community life, and Mindszenty Park is his legacy to the people of Castleblayney. 

We’d like to thank the representatives from Green Spaces Community Growing Project, the Lislea Lively ladies, and The Sanctuary, for taking the time to join us on the study visit. 

The event represented another important opportunity to bring together representatives from both sides of the border and from cross-community backgrounds, facilitating talks and conversations, allowing networks to form and new project ideas to develop as the work on the Circle of Learning Project continues.  We also thank our Hub partners in Dundalk, Co. Armagh and Castleblayney for their continued involvement in the project and thank Patricia Hughes at Cooperation Ireland for her support in managing the overall project.

Our Older People’s Community Project is continually seeking new opportunities to grow and enhance the reach of our Good Morning Service. This vital service plays an important role in supporting older members of our community by reducing isolation, promoting wellbeing, and offering a friendly, reassuring point of contact each day.

We have been very fortunate to receive ongoing support and valuable input from the MDT Social Work team across a number of areas. Their collaboration has been instrumental in helping us identify needs within local communities and develop our service accordingly. Building on this strong partnership, we are now delighted to be progressing plans to extend our Good Morning Service into the Banbridge area. This expansion will be delivered in collaboration with the team at Banbridge Group Surgery, whose involvement will further strengthen the local support network available to older people.

As part of this development, we recently hosted a meeting with a number of interested volunteers. The response was very encouraging, and we are excited to move forward with establishing a dedicated Banbridge Hub. We are hopeful that this hub will be based in the meeting rooms at St Patrick’s on Dromore Street, providing a welcoming and accessible space from which volunteers can coordinate calls and connect with service users.

We are always eager to welcome new volunteers and community groups who would like to get involved in making a positive difference. Volunteering with the Good Morning Service is a rewarding way to support older people in your local area, whether by making regular calls, helping with outreach, or assisting with the ongoing development of the service.

If you are interested in volunteering, or if you are part of a group that would like to participate or learn more, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us on 028 3026 1022 or email info@ccgnewr.org for further information.

Newry U3A timetable

beginning in September

If anyone wants to find out more, we have a promotion day on

13^th August in the Buttercrane,

people can come along and chat to our members to find out more about us.

This service is free to clients from Ballybot house – people who are struggling with substance misuse, in need of relapse prevention or family members who need support due to a loved ones substance use.

Southern Age Well Network’s AGM was held in early June, the organisation was thrilled to be celebrating their 30th year supporting local older people’s groups across Newry and Mourne.

30 years ago, Southern Health and Social Care Trust Staff, formerly Newry and Mourne Health Social Care Trust, had the foresight to invest a social work salary into the Community & Voluntary sector to support local Older People’s groups, as a result Newry and Mourne Senior Citizens Consortium was formed, and renamed Southern Age Well Network in 2016.  30 years later this partnership is still strong, and staff work tirelessly to improve the lives of local older people.  

The organisation provides support to 78 member groups to help their 3000+ members to connect with their communities, stay active and informed, improve their mental and physical health and ultimately take responsibility for their own wellbeing, ageing and living better for longer.

This year we received 60 individual referrals from 14 services including Multi-Disciplinary Teams, Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab Teams, ICT Teams, Good Morning Service and Access & Information.

This year we received 60 individual referrals from 14 services including Multi-Disciplinary Teams, Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab Teams, ICT Teams, Good Morning Service and Access & Information.

In 2025/2026 staff secured £195,732.63 in funding with 58 of their member groups, for each pound awarded through their annual contract, staff made it £3.30 by securing funding with groups, before any social value is added, which is immeasurable.   Grants secured enable lead volunteers to run a variety of Health and Wellbeing programmes from Body Wisdom to Beekeeping.  These programmes keep groups strong, well equipped and older people engaged in activities each week across the Newry & Mourne area.