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Active Retirement,Ireland
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Active Retirement, Ireland (formerly The Federation ofActive Retirement Associations) is the umbrella body for the Active Retirement movement. GROWTH The first Active Retirement Association was founded in Dun Laoghaire in 1978. By 1985 there were 23 groups, mainly in the Dublin area. The Federation was established in that year to represent Active Retirement nationally and to coordinate and expand the movement. The first President was Maurice Kennedy of Dun Laoghaire ARA and the first Secretary was Breid Cahill of Haddington Road ARA, both of whom served the Federation for many years. The Blanchardstown ARA delegate to the new body was Muiris Prenderville. He was appointed Resource Officer and produced the FARA constitution, a model constitution for individual Associations, terms of reference for various sub-committees and a series of information leaflets. He also produced a comprehensive Training Manual. All the work, including the development and servicing of new groups, was carried out on a voluntary basis and there was no state or other form of funding. Nevertheless, the movement continued to expand nationwide and some Regional Councils were set up. In 1999, the state finally recognised the valuable work being done by the Federation and core funding was provided by the Department of Health and Children. This enabled FARA to appoint a full-time Administrator and part-time Office Assistant. A number of part-time Development Officers have also been appointed, partially funded by some Health Boards. Rapid expansion is now in progress and the current situation is that there are now 420 Associations with a total membership of 25,000. FARA is the largest national front-line organisation catering specifically for the Over 55's on a day-to-day basis. STRUCTURE The unit of the organisation is the local Active Retirement Association, usually covering a district. Each unit is independent but works within the guidelines of the Federation to which it is affiliated. Associations appoint delegates to a National Council, which meets a few times a year, and also to the Annual Conference. An Executive Committee, elected at Annual Conference, meets monthly and manages the affairs of the Federation. In addition, there are five Regional Councils; the local Development Officers work to these. AIMS Membership is open to men and women over 55 years whose whole day is no longer taken up with work paid or unpaid i.e. retired, redundant, unemployed and those who now find themselves with less work to do in the home. Members are expected to be reasonably fit and mobile and not dependent on others. FARA's main aims are: · To assist its members to make retirement a purposeful enjoyable phase of life, and to create bonds of friendship by participation in sporting, educational and social activities. · To ensure that members maintain physical and mental activity, good health and a spirit of independence and self-help for as long as possible. · To promote a more positive image of ageing among the public. To achieve these aims, Associations organise a huge range of indoor and outdoor sporting activities, holiday breaks, tours, theatre visits, arts and crafts, lectures and much more. Most groups meet two days a week. ETHOS
The movement is voluntary and non-sectarian. It is based on a philosophy of self-help and independance. Members organise themselves for themselves and draw first onthe intellectual or manual talents of members, for example, to act as tutors or instructors; only in the last resort do they avail of outside expertise. They pay their own way in fees and charges and do not accept donations for their personal benefit. The Federation and individual Associations are, of course, happy to accept grants or donations for general purposes! BENEFITS The numbers of older people are increasing steadily and people are living longer; most will have one-third of their lives to live after fifty! These trends pose significant questions for the future in social and economic terms. Because the role of the retired person is increasing in social importance by reason of growing numbers, longer life and better health, retirement and older age should now be seen as offering a new lease of life. In terms of personal benefits, the Active Retirement movement offers:
ØCompanionship, which permeates all activities and is especially important for widowed and single people. Ø Wide range of interesting activities. Ø New creative skills in arts and crafts ØEducational opportunities, broadly based and informal. ØSporting activities, indoor and outdoor, to suit all capabilities. Ø Special holidays, day tours and theatre outings. Ø Support, information and encouragement.
In terms of social benefits to the community, Active Retirement: Ø Enhances the status of retired people and of older people in general. Ø Encourages them to maintain activity, good health and independence as long as possible. Ø Improves their capacity to cope with a substantial change in lifestyle. Ø Reduces demand on the health services. Ø Contributes to community life in various ways. ACTIVE RETIREMENT is the way to POSITIVE LIVING
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