Delivering dinners with a message of support to the community

FOR all the wonderful scenery, fresh air and wide open space, there’s no escaping the isolation of rural life in huge parts of Tyrone.

That physical separation can add to the chill in the tough times, just like the cost of living crisis which many of us are experiencing now. Fuel costs may prevent that extra journey into town for the game of cards, a visit to family, or a night out socialising.

And when it comes to help and services available, some rural householders can understandably feel left behind or forgotten about.

But thanks to the huge delivery of Christmas dinners to more than 200 people in the Kildress area, the message is very clear: No one will be forgotten at this time of crisis.

The dinners were the latest in a long line of initiatives from the Kildress Health Matters group.

Set up in 2005 by local businessman Des Keenan to help raise money for the cancer treatment of a local woman, the group has continued to provide welcome support to many local people.

Justin McGurk – known to many as the singer with The Boogie Men – is one of the key members of Kildress Health Matters – which he says is always looking for volunteers and donations.

On Sunday Justin was one of six volunteers to help deliver the dinners.

“Hopefully it will have brought some help to the local people. We know how difficult it is at the minute for so many families and anything that we can do, might help a bit,” said Justin.

“Since we started Kildress Health Matters we have helped over 100 families in the parish, whereby a family member, maybe the breadwinner has been unable to work due to illness, we would have provided them with a bit of financial help to tide them over.

“We also did a voucher scheme, a £25 voucher for food for those families in the parish that were struggling.”

Justin revealed that their group had also brought the Big Red Action Cancer Bus to the parish which resulted in one woman having an early breast cancer diagnosis.

“At the minute we are looking for more volunteers and obviously more donations for our work. We have become much more cross-community recently and that has been very important,” he continued.

“We know that there are so many charities out there who all need our support at the moment, but we would ask anyone who is doing a marathon, or to make a donation in lieu of birthday gifts, maybe organising a coffee morning, or quiz night, to keep us in mind.

“The good thing about Kildress Health Matters is that the money is going directly to help people here in our community and we know that there is still a big need. We will be hoping to organise a major fundraising event in 2023 and we would again ask, if anyone wants to get involved as a volunteers, then they are more than welcome.”