Christmas Cheer gifts delivered to isolated older residents 

More than 1,800 older people who will be spending this Christmas alone will receive a small gift delivered to their door as part of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s ‘Christmas Cheer’ initiative.

Earlier this month the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Diana Armstrong, made a public appeal for people to nominate their family, friends and neighbours aged 65 and over who live alone or who are an informal unpaid carer to receive a ‘Christmas Cheer’ gift. People falling within this category could also contact the Council directly to receive a small gift.

With nominations closing last week, the Council’s Community Services team has been busy making up more than 1,800 ‘Christmas Cheer’ parcels for older residents, with the gifts being delivered to households across the district by Easilink Community Transport and Fermanagh Community Transport.

Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Diana Armstrong, said:

“The coronavirus health pandemic has made this year a challenging time for everyone.

This Christmas will be very different, with some family members unable to travel or visit and others choosing not to do so, meaning more people in our district may be spending this Christmas alone.

With financial assistance from the Department for Communities, the Council developed the Christmas Cheer initiative to help to bring the spirit of Christmas home to older residents who will be isolated at this time.

Our senior citizens are particularly vulnerable at this time of year, now more so than ever. A small act of kindness can go a long way and I would appeal to people to, where they can, look out for our more senior members of our community, especially those on their own at this time.”

The Christmas Cheer initiative, which is unique to the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, has been supported with funding from the Department for Communities.