The day marked an important step in supporting the health and wellbeing of older adults in the community. The morning brought together a wide range of local organisations, including the council’s Age Friendly team, Health Walks Hertfordshire, AGE UK Hertfordshire, Citizens Advice, Alzheimer’s UK and more.
Irish in Britain also provided two specialist nurses, Valerie Nangle from Green Hearts and Diabetes Champion Christina Fitzgerald, alongside a Healthy Ageing Project stall.
The event drew 70 attendees, majority but not exclusively Irish, aged between 60 and 80+. Visitors engaged enthusiastically with stallholders, picked up health information, and 20 people received blood pressure checks.
The talks were a highlight of the day, offering practical advice on diabetes, memory support, walking groups, financial planning and age-friendly initiatives. Several attendees signed up for local walking groups, and others said the diabetes talk inspired them to make changes to their diet.
Survey feedback was extremely positive: 100 percent of respondents enjoyed the event and the talks, and 92 percent said they planned to take action regarding their health afterwards. Many hoped to become more active, improve their diet or monitor their blood pressure.
Attendees also suggested topics for future events, including arthritis, osteoporosis, fatigue, stoma care and mental health.
Overall, the event was informative and well attended.
A huge thank you to all stallholders, volunteers and attendees who helped make Irish Network Stevenage's first health awareness event such a success.