Helping people to help themselves
AN ACTIVE retirement group which engages in a plethora of different activities is all about “helping people to help themselves” when they wrap up their working life.
St Mark’s Silver Surfers is slowly getting back to its best, with its 190 members starting to engage in more activities and go on more trips once again.
Following their return to action earlier this year – after a prolonged cessation due to Covid-19 guidelines – the Springfield-based group has brought on additional members.
At present, there are 50 people on the waiting list to join the club and the Silver Surfers are in the process of accepted 10 more of those applications.
Between 100- and 120-members pop into the home of the club at St Mark’s GAA every Monday to take part in games of bowls, pool, darts, or ring toss, or relax to a bun and a cup of tea.
Within the group, there are sub-groups for people who want to do a bit of knitting or even engage in organising trips away.
Phil, Shay, Des, Tom and Mick
Photos by Mark Pollock
Recently, a cohort of the members jetted off to Benidorm and they are planning a trip down the countryside in September.
But the group is not limited to the confines of the activities that they host regularly.
Chairperson of the St Mark’s Silver Surfers, Robert Turlock, is passionate about enabling people to organise their own events through the club.
A Whitebrook resident, Robert joined the group some six years ago and first served as treasurer before taking over as chairperson in 2020.
“It’s an active retirement association, so it’s an over-55’s group for people who are either retired or semi-retired,” Robert tells The Echo.
Members of the Silver surfers group
“Nobody in it is under the age of 60 at the moment, but you would have a few people that are in their 80s and 90s coming to the club.
“It’s all about meeting different people, and meeting people with common interests.
“If anybody wants to organise something, they can. I do believe in helping people to help themselves.”
St Mark’s Silver Surfers operate on Mondays and engage in certain activities on Wednesday and Friday every week.
The group is contactable on stmarkssilversurfers@gmail.com
