Leeds Irish Community Newsletter III · The same fate of course also befell our Leeds Irish Health and Homes St. Patrick’s Day party. But, with huge thanks to Radio Leeds, we were

WE ARE MANY GROUPS, BUT ONE COMMUNITY::

THE LEEDS IRISH COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO COVID-19

Firstly, I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well. They say communities are like tea bags – you never know how strong they are until you put them in hot water. Well, our community, like so many across the world, has been tested in these last few months, but it is also not surprising to me that we have demonstrated how strong we are. In the ways we’ve come together, how people have found innovative ways to show they care, and in how we’ve all worked hard to make sure no one feels forgotten.

In mid-March, when it became clear quite how serious the pandemic was looking, a number of people from the different community organisations across the city started talking about what might be needed for those members of the Irish community who would find themselves vulnerable to isolation, food and medication shortages and a deterioration of their health. This included us at Leeds Irish Health and Homes, the Irish Centre, the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Hugh O’Neills GAA club – who all had members who said that they’d be willing to help – and we knew that others would want to help too.

We know that our community is full of strong people, many of whom have been through plenty of tough times. As a community, we’re so proud of the ways that we offer help to others, but maybe we’re not the best at asking for help when we need it, or even taking help when it’s offered! We worried that our friends and relations would be ones saying they were 'grand’ when they might be worried about how they’d come through, or be feeling a bit lost because they weren’t working, missing having friends and family visiting or not getting the bits of help that mean they’re usually able to look out for themselves just fine.

As a group we organised ourselves very quickly. We set up a dedicated phone line straight away that anyone who needed a “helping hand or listening ear” can call. And that will remain open throughout the pandemic, so please do call if you ever think there’s something you might need a hand with.

We made a video calling for people to come forward to register as volunteers and shared that on social media and the response was fantastic. Over 100 people registered to be volunteers.

Volunteers have signed up to do phone calls to anyone who just wants to chat, to deliver shopping or medication to anyone who can’t get out, as well as arranging door step visits to people who want them.

Newsletter for the Irish Community in Leeds

June 2020

Registered under the Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 Registered number 28320R

After a couple of weeks, we then realised that what many people were missing was just a little taste of home. So all the groups donated £100 each and we developed what became known as the “Craic Packs” – small bags of happiness with some favourite Irish goodies (Barry’s tea, Kimberley biscuits or soda bread) but also some drawings and letters from primary school children and a “How are you” postcard with the number on to remind people to reach out any time.

Volunteers have now delivered Craic Packs to over 200 people and it’s something we’d love to continue if we can. We know it will be many months before anything is back to “normal” so we want to make sure The Craic continues whatever happens! If you would like to donate to help make this happen, we’d love to hear from you. Or if you’d like to nominate someone to receive a Craic Pack get in touch. See the back page for details on how to do this.

We have organised 2 drop-offs over the last month and reached in excess of 200 people. The response has been amazing from both the recipients and the volunteers. LIHH have also worked with local schools where we have started a pen pal exchange and delivered rainbow pictures made by the children to be distributed.

The legacy of COVID-19 will be felt long after this year, but the knowledge that our community has mobilised to support each other will also be a legacy we can all be very proud of.

Ant Halon, CEO at Leeds Irish Health and Homes

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR, RACHAEL LOFTUS

The Irish phrase that we live in the shelter of one another “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na doine” has never had more meaning than in 2020. At the start of the year we could never have imagined how quickly all our lives would change. The things we took for granted – a quick trip to the shops, calling in to see friends - were all suddenly transformed. And the things we took as sacred – being able to gather and pay our respects to loved ones who died, even the hugs from grandchildren - were take from us, without pity.

For many of us, it was when the St Patrick’s Day celebrations were cancelled all across Ireland – that was our first sense of the enormity of the situation. It was sad news when our own Leeds St Patrick’s Day parade was cancelled. But I am in no doubt at all, that that decision saved many lives, and I applaud the parade committee for taking the decision, despite both the hard work and the hard cash that had already gone into making it happen.

The same fate of course also befell our Leeds Irish Health and Homes St. Patrick’s Day party. But, with huge thanks to Radio Leeds, we were able to at least bring some of the joy, music and poetry to our community and our wider Leeds community by having a “virtual” celebration over the airwaves.

I said on that day and I repeat here, that our emigrant songs of loss, of longing for home are particularly poignant right now “the hard times have come again once more”, but that those songs, also point to our hope for better times for the “bright, brand new day”. I’m sure the next time we can safely gather, we will more than make up for our time apart – and I suspect the music, the dancing and the sight of familiar faces, will help us all to heal and to hope.

In times of crisis, to retain hope, I was always told to “look for the helpers”. Even in a war zone where things are bleak, there also is someone tending to the injured, protecting the children or sharing their food. During this pandemic, our Thursday thanks to those “helpers” on the front line of helping have meant a great deal to my colleagues working in the NHS, the Council, working in supermarkets, making deliveries or volunteering. Through my work I am in a privileged position to see so much of the hard work that has gone into helping keep people safe – and it’s not all glamorous! Hospital receptionists are also parents with kids at home trying to work on dodgy internet connections, data scientists are also people queueing to get into the supermarkets hoping they can get back in time for their next download, food supply analysts working out what 2 metres distancing means in every warehouse in the country looks like are also people desperate for the tip to reopen.

My own special thanks are also extended to the staff and volunteers of Leeds Irish Health and Homes. Under extraordinary circumstances, they have maintained essential services, developed new ways of keeping our community in contact – and they have all done so whilst their own lives have been less easy. They have shown grace under pressure and have never once wavered from our core values of care, culture and community. When all of this is over, we may never know the personal sacrifices that so many people have made and the toll it has taken on them, but we thank them all for their shelter.

Rachael Loftus, Chair at Leeds Irish Health and Homes


June 2020


A WORD FROM VOLUNTEER MANAGER SARAH MCBRIDE

The contribution that the volunteers make is invaluable. I have been a volunteer manager for many years now. It’s lovely to be involved in the Irish community and especially reaching out to those who may need just to know that there is someone there. I am full of admiration for all of the people who have selflessly given up their time to volunteer in order to help others. We have met a lovely bunch of people. The volunteers' efforts have made a huge impact on the Irish community. We have had 56 volunteers deliver Craic Packs over the last couple of months. We delivered to 110 people on the first drop off and 113 on the second. We have reached so many people and have received such wonderful feedback. The packs have hopefully connected people back home.

Some of the volunteers have been offering telephone support and also offering to shop for those most vulnerable due to being in isolation. Volunteers have also completed doorstep visits and another volunteered to take care of an allotment for an owner in isolation. If it wasn’t for the volunteer the allotment wouldn’t have been looked after. One watches YouTube football with his match and another arranged afternoon tea to be delivered over the weekend to a lady who is 92, just to lift her spirits. It really doesn’t get much better than that.

Thanks again to everyone whose contributions have made this a huge success, and without the amazing volunteers we couldn’t deliver what we do.

Special thanks to Sean McGibney who has given so much of his time to support us and the Irish associations with our social media, newsletter as well as delivering our Craic Packs.

Sarah McBride, Volunteer Manager at Leeds Irish Health and Homes

Quotes from Volunteers & People in Our Community

"My volunteer calls me three times a week, and she’s lovely. Really lifts my spirits. It’s nice to talk to

someone."

"I woke this morning and felt sad I was all on my own, and thought nobody cares and it’s just

another day. Then you have made me so happy, when I saw the lady with a pack of shopping for me,

I just couldn’t believe it. You’re one in a million."

"It’s nice to be able to support someone who you wouldn’t normally interact with in these tough

times, and it’s gone more from volunteering to a friendship."

"It’s good to feel that you are making a small contribution in this time of Covid."

"I really enjoyed meeting the lady I was matched with who I had being offering telephone support to,

it’s so nice to meet them in person."


June 2020


COVID-19 AWARENESS

While COVID-19 continues to impact all of us we need to be clear about how to keep ourselves and others safe. It's a veryup-to-date with government guidance and also to find ways of coping with a different way of life. Some basic rules at the time of writing are:

• Continue to keep a distance of at least two-metresfrom anybody if you are out and about.

• Wash your hands thoroughly for twenty seconds oruse hand sanitizer before going out in thecommunity and when returning home.

• Isolate at home for seven days from the beginningof symptoms of suspected COVID-19.

The best way to keep up-to-date with the latest advice is to look on the government website or through the news on TV and radio. If you have a Support Worker you can contact them to have a chat about what the latest guidance means.

Guidance if You are Shielding

Have you received a letter from the NHS that advised you to take extra precautions against COVID-19? It is important to know that these letters have only been sent to people who have got health conditions. That means you would be likely to have serious complications if you caught the coronavirus. The letters talk about people who are “extremely medically vulnerable” which can be a bit confusing. This just means that you would have a serious version of COVID-19 if you caught it – not that you are currently unwell or unhealthy. This letter gives you the advice that you need to stay indoors as much as you can, with any trips out of your home to be outdoors only and maintaining strict social distance with anyone you come into contact with. Even within your own home, you should avoid close contact with people who are regularly going outside or into crowded places.

If you have received this letter, there is important information inside it that tells you how to register with the national programme. Registering is very useful as this confirms that you have received and understood the letter, it also means that you can get food delivered to your door and most importantly, you will be sent important updates when things change. This advice is in place until the end of June 2020, and there will be updated advice shortly about what the situation will be after June.

If you think you might have received a letter like this, you’d like to discuss what it means to you, or if you’d like a hand to register – please don’t hesitate to call Leeds Irish Health and Homes and we can help. Call us on 0113 262 5614.

Cara Letters, Trad Music & Irish Dancing

INTERGENERATIONAL WORK DURING COVID-19:

CARA LETTERS


June 2020

LIHH Community Connector Siobhan approached local schools in Leeds with a pen pal initiative, ‘Cara Letters’. Cara Letters are letters that can be kept, read and replied to by LIHH members, in their own time in isolation. Each letter features a message of positivity .

Our service users have loved receiving letters and the fact they can take the time to respond. Some haven’t done so for years, so it has been lovely to start up something again that they once did. It would be wonderful if we could get more schools involved. If you would like to get in contact to learn more about this, please ring the office or email Siobhan at [email protected].

During the pandemic, we have been sharing clips of some wonderfully talented young musicians from Leeds Comhaltas and Irish dancers from Watson McCleave and Helen Rowland Academies on our social media channels. The videos have been greatly received and have amassed over 50,000 views!

We would like to thank all of the organisations who have come together to support these activities, which have brought smiles to many faces - across Leeds and far beyond!


A MESSAGE FROM LEEDS IRISH ORGANISATIONS

Hugh O’Neills GFC

Hugh O’Neills GFC is a men’s and ladies' Gaelic Football club based in Leeds, comprised mostly of members who emigrated from Ireland. The Club was established in 1948 and is the longest running and most successful Gaelic Football team in Yorkshire.

With our on-field activities temporarily paused, many of our players have been volunteering to help those in our community who may be in need during these times. We'd like to thank our Club members who are front-line workers as well as the wider NHS for their incredible commitment and professionalism during this challenging period. Go raibh mile maith agat.

If you or someone you know needs a hand or want to chat about Ireland or Gaelic Games, please call the Leeds Irish Community number on 07904 246 531.

St. Benedicts Harps GAA (Leeds)

The club was formed in 1983 initially as an under-age team, providing Gaelic Football for players between the ages of 10 and 18 in Leeds. The club won numerous League & Championships at under-age within Yorkshire as well as Challenge tournaments & Feile representation in Ireland through the 1990’s & into the 21st Century. The club entered into Senior & Junior competitions in 2001, having attracted an influx of players arriving to the city from Ireland, the club experienced its first key adult success in 2003, winning the Yorkshire/Lancashire Pennine League in the infancy of the competition.

Email at [email protected], or on 07854 686 693.

John F Kennedy GAA

Our Gaelic football club was formed in 1965 and is currently the only club in Leeds offering both youth and adult football. We pride ourselves on our family club ethos.

Whilst our training and matches have been put on hold due to the pandemic we have had many of our members assisting with the Leeds Irish Communities group.

We have also been running a weekly football card through our parents WhatsApp group. The proceeds have been donated to the workplaces of our members who have been working on the frontline throughout this time to show our thanks for all they do.

We hope everyone is keeping safe and well through all this.

Contacts: [email protected], [email protected]

Liam Thompson, Chairman of Leeds Irish Centre's Committee

Despite the difficult times the Irish Community as always has continued to do what it does best with looking after each other. If it’s a call or being someone just to talk to we are all always there. Although our doors are shut in what should be the lead up to our 50th year celebrations we have not stopped. We have assisted with helping the teams distribute the goodies which have brought smiles to faces via the teams of volunteers. We continue to support Simon on The Streets where we provide sandwiches now twice a week to help those who still have no roof over their heads. It is something which we have done for years and will continue to do.

When this is all over and it will be sometime in the future we will welcome everyone back and thank God for the good works everyone is doing and the safe return to our home on the hill above Leeds.

Irish Ladies' Golf Society in Leeds

“If the men can be out playing golf for most of the day, why can’t we?" Thenceforth, the ladies' society was born.

The ladies started meeting in various houses and as numbers grew organised meetings at the Irish Centre, Leeds were introduced and formal records commenced in 1975.

We still survive today with some of the original 1975 members and thrive and enjoy playing and being in the company of a wider circle of friends. We are affiliated to the Irish Centre where we hold our monthly meetings in normal times.

It has been great to have been able to work alongside the other Irish associations to support the whole community and we are eager to help where we can. The society would like to wish everyone health and happiness always during this time.


June 2020


A MESSAGE FROM LEEDS IRISH ORGANISATIONS

Irish Arts Foundation Presents ‘The Leeds Irish Music Programme’

Irish Arts Foundation is delighted to announce a new fortnightly Irish radio show starting on Tuesday 2nd June which will run initially for eight weeks.

It will be presented by local Irish traditional musicians Owen Spafford - the current 15-18 All Britain fiddle champion - assisted by Des Hurley, Director of Irish Arts Foundation and engineered by Elliott Moon from Chapel FM.

‘’Whilst in these unprecedented times we have been focusing on our online presence and sharing some of the best Irish traditional music and arts digital content, we are mindful that many older or now more isolated members of our Leeds Irish community do not have access to the internet and might be more familiar tuning in and listening to a fortnightly radio show’’, said Christy Herron, Irish Arts Foundation Development Officer.

Now on the FM airwaves at 94.6FM! Tune in fortnightly to East Leeds FM, ‘The Leeds Irish Music Programme’ Tuesday evening 6.30-7.30pm.

Be sure to tune in to the next show!

2020 Leeds St Patrick’s Day Parade

The Leeds St Patrick Day Parade, always held on the Sunday before the 17th March, is now an annual calendar event in the city supported by the Irish community and well received by the citizens of Leeds.

This year on Friday, 1st March the Parade was completely ready to go for the following Sunday; nice weather was forecast and it was eagerly awaited, but at midday because of the virus the committee decided in the public interest to cancel the whole event. We were left with huge cancellation fees but are determined to be back next year.

Leeds Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann

We are a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann, an organisation which is dedicated to the promotion of Irish, music, song and dance. The Leeds branch was formed in October 1969 and we celebrated our momentous 50th anniversary in October 2019.

With our lessons and sessions being on temporary hold at the moment we have been asking the junior musicians to send in films of them playing their favourite tunes. These have then been played on social media and to elderly or vulnerable people who are isolating. This has been greatly received and also helped encourage the kids to practise!

Our chairman Seán Gavaghan was one of the instigators in the forming of The Leeds Irish Communities group who have been offering help and a friendly ear to the more vulnerable in the Leeds Irish Community. Many of our members have been involved in calling people and delivering the Craic Packs.

We hope everyone is staying safe and look forward to entertaining again as soon as we can.


June 2020


MONDAY• Beat the Monday morning blues with the

fabulous dancers at Watson McCleave Academyof Irish Dancing - LIHH Facebook Page.

• Readings of Poetry by Ian Duhig and Ray French- LIHH Facebook Page.

• Mindfulness, stress & relaxation techniquesTelephone support, anytime 9am - 5pm. Call:07883388332.

TUESDAY• Live workout with Charles O'Donnell, 11am

-11.40am. Including its Kettle Boil Challenge! -LIHH Facebook Page.

• Sing-along with Teresa and Carol, 1.30-2.30pm.Due to start mid-June. - LIHH Facebook Page.

WEDNESDAY• Mindfulness, stress & relaxation techniques

Telephone support, anytime 9am - 5pm. Call:07883388332.

• Emma's Art Blog, 2-2.40pm. Zoom invite. Call:07788724634.

• John 's "Doorstep" Comedy Corner, 3-3.20pm- LIHH Facebook Page.

VIRTUAL ACTIVITY TIMETABLE - COVID-19

"LEEDS IRISH IN LOCKDOWN" - CREATIVE WRITING OPPORTUNITY

Fado Fado is a Leeds Irish Health and Homes initiative. It began with a small group of writers following the successful publication of The Trojan Donkey, the first LIHH Poetry anthology edited by Ian Duhig and Teresa O’Driscoll. Now is your chance to take part in our next venture!

We live in extraordinary times and we want you, the Irish Community in its broadest sense to capture what living in the time of COVID -19 has meant to you.

The writing can take the form of poetry, short story, reflective piece on a day in lockdown; in fact whatever you are moved to write about. It can be factual, fantasy, witty, thoughtful, first person, second or third!

If you feel inclined to write please do – help is available with editing and making the most of a piece of writing. It’s worth bearing in mind that most of the contributors for The Trojan Donkey had never been published previously and most were new writers.

We are also pleased to announce that the Geraldine Ryan Memorial Prize will be available again. There is £100 worth of prizes to be won. You never know, we might even collect enough material to have a second publication of work from the Leeds Irish community!

Submission deadline is Monday 21st September 2020. Announcements will be made in December 2020. Teresa can be contacted by email at [email protected] or leave a message on 0113 262 5614 and someone will get back to you.


THURSDAY• Zooming Lovely! Virtual coffee morning with

Siobhan & Elise. Zoom invite, 11am-12pm. Call:07395793915.

• Beginner's IT. 1.30 – 2.30pm. Zoom invite. Call:07918078150.

• John’s Soda Bread Bake-Off! 4-5pm - LIHHFacebook Page.

FRIDAY• Counselling Support. Telephone support,

anytime 9am - 5pm. Call: 07918078150.• Irish Music Session, 3-4pm - LIHH Facebook

Page.


June 2020

A SPECIAL MENTION

In Memory of Two Much-loved Members of the Leeds Irish Community

With great sadness we bring you the news of the recent passing away of James Cribbin. James was a valued member of our Monday Lunch Club with his wife Patricia. He was a great Gaelic football supporter and he was a proud supporter of Mayo. James enjoyed The Craic with his friends and colleagues. He will be greatly missed.

It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Michael Scanlon after a short illness on Wednesday 29th April 2020. Michael was a regular member of Leeds Irish Health and Homes’ Memory Group. Together with his wife Mary he would attend our weekly Monday and Friday Lunch Clubs and our events which he enjoyed very much. Michael enjoyed the music and The Craic and had a smile for all of us. He will be fondly remembered by all his friends at LIHH and in the wider Irish community.

May James and Michael Rest in Peace.

Bereavement

No one likes to think of death and dying, but we Irish do it really well. We have long standing traditions involving attending funerals, taking part in wakes, visiting the bereaved family’s home to offer condolences and to bring food. We spend hours telling stories about the deceased and reminiscing about better times. Over and over again! We can’t get enough of the stories of their life, warts and all.

Word normally spreads fast across the community when someone is ill and when they die. Normally the community mobilises to support the bereaved family by physically being there at the receival of the body in the church or at the funeral itself or at the wake or indeed all three.

It’s part of what holds the community and family together at a difficult time. But we are not living in a normal time. This cruel pandemic has driven us as a community to be a lot more socially isolated than we find comfortable. It has also meant we are losing loved ones more frequently than normal. And most cruel of all, our normal ways of celebrating a life and marking a death have been taken away from us.

Hopefully things will ease up in coming months. But meanwhile we must be careful not to bottle it all up.

Michael Scanlon

If we know of someone who has passed away, we can still make that effort to phone, text or write to the bereaved family to offer condolences.

We can still talk to those with whom we still have contact and share stories of those who have passed.

If you would like someone to ring you to listen to your stories of someone who has passed, or how the lockdown is affecting you, please ring 0113 262 5614 and someone from Leeds Irish Health and Homes will ring you back.

Deirdre Quill, Team Leader Irish Community Support Service


June 2020


Get in Touch

Just a little note from Leeds Irish Health and Homes to say ‘Hello’ and that we are

thinking about you!

We have a number of volunteers also ready to lend an ear or a hand to the friends of our

charity at this time.

Stay safe and if you need anything please call.

Telephone0113 262 5614

[email protected]

POETRY CORNER GARDENING CORNER

This wonderful garden is the product of LIHH tenant Andrew who lives at Davitt House. He's been very proactive with his gardening and is seeing the fruits of his labour. He has transformed the garden into a place where the other tenants will enjoy the summer sun!


June 2020


June 2020Registered under the Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 Registered number 28320R

EATING IN IRELAND IN THE SIXTIES

Pasta had not been invented.

Curry was a surname.

A takeaway was a mathematical problem

A pizza was something to do with a leaning tower. Bananas and oranges only appeared at Christmas time.

All crisps were plain, the only choice we had was whether to add salt or not.

A Chinese chippy was a foreign carpenter.

Rice was a milk pudding and never ever part of our dinner.

A Big Mac was something we wore when it was raining. Brown bread was something only poor people ate.

Oil was for lubricating; fat was for cooking.

Cubed sugar was regarded as posh.

Nobody heard of yoghurt.

Indian restaurants were only found in India.

Kebab was not even a word, never mind a food.

Surprisingly, muesli was readily available, it was called cattle feed.

Pineapples came in chunks, in a tin, we had only seen pictures of real ones.

Water came out of a tap, if someone had suggested bottling it and charging more than petrol for it, we

would have become the laughingstock.

-- Cormac

sean

Cross-Out

During this difficult time, Leeds Irish Health and Homes is committed to providing vital services to the Irish community. We know that the uncertainty, isolation and disruption to daily life means you might need some extra support. We know that your circumstances and mental health needs may have also changed as a result of COVID-19.

To help you feel safe and connected, we have an Irish mental health support worker dedicated to delivering 1 to 1 support to people of Irish heritage with common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

If you feel your mental health has been affected by COVID-19 and would like a listening ear please do not hesitate to contact us on 0113 262 5614 or [email protected].


THE LEEDS IRISH COMMUNITY

Under the banner, ‘We are many groups, but we are One Community’ the initiative brought together Leeds Irish Centre, Leeds Irish Health and Homes, Leeds Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann, Hugh O’Neill’s Leeds GAA, JFK GAA, Leeds St Benedict’s Harps GAA, The Irish Arts Foundation, Leeds Irish Golf Society, Helen Rowland Academy of Irish Dancing, Watson McCleave Academy of Irish Dancing, The Leeds St Patrick’s Day Parade, The Joyce-O'Donnell School of Irish Dancing, Leeds Mayo Association, and Leeds Irish Ladies' Golf Society as well as interested individuals.

If you or your group would like to get involved, we’d be really happy to have your support. Call 07904 246 531 or email [email protected].


Documents

Leeds Irish Community Newsletter III · The same fate of course also befell our Leeds Irish Health and Homes St. Patrick’s Day party. But, with huge thanks to Radio Leeds, we were