Social EntrepreneurMary Nally

IntroductionMary Nally, the founder of Third Age, a national voluntary organisation and The Fáilte Isteach Programme

Mary visited to the supermarket several years ago prompted Nally to think about other forms of isolation in the community where, again, older people could help. “I was in my local supermarket and I saw a young mother [who was not from Ireland] having great difficulty reading the label on the package in her hand,” she recalls. “She had two small children with her and I could see the frustration in her face. I began to realise that was another form of isolation; if you don’t understand the local

IntroductionFáilte isteachMary then talked to the Third Age members, and the Fáilte Isteach programme was born, in which immigrants meet trained local older volunteers who help them to improve their English.

“They can benefit from free tuition in English and the friendship that goes with it,” says Nally, who describes how the combined efforts of about 700 volunteers in 22 counties chalks up roughly 40,000 hours of tuition each year “Being able to speak English helps families get to know their neighbours and become more a part of the community.”

Nally is continuing to look for ways to improve social situations. “There is so much more that can be done by identifying the needs and looking at ways of addressing them,” she says. “And it’s not rocket science.”

History Of Mary NallyFor Nally, who worked as a nurse, the idea to help older people in the community struck when her mother came to live with

her in Summerhill, Co Meath, 27 years ago. “I could see village life through my mother’s eyes, and I could see that there was

very little for her to do except bingo, which wasn’t for her,” she says. “So I called a public meeting to see what the

response would be like, with a view to setting up a social club.”

Plenty of interested older people turned up that evening, and Nally realised there was an abundance of creativity and goodwill

in the room. “That’s when I began to think about how we could tap into that resource to answer community needs and help

alleviate some of the difficulties of older age,” she says.

ImpactToday there are over 50 Fáilte Isteach projects throughout the country. Every week over 1,600 families are positively impacted by the project, with over 500 volunteers offering over a thousand hours of tuition each week to students from over 70 countries. Failte isteach has been listed on the EU Website for Integration as best practice in its field and as a project that is adaptable to any EU country.

The most significant impact of the Fáilte Isteach programme (Mary’s Programme) is the improved level of integration that it has helped bring about for the newcomers who now have friends and contacts to which they can turn in times of difficulty or stress. They are made to feel part of the community and feel welcomed and understood.

Creditshttp://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/social-entrepreneurs-wise-solutions-help-older-people-in-local-communities-1.2123041

http://socialentrepreneurs.ie/winners/mary-nally/