Looking Back at Last Year’s Ozanam Come Dancing (Part 1)

Throwback to 2020 OCD and our lovely dancers!

Have you signed up for this year yet? Email niamh@ozanamhouse.ie or call (01) 874 2804 to find out more.

Check out what some of our dancers were thinking as they prepared their routines for the show.

White Lane Photography

Here is a sample…

Question 3:     Do you have any funny stories from rehearsals so far?

Yes. Last week at rehearsal, Harry bent down to lift me and tore open the back of his trousers!

Question 4:     Describe your partner in three words?

Messer, sweetheart, FLIRT.

More thoughts

Mens/ARG Outing – National Stud Farm & Japanese Gardens

Last Monday the Groups took in a visit to the National Stud in Kildare, and shared a great experience with the horses.

Afterwards, they went next door and took a tour of the beautiful Japanese Gardens and took in the wonderful scenery.

We have fun classes and take exciting trips each month. Ages 55+ can join, just email us at activeretirement@ozanamhouse.ie or call us at (01)8742804.

Men’s Group Trip to Powerscourt and Gravity Bar

On Wednesday, we visited Powerscourt House in Wicklow to enjoy the gardens in the good weather. Afterwards, we headed back to the Gravity Bar at the Guinness Brewery to have a spot of lunch and refreshment and met the Liam McCarthy Cup the week before.

Enjoying Powerscourt House and Gardens
Men’s Group with the Liam McCarthy Cup last week
A pint at the Gravity Bar

We have fun classes and take exciting trips each month. Ages 55+ can join, just email us at activeretirement@ozanamhouse.ie or call us at (01)8742804.

Adult Education Classes Updates July

Adult Education Class Members created art pieces, clothing and different accessories in the past few months.


To round off the year we had a small social event and exhibition, followed by a presentation of certificates ceremony with the participants of the classes.

At the Exhibition Hall
At the Exhibition
A Selection of Modern style paintings
A Selection of Modern style paintings
From the Dressmaking classes
From the Dressmaking classes
A Selection of Paintings from Art Classes
A Selection of Paintings from Art Classes
Dressmaking Display
Dressmaking Display
If you are interested in taking some of our classes, just email us at admin@ozanamhouse.ie or call us at (01)8742804.

Ozanam House Come Dancing Nov 2022

Take the plunge and join up to be one of our dancers for Ozanam Come Dancing 2022. It is our ninth annual OCD (apart from the lost covid years!) and it is being held on the 18th of November in Liberty Hall. The wonderful Brendan Courtney will host again this year and we will also have celebrity judges and spectacular half time acts. All we ask is for a 30 minute commitment each week for 9 weeks and the enthusiasm to raise some funds for Ozanam House.

Join Ozanam Come Dancing 2022

If you would like to get involved or want to know more information, please contact us at niamh@ozanamhouse.ie or phone (01)8742804 by Friday August 26th 2022.

Our Active Retirement Supports – This week’s Edition April 27th-May 3rd

We are continuing our online supports for our Active Retirement members. Here is this week’s version of the Activity Pack which also includes some previous material.

Each week will see new material and activities our members can enjoy. Be sure to get involved.

As always, if you have any questions or just feel the need to get in touch Jenna is available on 087 604 1703 or through email activeretirement@ozanamhouse.ie

Our Active Retirement Supports

As part of our remote supports to our senior members, we are sharing on our website the activities available to our Active Retirement Group since these measures were brought in.

The links below are packed with activities, health and safety material, nutritional content and general information. If you are feeling isolated or have any questions we are always here for your support.

Our Active Retirement Coordinator can be contacted on 087 604 1703 or through email activeretirement@ozanamhouse.ie.

Last Week’s Activity Packet;

And this week’s

Stay safe everyone.

What Our Men’s Group Have Been Doing During the COVID-19 Measures

While Ozanam House is closed, we endeavour to support all members of the Men’s Group during this difficult time. The Men’s Group exists, in no small part, to combat social isolation. The restrictions in place mean that this is made much more difficult. Having said that, we are happy that the provisions we put in place at the beginning of this pandemic are enough to help sustain the men’s physical and mental health.

Some of the measures we have in place include:

  • Calling the men at regular intervals throughout the week to make sure that they are availing of additional services in the community such as Meals on Wheels and the Garda Community Service. The men call also call the coordinator if they just want to have a chat anytime.
  • Posting out some invaluable information to each member regarding best practice while isolating. Tips on healthy eating to keep the body’s nutritional levels up. Tips on exercise and mindfulness techniques to keep the body fit. Ideas for activities to keep the brain stimulated such as crosswords, jigsaws and other types of puzzles.
  • We are continuing to plan for our summer programme even though it might be pushed back by several weeks. We are in constant contact with the men giving them updates and exchanging ideas for trips during the summer. I believe this will give the men something to look forward to when this finally blows over.

Going forward, we strive to minimise the effect that isolation has on our members. We are liaising with management and other senior coordinators on a weekly basis and exchanging ideas on how best to continue to support our members.

Oh So Special! Summer 2018

Youth Programmes

This year we had 236 children and young people engage in all of our summer projects. The last day of the project is always bittersweet and this yearwas no different. We had tears and hugs. Children pleading to come back…. Parents lining up to inquire about the registration day for our youth programmes. As short as the summer is, it makes an enormous impact on the children and the holidays we are able to give them. The handmade thank you cards from the children will surely make it to the volunteers’ memory boxes for a very long time.

As we were about to close the side door for One last time, we noticed that one of the children stayed back with his mum after everyone left, crying his little heart out. When we asked them what was going on they told us that he was crying because he didn’t want to lose all the new friends he had made in this two weeks. It is at times like this that we get to fully appreciate the impact the summer project has on the children’s life.

In many ways, the Summer Project brings the whole community around Ozanam House together for the duration of the summer to make a difference in the children and young people’s lives. All this is only possible with the huge contribution and dedication from our volunteers who take time out from their summer holidays and help us make the children’s Summer happen. This year was amazing, we engaged 61 volunteers, 38 of whom came to the centre for the first time, all contributing to a truly incredible summer.

 

 

Community

-Active Retirement Group

The weather was very kind on our days out – except for the first trip when it was really hot, the temperature was very pleasant. The general atmosphere in the group is very pleasant and positive – appreciatively making the best of everything that comes their way and set out with an intention to enjoy the day and have fun. Our bus driver – Liam – was so pleasant and so helpful – above and beyond the call of duty. He knows the group very well at this stage and they think the world of him. Food and service were always excellent. Having a good meal out is very important for members and really makes it a good day out.

-Men’s Group

The summer Outings Programme is a key aspect in the overall personal development of the members in the Men’s Group at Ozanam House. Members gain educational, social, historical, physical and cultural skills by attending the programme which is an extension of the weekly club they attend. The men are very interested in Irish history, a fact they shared with us on an earlier outing to Kilmainham Gaol. We therefore decided to bring the men on trips with substantial Irish cultural and historical significance. It worked very well as the tours were in chronological order, starting with the earliest rebellions of the 15th century and continuing up until the rising in 1916. The summer programme began with a trip to Athlone Castle, followed by trips to Meath, Wexford, Kildare, Wicklow and Cavan. It culminated with a trip to the Padraig Pearse Museum which brought everything together very nicely.

Some of the guys spoke about how important the trips were to them and that it would have been a long and lonely summer for them if the trips were not on. That highlights how vital the Men’s Group is to its members. It is, in essence, their family and they enjoy being a part of it.

 

 

Childcare

Ozanam House Childcare Centre has had a very busy summer. The childcare centre staff are delighted with the result of our makeover during the summer months. With new flooring, furniture and a fresh lick of paint the classrooms are looking bright and fresh and are an inviting space for the preschool and afterschool children to spend time learning and exploring. While the centre was busy having a makeover the children were equally as busy having fun, the pre-schoolers enjoyed trips to Wooly Wards Farm, Imaginosity, Malahide Castle and Howth beach while the afterschoolers went swimming in a local pool and enjoyed trips to St Annes Park and the Phoenix Park. We are now settled back into our new term, we have welcomed some new preschool and afterschool children and look forward to welcoming more to our new and improved centre.