Happy Valentine's Day! Our Belfast Westwood store's wonderful community champion Noeleen McMahon pulled out all the stops to help a charity which offers a telephone befriending service for older people celebrate the big day in style.
With funding from the Asda Foundation, Noeleen helped to arrange a surprise three-course lunch and dance at Dunmurry Church Hall for members of the Good Morning Colin seniors’ group – and everyone got chocolates and a rose too.
Good Morning Colin, which was set up in 2002, is a free community-based support service for older and vulnerable people. It provides reassurance through daily telephone calls and support as well as integrating people into their communities and with local services.
Noleen said: "It's so fulfilling being able to offer this lovely get together. Sometimes there's nothing better than a sit down and a good chat. Seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces makes it all worthwhile."
Vincent McCann, who joined the lunch with his wife Kay, says Noeleen's work in the community makes a big difference.
He said: "The work Noeleen does means a lot to all us pensioners. She does fabulous work with the help of Asda Westwood, which gets us out and about in our local community and keeps us social.
"The Valentine’s lunch is a lovely meal for us all and gives us the chance to have a bit of craic, do a bit of socialising and enjoy a wee dance – Kay even got her hair done for the occasion!
"If we weren’t here, we’d be sitting in the house watching television so it really does mean a lot to us to have this day out."
Isabel Flood, co-ordinator at Good Morning Colin, said: “For a lot of older people this is a day that can be quite lonely, so being offered the chance to provide this lunch again was welcomed by us all here at Good Morning Colin. We can’t thank Asda enough for the generosity. It is so nice to be able to give back to the community and help in any way we can. Being able to provide a full three-course meal to those who attended made the day even more special.”
