Young and old come together in Ratoath to help those in need

The people of Ratoath, both young and old, turned out in force recently to launch the People for People Initiative, which will see local people 'helping out their neighbours". People for People will look at the needs of the community and the pressures facing local people and will then organise and channel the community"s local resources to meet those needs. On a recent Friday morning in the Ratoath Community Centre, local schoolchildren and senior citizens were among those who attended the launch of the initiative, along with Minister Mary Wallace and Cllr Nick Killian. Betty Pennington, the woman who came up with the idea, says that People for People will try to identify and meet the needs of the local community. They have conducted a survey of what services people would like to see in the local community, whether it is someone to talk to, or maybe to help out in other ways. 'You could have a new young mother, just home from hospital, without her family around her, who might appreciate someone going along and helping out for a while,' Betty explained. An older, less mobile person might also need some help, while there are dozens of ways a neighbour might need help. Fr PJ Nyland, chaplain of the local Ratoath College, said that young people are very positive and good and their involvement in the project is very important. He said very few of Ratoath"s young people have grandparents in the area, so it is ideal for them to work with the elderly in the community. Fr Nyland said there is already a great community spirit in Ratoath and People for People will merely capitalise on that. Betty Pennington added the project is mainly about giving time to people, giving neighbours a hand and bridging the generation gap. 'Everyday life for all our citizens is becoming very challenging and there is increased stress and strain in people"s lives. People for People will be working to help residents cope with these pressures and to enjoy life better,' she added. Among those who attended the inaugural meeting was Maura O"Flaherty, Lagore Little, who has been a member of the Ratoath ICA guild for over 30 years and knows the importance of voluntary organisations in helping people cope. She moved to Ratoath over 30 years ago and her husband of two-and-half years died shortly afterwards. 'Without the ICA, I wouldn"t have survived,' she recalled. She is delighted to be part of the People for People initiative, because she knows how important it is to get involved in the local community. Her friend, Inez Spratt, agrees. She is a relatively new Ratoath resident, having moved here three years ago. She, too, is a member of the ICA and found it a great way to become part of the community. The younger generation has also been very eager to help out and a group of 24 students from Ratoath College attended the initial meeting. Transition year student, Philip Costigan, explained that Fr Nyland suggested they get involved and Betty Pennington met them and explained what the orgnaisation hoped to achieve. Up to five students will now be on the committee of People For People, but many more will get involved in the work of the organisation. 'We want to help the community and represent our school. We want to help the lonely and people who need someone to talk to,' he added. Philip says it is unfortunate that the image of young people in Ratoath had been tarnished recently by a very small number of people involved in antisocial behaviour and the Ratoath College students hope to show that the vast majority were good young people. The recent meeting in Ratoath involved a brainstorming session during which they discussed various activities. They also established a list of volunteers who were willing to get involved, The People for People Group will meet again in early January to get the ball rolling and to start helping their neighbours who need help.