Monday, 26 July 2010 14:13

Portmarnock’s Arch Club celebrated its 20th birthday on Saturday the 17th July last. The club, located behind St. Anne’s church is run by a committee, family members and volunteers and has been helping to integrate people with disabilities into the wider community since it began in 1990. “The Arch Club started 20 years ago when there was nothing in the area for people with special needs,” chairperson of the Arch Club committee, Kitty O’Connor told County Leader; now “it’s absolutely flourishing,” she said. Over 150 family members and friends came out to celebrate the club’s birthday which sprang from humble beginnings, but has now grown and evolved to meet the needs of its members. “We started out with hoops and balloons, but now volunteers from the community often invite the older members to matches or to the cinema.” A particular emphasis is placed on creating an environment for the club’s members to socialise in a natural way and volunteers from the community play a key role. She went on to explain, “We’re fully based and fully dependent on the community for volunteers and for support. What’s happening now, which we’re delighted to see is that volunteers are staying on even when they’re in college and the special members are thrilled to bits because their lives revolve around the club,” she said. The Arch Club has had a continual flow of volunteers through the years, with many  students from the local Portmarnock secondary school getting involved. Many volunteers previously involved with the Arch Club have gone on to have careers in the caring professions; including nurses, speech therapists, teachers and care assistants. The Arch Club has activities on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings and afternoons.

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