Muriel McCluggage
MURIEL
McCluggage is a volunteer with the Moira Friendship Group based at the
St John's Parish Centre Moira where she takes a chair based exercise
class each week for people who are over 50 and need some support. The
Group was formed in September 2002 to address social exclusion and
provide a platform to promote friendship and wellbeing among older
people living within the Moira area. It facilitates a range of social,
cultural, recreational and physical activities which offer older people
the opportunity to pursue a healthy, active and positive lifestyle.
Muriel retired when she was 60 and led a very sedentary life for three
years. During this time she joined the Moira Friendship Group just to
get some exercise and at first she used to go and do her exercise and
leave without talking to anybody. Then she started to get more involved
and was asked to train to teach chair based aerobics. This led on to her
qualifying as a walk leader and now Muriel is on the Management
Committee and activities sub group. As part of the European Year of
Volunteering and building on last year's successful event, Volunteer Now
recently called on over 50s in Lisburn to join them to try their hand at
volunteering.
Before my classes I will rehearse new routines and find suitable music to go with them at home. My exercise class follows a 'way to health' programme, which runs at the centre. Members are weighed and health and diet is discussed before I come in to take my class for half an hour. Firstly we do a warm up to mobilise the joints so we aren't too stiff and then we start to work the muscles and joints, At the end we do some stretches and then the class finishes.
Before going out with a walking group myself and the other group
leaders will go investigate new
places to take the groups. Then on the arranged day of the walk we all
meet at the parish centre - normally about 50 of us and go on the bus.
Once everyone has signed in and registered we head off and when we reach
our destination we go for a walk, then have coffee and a chat and head
back to Moira at around lunch time. Out side of the group hours some of
the members meet for coffee and a chat and it's a great way to get know
people.
I just love working with people and really enjoy the activities and the music. It's great because it also means that I get good exercise and have fun at the same time.
Volunteering can bean integral part of a healthy, happy and rewarding
third stage of life. Whether
people have retired or are even thinking about retiring they should
consider giving volunteering a go for the first time or try something
different for the day.
Too often our population growing older is presented in negative terms and as a burden on society. However organisations like Volunteer Now try to challenge some of these stereotypes and show the real positive impact that is made by older volunteers to Northern Irish society.
I never thought that I would be a volunteer but look where I have ended up - I would definitely recommend getting involved with something that you enjoy doing m the first place. Volunteering will be a continuation of that enjoyment and you will really love it I'd encourage anyone who wants to find out more about volunteering options to log on to www.volunteernow.co.uk or call 028 90232020.
Ulster Star
07/10/2011
