OPPORTUNITIES IN RETIREMENT AYR
Providing organised activities for the retired and the over 50s
Gill Sherry
Friendship is important at any age, but particularly so during retirement when days become long and empty. Similarly, those who have lost life-long partners may suddenly find themselves socially isolated.
This is why Opportunities in Retirement Ayr was set up in 1985. A group of people recognised the importance of getting people together and formed a charity with the aim of combating loneliness.
Barrie Southwood, who moved to Ayr when he retired in 2012, joined the organisation as soon as he moved to the town.
“I didn’t know anybody at all in Ayr,” he tells me. “I don’t have any family here at all. So I decided to join the organisation and the rest is history, basically.”
Barrie, a former acoustic engineer, is now Chair of OiR and is keen to encourage others to join.
“You can come along to any two activities without joining. After that, if you want to carry on there’s an annual fee of £20.”
When the organisation first began, four groups were available: fitness and health, gardening, money matters, and photography. There are now over fifty groups to choose from consisting of both indoor and outdoor activities. These include (but are obviously not limited to) bridge, cycling, scrabble, Tai Chi, swimming, wine tasting, walking and bird watching.
“It’s particularly applicable to people on their own. It gets people out and socialising but involves activities as well, so it’s a double benefit.”
Barrie runs one of the walking groups, primarily because he enjoys the physical activity and being outside. For others, however, the social interaction is more important, the activity itself being secondary. This highlights the importance of mental health.
“Particularly for men,” Barrie explains. “When men get left on their own, it’s difficult to get them to go out and socialise. It’s a really good organisation for getting people out and doing something… and they can choose one of the groups that suits their interest.”
OiR currently has around 800 members. This has reduced considerably in recent years, particularly in the wake of Covid.
“There are various reasons why the membership has dropped. Obviously Covid is one of them, but also people are working longer, and a lot of people look after their grandchildren and things like that.”
As a registered charity, the organisation relies heavily on its income from membership fees. Attracting new members is therefore a priority for the OiR committee.
“We have a Welcome Day in October at Newton Wallacetown Church,” Barrie confirms. “It’s on October 23rd 1.30pm-3.30pm. There’s entertainment and refreshments. People can join or talk to various people in the groups.”
With International Day of Friendship approaching, why not make a note of the date and head over to Newton Wallacetown Church? Alternatively, if you’d rather not wait that long, you can find more information about OiR on their website (www.oirayr.org.uk) or on their FaceBook page. You can also call them on 01292 260086 or send an email to office@oirayr.org.uk.
