THE members of Irvine’s Seniors’ Forum have been busy offering support to their members during lockdown.

And chairwoman Rosemary Byrne is looking forward to getting back to face-to-face catch ups with the members.

During lockdown, they have relied on Zoom meetings to keep in touch.

But now they are working towards meeting up again.

Rosemary said: “It has been difficult for so many of the people who would normally come along to our monthly meetings at the Woodlands Centre in Irvine.

“We have been working hard to host online meetings and we have been in regular contact with members to make sure that no one is feeling isolated or if they have any issues to discuss, our committee can deal with them.”

The Seniors’ Forum also hosts an annual event in the town’s Volunteer Rooms where anyone aged over 50 can go along and find out information about services that are available to them.

This is something Rosemary is looking forward to seeing return.

“The open days have been fantastic for everyone involved,” said Rosemary.

“It’s chance for a whole host of agencies to come together and offer practical advice to any of the senior citizens and is not only for our members but for the whole community.

“Unfortunately it will probably be next year but we are looking at hosting a small get together in the next couple of months to allow us to meet up and catch up.”

The group is also looking at hosting a walkabout group where members can meet up with Rosemary and others to get outside, enjoy some fresh air and also have the chance to talk about anything worrying them.

Rosemary went on: “We are a group who actively campaigns for any issues affecting our members and we have helped members with housing issues, financial issues and I am proud to be part of the Seniors’ Forum.

“We are dedicated to raising the issues affecting older members of society, and also informing and helping the same people to get all of the benefits and assistance they are entitled to.

“We liaise closely with the various relevant council departments and with other charities to support our members.

“Whether it’s sorting out uneven pavements to ending age discrimination, we are working hard to be a voice for them.”