Community: works together and ends with unity
St Benedict’s Housing for Older People invests €277,500 in people
There’s a huge difference between 37 places to live and 37 homes. The St Benedict’s complex in Malahide, North Dublin, where older people can live independently, is definitely the homely variety. The nice thing about it is how it brings people together through its focus on community. Even Archbishop Martin noted at its official opening that it was ‘a real community in the heart of Malahide.’
Private homes nestle alongside shared spaces. A communal laundry, kitchen, quiet room and meeting area really bring people together.
As well as that, the entire project says to us that it’s possible for different community strands to come together to create a genuinely warm environment.
St Benedict’s Conference, part of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, were responsible for building it and they still manage it. Their staff are all volunteers. €277,500 in funding was provided from our own Communal Facilities grants scheme, and the local community, Fingal County Council and the Department of the Environment also played big parts in making the centre a reality.
Next time we’re in Malahide we may well drop in for tea. Must get biccies.
