ALONE is a charity organization in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
which was set-up to highlight the issues facing older people living alone. Founded in 1977 by
Willie Bermingham
William Patrick (Willie) Bermingham (29 March 1942 – 23 April 1990)Andrews, Helen (October 2009). Bermingham, William ('Willie') Patrick. ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'' was an Irish firefighter and campaigner, who founded ALONE ("A Littl ...
, the charity seeks to help elderly people living on their own who may feel isolated and lonely, and to "''connect
hem
A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the ga ...
with the necessary support services in their community''". The name ALONE in an acronym of the words "A Little Offering Never Ends".
ALONE states that it "''works with the 1 in 5 older people who are homeless, socially isolated, living in deprivation or in crisis''". The charity provides supportive housing, "befriending" services, community response and campaigning services to older people.
Within
Glasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery ( ga, Reilig Ghlas Naíon) is a large cemetery in Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland which opened in 1832. It holds the graves and memorials of several notable figures, and has a museum.
Location
The cemetery is located in Glasne ...
, the ''Alone Millenium Plot'' is used by the charity to bury older people who died without family or other provisions for burial.
In 2017 Alone celebrated its 40-year anniversary.
History
In 1976, during a very cold spell that spanned a number of weeks, 8 older people were found dead in their Dublin homes.
Willie Bermingham (1942–90) – a Dublin fireman who discovered the remains of some of these people – and a number of his friends, distributed posters to highlight that a section of over-60s in Dublin were suffering cold, hunger, loneliness, depression and illness and dying alone. These volunteers began to collect and distribute donations of food, fuel, clothing and furniture. They initiated a "search that building" campaign and sought to draw attention to the conditions in which some older people lived, in derelict city-centre buildings.
ALONE's first housing complex was built in 1986 ("ALONE Walk" in
Artane) and the second ("Willie Bermingham Place" in
Kilmainham
Kilmainham (, meaning " St Maighneann's church") is a south inner suburb of Dublin, Ireland, south of the River Liffey and west of the city centre. It is in the city's Dublin 8 postal district. The area was once known as Kilmanum.
History
In t ...
) was opened in 1990. Including these purpose built units, by the early 21st century, ALONE owned and maintained approximately 100 homes for elderly residents.
Today
2013 saw demand of ALONEs services triple over previous years.
In August 2014, a charity single in aid of ALONE was released by Dublin Labour councillor Dermot Lacey. The song ''The Ballad of Rosie Hackett'' was written by Lacey to commemorate the opening of the
Rosie Hackett
Rosanna "Rosie" Hackett (25 July 1893 – 4 May 1976) was an Irish insurgent and trade union leader. She was a founder-member of the Irish Women Workers' Union, and supported strikers during the 1913 Dublin Lockout. She later became a member of ...
Bridge.
In 2014 and 2016, ALONE campaigns focused on the length of waiting lists for nursing home places, and on the effects of austerity on older people.
In 2017, ALONE celebrated its 40th anniversary and a book was launched to document its history.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:A.L.O.N.E.
Medical and health organisations based in the Republic of Ireland
Charities based in the Republic of Ireland
Charities for the elderly