Banter bingo or changing bulbs all you need is a helping hand

By Fiona McGarry

BANTER and bingo are just two of the attractions on offer at the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) in Tuam. The facility caters for around 85 wheelchair users from all over North Galway. Located at The Glebe on the Dublin Road, it’s a hub for support services, training and social contact.
“A lot of our members might live alone and coming here could be their only outing in the week,” explains Service Coordinator Padraic Maher. “Our members are collected on different days from Mountbellew, Newbridge, down as far as Dunmore and Williamstown and then towards Headford and Ballyglunin.”
With such a wide catchment area and a wide range of services, the staff of the centre are its lifeblood. Central to the IWA’s activities in Tuam are participants on programmes including the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Tus. The former is for people receiving Farm Assist, and involves a work placement, which participants can stay on up to retirement; the latter offers a year-long placement as part of a jobs activation scheme. Both programmes are administeredby Galway Rural Development (GRD).