Free Roscommon Climate Action Course for the over 60s

A six-week six-step free climate action course for the over 60s is being offered in Roscommon.

Roscommon County Council’s Age Friendly Unit under the auspices of the county’s Older People’s Council (OPC), together with the local authority’s Climate Action Team in conjunction with Roscommon Tidy Towns Association has organised the course beginning this month (January 2025).

The course, which is free, aims to demystify climate change and highlight some helpful actions over a relaxed cup of tea. The course is open to all over sixty years of age, as well as individuals or groups who want to learn about climate change in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The course developer and facilitator is Jacinta Barrins from Galway who is CEO of the 60plus Climate Drive organisation. Such is the informal environment of this course, the course facilitator often starts by showing in simple terms the connection between the sought after cuppa and climate change!

The course covers topics such as the direct link between everyday actions and climate change, learning how to change behaviour, calculating carbon footprint, deciding on climate actions that can be taken in the home and community and developing a plan to implement the action(s).

By encouraging conversations in a relaxed, open atmosphere, the terms used in climate science can be unravelled and demystified ensuring people’s confidence about taking action is empowered. As course facilitator, Jacinta speaks with considerable authority having retired from a career at the UN where her work focused on the environment and climate.

Jacinta will be running her six-session programme in Hannon’s Hotel, Roscommon beginning this month. Each session runs for two hours, from 10.30am to 12.30pm - there will be a tea break with refreshments during the course of each session.

The course begins on Thursday, January 16 and runs for five successive Thursdays, namely January 23 and 30, February 6 and 13 followed by the final course session on Thursday, April 24, which is Easter week.

The first three steps of the course focus on understanding climate change, how it occurs, the challenges of changing behaviour and how to measure a carbon footprint. The second three steps focus on supporting participants in implementing one action based on their carbon footprint results.

At step four, the participants identify one action they would like to work on. The gap between the fifth and sixth sessions allows participants to work with their action and absorb the considerable learning they will have acquired from the course.

Speaking ahead of the course commencement, Age Friendly Officer with Roscommon County Council, Sheila Coyle is encouraging people to sign-up and participate in the course, which will be offered in a learner-friendly and relaxed manner.

“I’m delighted to be able to collaborate with my colleagues on the Climate Action Team on Roscommon County Council in conjunction with members of Roscommon Town’s Tidy Towns Association.

“The ambition of this course is to demonstrate that we all have and can play a part in being more climate action aware and learn how just simple steps, when added together can make real and lasting impacts for the benefit of the communities where we live. I extend a warm welcome to anyone over the age of 60 years to join us and participate in this course”, said Ms. Coyle.

Booking for the course is essential as numbers are limited. To book a place, please contact Roscommon County Council’s Age Friendly Officer Sheila Coyle on 090 66 37132 or email agefriendly@roscommoncoco.ie.