Mayor congratulates official winners whose work will feature in the 2025 Age Friendly Calendar

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, today congratulated the official winners whose work will feature in the 2025 Age Friendly Calendar.

The ‘Your Happy Place 2025’ Calendar is a joint initiative involving the Western Health and Social Care Trust, the Public Health Agency, DCSD Council, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and South West Age Partnership.

The calendar will feature work submitted by the older community highlighting a range photos, paintings and sketches capturing local places that are special to them. Entrants over the age of 50 were invited to take part in the initiative, which aims to promote health and wellbeing as well as encourage creativity and celebrate local talent.

This year’s calendar will feature works by Connie O’Kane, Mickey Rooney and Collette Ramsey, whose pieces all caught the attention of the judges, and they received a special presentation in acknowledgement today from the Mayor.

ABOVE: Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, pictured at the launch of the Age Friendly Calendar 2025 held in the Mayor's Parlour. From left are Brenda Morris, PHA, Pauline O'Neill, Age Friendly, DCSDC, and from right Ellie Leonard, Western Trust, Mickey Rooney (competition runner-up) and Connie O'Kane (competition winner). Photo: Tom Heaney, nwpresspics.

Congratulating all the participants, Mayor Barr said the calendar captured an array of treasured memories and experiences. “The ‘Your Happy Place’ calendar is a wonderful platform for local artists to showcase their work,” she said. “The fact each piece has a special association for the artist makes it an emotive and personal collection which I am delighted we are able to share in.

“The initiative is a great way to engage older people who might have more time to explore their creativity. I want to congratulate and thank everyone for taking part, and acknowledge the effort that went into producing such beautiful and reflective works.”

The calendar is based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing initiative, which is based on older people connecting, being active, taking notice, learning and giving, as ways to improve wellbeing.

Sonia Montgomery, Health Improvement Officer for Suicide Prevention and Emotional Health and Wellbeing from the Western Health and Social Care Trust explained more about the project.  

“Every year, the Age Friendly calendar provides an opportunity to highlight the talent and creativity of our over 50’s and this year is no exception.  Using a different ‘Take 5’ theme each month and with a focus on supporting mental health, it provides an abundance of information about local services, helplines and events that everyone in the family can avail of.  I would like to thank everyone who took part in 'My Happy Place' competition and who contributed photographs and artwork for the calendar, I am sure those who receive a copy will enjoy using it throughout the year," she said.

Council will distribute the calendars across the Derry and Strabane area to community and voluntary groups, community centres, libraries and healthy living centres and leisure centres.

Copies can be posted to homes on request by contacting agefriendly@derrystrabane.com