Northern Ireland Charities Together

15/06/2026

A story of friendship: meet Penny

Penny first contacted Age NI because she was feeling lonely and isolated.

Widowed and living with a long-term condition that severely limits her mobility, she is often confined to her home. Days can pass without seeing or speaking to anyone.

After talking with the Age NI advice line, Penny was matched with a Check in and Chat volunteer who now phones her every week for a friendly call.

Penny shared: “The regular calls have made such a difference to my life; we get on like a house on fire. It’s so lovely that someone cares enough to phone me and treat me like a human.”

Thank you to all of our supporters, who are part of Penny's story, and many older people like her across NI 💙

[Image shows Penny, with short brown hair and glasses, sitting on an orange arm chair in a living room with her phone held to her ear. She is smiling while chatting. The Age NI logo is in the top left hand corner, and there is a white text caption reading "Age NI has made such a difference in my life" attributed to Penny with the word 'difference' having a blue highlighted background.]

11/06/2026

Last week marked 2026, and the team at Young Lives vs Cancer Northern Ireland had the privilege of hosting a small celebration at Amy's House Belfast to thank some of the incredible volunteers who help keep their NI services running.

The volunteers give their time, energy and kindness to support children, young people and families when they need it most. Young Lives vs Cancer have said "we simply couldn't do what we do without them".

Here's just a few snippets of their stories and the real impact they make:

🌻 Mike is our long-serving gardener, who has lovingly maintained the flower beds at both houses for many years and even keeps our garden furniture looking its best!
🌟 Eimear has been volunteering with us since she was knee-high! Over the years, she has supported almost every aspect of our work, from housekeeping to cheer stations and everything in between.
📚 Anna is one of our newest volunteers. As a student, she's bringing her skills, enthusiasm and fresh ideas to support the development of our Community Model.

So thank you to Mike, Eimear, Anna, and every volunteer who makes a difference every single day. 💙

[Attached image is a grid with 17 separate photographs showcasing both some of Young Lives vs Cancer's volunteers and the volunteer celebration that took place last week, with some images showing Volunteers Week branded 'Thank You' posters, volunteers smiling to camera holding certificates, volunteers carrying out their duties including bed making and festive decorating, and lots of party food and bunting!]

08/06/2026

If you have sight loss visiting the theatre, cinema, or watching a performance on screen at home can be enhanced dramatically through audio description. Audio description (AD) brings alive what is happening on stage or screen, discreetly describing the action, scenery, facial expressions, and costumes of the actors.

Audio description is vital in making arts and culture accessible and inclusive for blind and partially sighted people. That’s why RNIB Northern Ireland teamed up with The Millennium Forum to co-host a panel discussion on how to increase the awareness and number of such accessible performances across Northern Ireland. This took place just before the powerful audio described show of Miss Saigon, the largest production company to come to the theatre, as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations.

Georgia and Jude recently went to this audio described performance of Miss Saigon at the Millennium Forum and share their excitement in the attached video, with cutaway to them smiling using the headsets in the main auditorium:

01/06/2026

Thousands of people in NI don't know they have high blood pressure! Are you one of them? 😨

280,317 people in NI have been diagnosed with high blood pressure but many more are undiagnosed.

High blood pressure rarely has any signs or symptoms, so the only way to know if you have it is to get checked.

You can get yours checked:
👉 at your local community pharmacy
👉 by buying your own monitor and checking it at home
👉 with your GP
👉 or with Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke through their Well Checks or free pop-up blood pressure checks

➡️ Find out more at www.nichs.org.uk/highbloodpressure

28/05/2026

This May, Cancer Focus Northern Ireland have been raising awareness of .

There are approximately 4,000 cases each year in Northern Ireland.

It’s so important to know what changes to look out for. If in doubt, contact your GP or call the charity’s Nurseline on 0800 783 3339 to talk about cancer issues or enquire about the charity’s support services.

Over exposure to UV rays from the sun can damage your skin and lead to skin cancer. Regardless of your skin colour or tone, you need to protect your skin by using sunscreen when the UV index is 3 or more, even if it is cool or cloudy 🌥

Applying sunscreen regularly will help protect your skin from harmful UV rays, reduce your risk of skin cancer and prevent premature aging. To find out more, visit www.careinthesun.org

[Attached Image 1, with heading 'Skin Cancer', shows an illustration of a face in side profile, with a magnifying glass encasing text 'Over 4000 develop the disease'. There are some visible moles depicted as dark brown circles on the bottom of the face. The Cancer Focus NI logo is in the bottom left hand corner. Attached Image 2 with heading 'Skin Cancer' and subheading 'Signs & Symptoms' includes various graphics depicting moles or changes to moles that may be cause for concern, with 'ABCDE Mole' as a useful reminder of what to check for: Asymmetry, the shape of one half is different to the other; Border, irregular blurring of border or ragged edge; Colour, two or more colours: different shades of brown, or the presence of black, red or blue alongside the mole's original colour; Diameter, any change in size; Expert, if in doubt get it checked out by your GP.]

26/05/2026

Concerned about the rising Cost of Living?

Every year, millions of pounds in benefits goes unclaimed by older people in Northern Ireland. Some are put off by the claims process, others simply don’t know what support is available to them. Make sure you're not one of those missing out.

Age NI offer a free online benefits check and have lots of useful information on money matters, right here on their website: https://www.ageni.org/information-advice/money-matters/benefits-entitlements/

https://youtube.com/shorts/yzCsHEEShkM?si=724Pm1uvaB25upVu

Age NI is here to help: www.ageni.org/moremoney

21/05/2026

With the summer holidays fast approaching, the team at Young Lives vs Cancer have lots of useful tips and advice on travelling and holidays with cancer.

Just because you have cancer it does not mean you cannot go on holiday or travel. Whether it is going on a long-planned trip, or a last-minute booking, a holiday can provide a much-needed escape. But there are some things you need to think about when planning a trip.

Talk to your care team about when it is safe for you to travel, and check out the brilliant resources on the Young Lives vs Cancer website: https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/cancer-info-support/body-and-health/travelling-and-holidays-with-cancer-tips-and-advice/

[Attached image shows a family walking on a beach at the shoreline, with a young girl in the foreground with outstretched arms and parents holding hands walking close behind. The sun is shining and the family are smiling as they walk barefoot.]

18/05/2026

Episode 8 of the RNIB Northern Ireland podcast is just out and it’s a cracker!

Listen up, speak up, break down barriers.

In this episode:

Chair of Bangor SIGHT campaigning group, Ken Carson, shares his reaction to a local win as a pedestrian crossing is finally installed on a busy stretch of Bangor road.
We hear from RNIB NI Products Co-Ordinator Louise Kenny on her plans for a regular product testing group.
The RNIB NI campaigns update comes by way of Policy and Campaigns Manager Paula Beattie and Connect Radio
And medical student come Marathon runner, Niamh Kenny, speaks to us about her Belfast City Marathon fundraising adventure.

The podcast now has its own channel on the host website Audioboom. Just search for ‘RNIB Northern Ireland Podcast’ on your preferred podcast provider and follow or subscribe as directed, or use the link at the end of this post. Don't forget to leave a review after you listen!

https://audioboom.com/posts/8901908-rnib-ni-podcast-episode-8-if-you-don-t-do-anything-you-achieve-nothing

[Attached image shows podcast host, Joe Kenny, smiling to camera in the RNIB NI Studio alongside guest Laura Cummings. They are both wearing headphones and have microphones, alongside other studio equipment in shot. Image caption reads: "Subscribe to the RNIB Northern Ireland podcast today, Listen up, Speak up, Break down barriers. Logos for RNIB NI See Differently, Spotify, Audioboom and Apple Podcasts are on the bottom right of the image.]

11/05/2026

May is May Measure Month - Don't miss out on getting a free pop-up Blood Pressure check! 📣❤️

The Health Promotion team from Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke will be out providing free blood pressure checks during May and June as part of their 'Your Number's Up' Blood Pressure Awareness Campaign.

‼️ 1 in 2 heart attacks and strokes are linked to high blood pressure, which is why it’s so important to get a check.

Pop down and get your blood pressure checked to know your numbers!

Thank you to MACE NI for supporting this campaign.

[Attached images provide a list of dates and times for Free Blood Pressure Checks. There are logos for MACE and Chest Heart & Stroke at the bottom, and a picture of the NICHS team at a local MACE in the top left of each image. Dates and times as follows:
May 14 MACE Mount Alverno 10am-1pm
May 19 MACE Annacloy 10am-1pm
May 21 MACE Greenisland 10am-1pm
May 21 MACE Portavogie 1pm-4pm
June 2 MACE Ballinderry 10am-1pm
June 3 MACE Lurgan 10am-1pm
June 3 MACE Armoy 1pm-4pm
June 10 MACE Bessbrook 10am-1pm
June 10 MACE Ballymena 1pm-4pm
June 17 MACE Newton Park 10am-1pm
June 19 MACE Main Street Toome 10am-1pm
June 19 MACE Roguery Road 1pm-4pm]

07/05/2026

This May, Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are raising awareness of Skin Cancer.

There are approximately 4,000 cases each year in Northern Ireland. It’s so important to know what changes to look out for. If in doubt, contact your GP or call the charity’s Nurseline on 0800 783 3339 to talk about cancer issues or enquire about the charity’s support services.

What to look for when choosing sunscreen:

Over exposure to UV rays from the sun can damage your skin and lead to skin cancer. Regardless of your skin colour or tone, you need to protect your skin by using sunscreen when the UV index is 3 or more, even if it is cool or cloudy. 🌥 So, which sunscreen should you choose? Click the link for advice on what to look for when choosing sunscreen: www.careinthesun.org

[Attached image 1 is an illustration of a face in side profile with some visible moles. Over the cheek is a magnifying glass featuring text 'Call Nurse Line 08007833339 for advice, information and support on any cancer issue'. The top banner is white text on teal background and caption 'Skin Cancer'. Cancer Focus logo is on the bottom left of the image. Image 2 has the heading 'Be UV Aware' and features the sun in the top right corner and a colourful dial image in the centre representing The UV index, with the dial's arrow pointing at 3. The text reads "The UV index shows us how strong the sun's UV rays are. Think UV not temperature. When the UV index is 3 or more, protect your skin." There are logos for Cancer Focus, Be Cancer Aware, and the Public Health Agency at the bottom right hand corner of the image.]