March has been a busy and uplifting month for BIAS, with lots happening across the organisation – from celebrations and live music to community events, it’s been a month full of energy and fun!
As we step into spring, here’s a look at what we’ve been up to:
Seachtain na Gaeilge & Lá Fhéile Pádraig
We kicked off the month by celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge – ‘Irish Language week’ – an international festival dedicated to celebrating the Irish language.
Joined by some wonderful new volunteers and Gaeilgeoir Nóra (Haringey Active Ageing Coordinator), members had the chance to learn a few words and pick up some useful phrases. The week gave us a chance to reconnect with our roots, explore the beauty and history of the language and celebrate Irish culture.
With St. Patrick’s Day following soon after, the celebrations didn’t stop there – you can read more about how we marked the occasion here!
Celebrations at the Civic Centre!
The Brent Irish Advisory Service was honoured to attend the Mayor of Brent’s Annual Civic Service at the start of March – a powerful evening celebrating the Irish community’s contribution to London.
The evening was full of memorable moments, including Irish dancing from the McCrosbie McGeown Academy, a beautiful poem from Margaret Rochford of the Kerry Association, and country music from Kieran White. It was a proud moment for us at BIAS and for the Irish community across Brent.
BIAS Director Mike McGing, praised the Mayor, Ryan Hack, for his unwavering support for the Irish community in Brent, highlighting the importance of recognition, connection, and celebration.
Welcome & Farewell
This month, we were delighted to welcome Donna to the BIAS team – fáilte romhat! Donna is proudly born and bred in London and has a strong connection to the Irish community. She enjoys an active lifestyle and has a passion for dancing, music and exercise and values the energy and connection these bring to everyday life.
Donna now runs two of BIAS’s active ageing clubs in Brent, helping to develop and expand their activities – we’re thrilled to have her on board!
At the same time, we sadly said goodbye to Maggie Hollowed, who has been such a valued member of BIAS for many many years. Maggie – go raibh maith agat, you will be greatly missed.
Dementia Awareness Training
This month, we welcomed Nathan from Bluebird Care, in partnership with Dementia Awareness, to run a workshop for our volunteers and staff.
As many of you may know, dementia is unfortunately very common in our community. Because of this, it’s so important to continue raising awareness and improving our understanding of the condition. Nathan’s session was both insightful and practical, giving our team the tools to better support members living with dementia and to create a more inclusive environment across all our services.
Workshops like this show why volunteering and working with BIAS is so valuable — not only do our volunteers get to make a real difference in people’s lives, but they also gain knowledge and skills that are genuinely useful in both their volunteering and everyday life.
If you’re interested in volunteering, there are plenty of opportunities to join the team and be part of something meaningful — supporting our members, sharing skills, and learning along the way.
Club & Service Updates
A few important updates to share this month:
Coffee Morning
In April, our Coffee Morning will take place on the second Monday of the month, Monday 13th April, from 10am until noon at the BIAS office. We hope to see you there!
Easter Closures
- Brent clubs will be closed from Thursday 2nd April to Tuesday 7th April
- Haringey clubs will be closed from Friday 3rd April to Friday 10th April
Brent clubs will resume from Thursday 9th April onwards, and Haringey from Wednesday 15th April.
Finally, Cáisc shona daobh – Happy Easter to you all! As we head into a new season, we wish you plenty of joy, sunshine and prosperity for the year ahead!
