Last chance to enter Young Poets competiion

Budding young poets, aged between eight and 18 years old, are being asked to draw upon their creativity and write a poem about older people before the deadline of Friday, September 30.

The ‘Young Poets’ competition has three age categories eight-11, 12-14 and 15-18 and each category winner will receive a prize and commendation certificates.

There will also be one overall winner selected who will have the honour of reading their poem at a special 60th anniversary ceremony being held at Long Gallery in Stormont on Tuesday, October 18.

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Local songwriter and performer Duke Special will be judging the competition entries.

The competition was recently launched by Abbeyfield & Wesley Housing Association to officially celebrate 60 years of providing housing and support for older people.

Abbeyfield provides a range of high quality accommodation and services to older people throughout Northern Ireland and its central ethos is that older people should be enabled to retain links within the local community and that overcoming loneliness and isolation can make a huge difference to an older person’s well being.

Geraldine Gilpin, the Chief Executive of Abbeyfield & Wesley Housing Association, said: “In recognition of the role that older people have in our society and to mark Abbeyfield’s 60th anniversary, we are asking local young people to write a poem about older people. The poem can capture any aspect of ageing.

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“It could for example be a poem about what it might feel like to be old, or about an older person they know or respect.

“The poem can be short or long; it can rhyme or it can be prose. It can be moving, serious, funny - it’s entirely up to the young person,” she said.

Competition entries should be submitted by Friday, September 30, to: 60th Anniversary Poetry Competition, Abbeyfield Northern Ireland, 2 Wesley Court, Carrickfergus, BT38 8HS.

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