Fond farewell to Philip

Living in a Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) supported housing scheme, close to the town centre, it was only a 10 minute commute for Philip. Talking about his time at McDonalds he said, “It was a lovely party, and my dad and sister Stephanie came and some people who I hadn’t seen for a while came in specially. It was lovely, and thank you to my boss, Paul, for the party, as it was very special. I will miss everyone.

“I really loved my job and I liked to clean and keep things tidy and over the years the staff there became my friends and I’m sad to be leaving,” he said.

Philip began working for McDonalds in 1999, five years after it opened, around the same time plans for Willow Brook, PCI’s supported housing scheme, were being drawn up. Francis Mooney, who is a part of PCI’s management team at Willow Brook, explained that Philip’s father, Rev Jim Waring, along with other parents, approached PCI having seen a real need for suitable local supported accommodation for his son, and others with Down’s Syndrome and intellectual disabilities. As a result, in 2002 Willow Brook opened, with Philip as one of its first tenants.

Managed by PCI’s Council for Social Witness, the all-Ireland denomination’s social care arm, in partnership with Choice Housing, Willow Brook provides accommodation for nine tenants, three residing in single bungalow units, while six tenants live in two larger buildings, each comprising three flats.

“We are very proud of Philip, as we are of all our tenants,” Francis Mooney said. “Not only did he start his work placement in McDonald’s 25 years ago, Philip maintained it for over half his life, with very few days off for any reason. Simply put, he is a gentleman, even if he does support Chelsea! No task is too much trouble for him, if it is within his capability, Philip will complete every task. In his own kind and gently way, he exudes the love and compassion of Christ and this unquestionably has been nurtured by his family over the years.”

Mr Mooney continued, “I am told that he was the epitome of the perfect employee. Eager to work, a team player, friendly, efficient, consistent and someone who took pride in every task great or small. With the help of many people, from day opportunity staff, Triangle Supported Employment officers, social workers from the Northern Trust and the staff and management at McDonald’s down the years, they have all enabled Philip to carry out his duties for a quarter of a century, which is a wonderful achievement! He certainly deserves his retirement.”

Speaking at the party, one of Philip’s colleagues said that, “I’ve worked with Philip for over 15 years and when I heard he was retiring I was devastated because I thought I had missed the chance to say goodbye to him. He’s been great to work with and it’s been our pleasure to hold a retirement party for him today. It’s the least we could do!”

With a range of residential, nursing, supported housing, respite and day care, along with a number of community-based programmes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the Council for Social Witness provides a wide range of professional social care for over 300-plus people in a non-denominational Christian environment.

As Dermot Parsons, CSW Secretary explained, since the formation of the Presbyterian Orphan and Children’s society in the 19th century, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has played a key role in ministering to the physical needs of people. “This approach continues today, especially through our congregations. At the same time, across all that we do through the services that CSW provides, we seek to give the highest professional care within a Christian ethos that puts our faith into practical action.”