Health & Wellbeing Evening 2026

Inishowen Co-op Health & Wellbeing Evening Returns to Help the Community Get Winter Ready

Inishowen Co-op is once again bringing the community together for its annual Health & Wellbeing Evening at its Carndonagh branch on Thursday, 17th September at 6.30pm.

The free event will bring together local health professionals, Community First Responders and community organisations for an evening of practical advice, free health checks, information and demonstrations, all with one simple aim: helping people look after themselves and prepare for the winter months ahead.

The event is completely free, everyone is welcome and there is no need to book.

From 6.30pm, people can browse a range of community and information stands, have a chat, enjoy some refreshments and find out about services, supports, activities and opportunities available locally over the winter months.

There will also be free health checks with Roisin Doherty, General Practice Nurse, giving people an opportunity to have some basic health readings checked and receive advice on whether any further follow-up may be beneficial.

Practical Advice for the Months Ahead

A great line-up of local speakers will cover nutrition, exercise, positive ageing, mental health and wellbeing, respiratory health and what to do in an emergency.

Stephanie McFarland, Nutritional Advisor and owner of Balance Balance, and Letitia Crossan, Personal Trainer and Online Coach LCX, will look at healthy eating, staying active and ageing positively.

Their focus will be on simple, realistic things that can be incorporated into everyday life, from making healthier food choices to finding ways to keep moving and exercising as we get older.

Sheila Keys, IDP Health & Wellness Development Officer, will focus on mental health and wellbeing as we head into the darker winter months. Sheila will share practical strategies and tools around self-care, maintaining our wellbeing and looking after ourselves through the months ahead.

Colleen Merritt, Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialist with the Integrated Care Team in Donegal, returns following the positive response to the respiratory health discussion at last year's event.

Colleen will look at respiratory health during autumn and winter, including some of the issues that can arise through farming, workplaces and within our own homes. She will offer straightforward advice on protecting our respiratory health, with an opportunity for people to ask questions.

Would You Know What to Do in an Emergency?

One of the key practical elements of this year's event will focus on Community First Responders and defibrillators across Inishowen.

Representatives from Community First Responder groups will share practical, useful information that could make a real difference in an emergency.

If an emergency happened in your community, would you know what to do?

Who should you contact first? What should you do while waiting for help? Where is your nearest defibrillator? Can you use one? And what training is available if you would like to learn more?

A map will help highlight defibrillator locations across Inishowen, while the First Responders will explain the simple steps to take in an emergency and provide a practical demonstration.

The aim is to help people leave feeling more informed, more confident and better prepared, with some basic knowledge that could one day make a very important difference.

Free Health Checks, Demonstrations and Community Supports

The community stands are another important part of the evening, with a range of local organisations and services on hand offering support, information and advice.

It is also an opportunity to discover activities, courses, hobbies and other ways of staying active, involved and connected during the winter months.

There will also be a practical rebound exercise demonstration, showing another fun and accessible way of getting the body moving and introducing people to an activity they may not have tried before.

For Inishowen Co-op, the annual Health & Wellbeing Evening is ultimately about bringing useful information, local expertise and community support together under one roof.

You don't have to have a particular health concern to come along.

You might want to get a health check, learn a little more about healthy eating, pick up some tips for looking after your mental wellbeing, ask a respiratory question, find out where your nearest defibrillator is, discover something new to do this winter or simply come along for a cuppa and a chat.

Everyone is welcome.

Event Details

Inishowen Co-op Health & Wellbeing Event

Thursday, 17th September 2026

6.30pm

Inishowen Co-op, Carndonagh Branch

FREE EVENT | FREE HEALTH CHECKS | REFRESHMENTS | NO BOOKING REQUIRED | EVERYONE WELCOME

Come along, bring a friend, neighbour or family member and take a little time to look after yourself and get winter ready.

Inishowen Co-Op Social media for further details