Finaghy Branch Profile.
Our Branch has been going for almost 40 years.
Those involved in the early stages were Dr. Glasgow, Mr Hugh Bell, Dr Cleaver Chapman and their wives and Mrs Morrison.
They were later joined by Mr Hill and Mrs Doreen Mercer.
The present venue, Bethany Hall Youth Centre on Finaghy Road North, has been used for many years, and is granted by the Oversight of Bethany Hall.
A programme of activities is given to each member before the season starts.
The meetings are held October - May on the first Saturday of the month, starting with tea at 2.30 pm with singers and a speaker each month.
Each month we take a roll call which allows us to identify members who are absent due to illness.
The object of the meetings is to give members the opportunity to hear the gospel, trust the Saviour, and also to be encouraged in their faith.
We continue to have 3 buses from Social Services and also a Disability Action bus each month.
Using these buses and private cars we are able to bring people from Seymour Hill in Dunmurry to the Donegal Road in Belfast, to our meeting.
They come mainly from their own homes but several also come from nursing and residential homes, and from Forster Green Hospital.
We have a membership of approximately 70 elderly and disabled each month.
We have a Christmas party, and an annual outing to Newcastle with tea in Castlewellan Presbyterian Church Hall.
Henry McClelland has been chairman since the 1980s, and his energy and his ability to motivate the 18 helpers is a great help.
The prayer meetings are held in his house each month. Roberta, his wife, organises the holiday to the Home in Newcastle each year assisted by a good group of helpers.
It is a great opportunity to get to know the members better.
A number of new homes for folk with disabilities have opened in our area this year and we are looking forward to welcoming several new members to our Branch.
MRS GLADYS SKELLY.