How a weekly arts project is helping older women in Warrenpoint find confidence
12th November, 2026
Women in Warrenpoint have been getting together to create and connect through the arts. Over the last six months, Warrenpoint Women’s Group has been working with local artists to learn new skills in acrylic painting, willow weaving, pottery and textile art. The project is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme, a first-of-its-kind initiative funded by the National Lottery and Public Health Agency, which aims to tackle loneliness and promote positive health and well-being among older people through engagement with the arts.
Participants in the project worked with professional local artists in Warrenpoint to create their own singular piece of art in each artform, culminating in an exhibition. The overall aim of the project was to promote positive mental health and wellbeing among the members of Warrenpoint Women’s Group and the wider community, demonstrating that older people are valued within their community and play an active and essential role.
Watch the video below.
The project also enabled older, more frail members of the group to participate thanks to generosity of community volunteers who collected and drove them to the project workshops.
Through this project and their wider work, Warrenpoint Women’s Group aims to keep older women independent at home and active in the community for as long as possible, out of primary care settings.
Project participant Joyce Costello from Warrenpoint Women’s Group talking about the project said, “I'm absolutely loving it. We're learning new skills and we're learning to do art, which is something we never knew we could do. And, yeah, it's just amazing. Gets you out on a Friday morning, gives you a reason to go out, and it's just a brilliant project.”
The National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme was established in 2010 and is now a cross-governmental partnership with funding from the Public Health Agency. To date the programme has provided over £2m funding to community organisations and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland in the delivery of over 272 arts projects to older people.
Speaking about the programme, Lorraine Calderwood, Programmes Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “Because of you, The National Lottery players and the Public Health Agency, we’re delighted to provide Arts and Older People Programme funding to Warrenpoint Women’s Group. We know that arts and culture make a positive difference to people and communities every day.
"Research has proven that taking part in arts and cultural activities connects people through shared experiences and has positive benefits for health and wellbeing, raising self-esteem, confidence and motivation, as well as helping to alleviate isolation and loneliness.
"Arts and culture have a vital role to play in helping our older people stay well - funding from the National Lottery and the Public Health Agency has been a game changer in helping us achieve that.”
Victoria Creasy Health & Social Wellbeing Improvement Senior Officer for Ageing Well at the PHA, added “We are committed to supporting older people to achieve their full potential. This project is a shining example of how local groups can reach out to older people and provide them with opportunities to take part in new activities, learn new skills and make new friends”.
The National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme is committed to providing meaningful opportunities for older people across NI to take part in arts activities, enriching their lives for the better. This programme contributes to the Arts Council’s strategic priorities of supporting Creative Health and improving access to the arts across Northern Ireland to the people who need it most, ensuring that more people from all backgrounds can enjoy arts experiences.
Visit http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding for information on all funding opportunities.
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland recently launched a new Arts Impact section on our website. Arts Impact offers reports, official statistics and case studies that can help all of us tell the story of the outcomes of public investment in the arts. View Arts Impact here - https://artscouncil-ni.org/res...