Freebird Club Takes Flight Again with a Mission to Combat Loneliness Through Social Connection and Travel for Older Adults

AFTER weathering Pandemic challenges, Freebird Club, the pioneering social travel and homestay club for older adults, has relaunched with fresh funding and an invigorated mission. Having recently emerged from Founders Factory/Nesta Mission Studio, and securing a new pre-seed investment round of €500K, Freebird Club is back to combat loneliness and foster social connections among older adults through travel. The reimagined platform now features expanded membership options, social networking features, and greater opportunities for members to connect and engage.

While the Pandemic halted travel and social interactions for many seniors, Freebird Club has adapted by evolving into a broader social travel community focused on companionship and support. Now, as the club relaunches, it aims to tackle the rise of loneliness among older adults, by providing a secure platform to build connections later in life through travel and social experiences. Freebird Club's membership now includes:- enhanced social networking and a subscription based model. Members can organize local meet-ups, find travel companions, plan group trips, and participate in the club's hallmark homestays.

With a new €500K investment round, led by Enterprise Ireland and the Ageas Foundation in Portugal, Freebird Club is well-positioned to expand its presence across Europe. As Freebird Club enters this new chapter, it aspires to be the global social travel club for adults over 50, inviting older adults to share meaningful travel experiences, cultural exchange, and genuine connection.

Founded in 2017 by Peter Mangan, Freebird Club was inspired by his father's positive experiences hosting senior guests at his Irish holiday rental. With a mission to create authentic social travel for seniors, Freebird Club allowed members to host or stay with like minded:- "Freebirds” worldwide. Its innovative model garnered significant accolades, including:- top awards from the European Commission and European Investment Bank and winning the sustainability award at the UNWTO World Tourism Start-up Competition in 2019.

Founder and CEO Peter Mangan said:- "We aim to offer more than just travel. Freebird Club is a space for older adults to find companionship, gain a sense of belonging, and enhance their well-being through travel. We're empowering older adults to explore, socialize, and enjoy a new phase of life, with peer support.”

Inquest into the death of former Liverpool Echo journalist Dan Kay

AN inquest into the death of former Liverpool Echo journalist Dan Kay will begin at:- 10 am on:- Tuesday, 5 November 2024 at Liverpool Coroner's Court, Gerard Majella Courthouse, Boundary St, Liverpool L5 2QD.

The inquest will be heard by HM Assistant Coroner Joseph Hart and is expected to conclude on:- Thursday, 7 November 2024.

Dan died aged 45 on 7 May 2023. He had struggled with his mental health for a number of years and in particular in the months prior to his death.

As a local journalist, Dan was a well known campaigner on behalf of the families of the Hillsborough disaster victims. He had worked closely with the family of Anne Williams, co-writing her daughter Sara Williams' book With Hope in her Heart.

The scope of the inquest will include:-

The involvement of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust's Liaison Psychiatry Team and the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team.
The medical and mental health responses to Dan's condition, including:- the risk assessment measures and treatment planning by both Mersey Care and the Community Mental Health Team.
Dan's engagement with healthcare services in the days before his death and responses to family involvement and information sharing.

Since Dan's death, his family and friends have set up a charity in his memory; the Dan Kay Foundation, with the aim of continuing Dan's charitable work to support those in need in the Region as well as seeking improvements to mental health provision in the area.

Following Dan's death there were many tributes and he was awarded a posthumous doctorate from Liverpool Hope University.

Dan's family is represented by Leanne Devine, Partner at Law Firm Leigh Day, who has instructed Dr Cian Murphy of Doughty Street Chambers. Both are members of INQUEST Lawyers Group.

Merseyside charities celebrate share of £1 million fund

2 animal charities based in Liverpool have received a £1,000 funding boost as part of Benefact Group's Movement for Good Awards to support the vital work they do in the area.

For the sixth year running, Benefact Group's Movement for Good Awards is giving away over £1million to charities across the year and invites members of the public to nominate causes close to their hearts.

Carla Lane Animals In Need, is a charity established 30 years ago that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes hundreds of dogs and cats; Freshfield Animal Rescue, founded in 1979 is a community focussed, non-profit organisation caring for abandoned, abused and unwanted animals, are the charities that have benefited from the initiative.

Further winners will be revealed later in the year and residents across Merseyside are encouraged to keep nominating by visiting:- MovementForGood.Com.

Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive at Benefact Group, said:- "We would like to thank every single person who took the time to nominate a good cause as part of our Movement for Good Awards. Benefact Group is a family of award-winning specialist financial services companies and the third largest corporate donor to charity in the UK. Owned by a charity ourselves, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do. All of our available profits go to good causes and the more the Group grows, the more the Group can give. We are delighted to be able to donate over £1 million to good causes each year through our Movement for Good Awards and are grateful to all our supporters, including:- the customers of the trusted insurer, Ecclesiastical, and the responsible and sustainable asset manager, EdenTree. We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we're looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.”

Benefact Group has donated over £200million to charitable causes since 2014 and last year was recognised as the third biggest corporate giver in the UK1. The organisation aims to reach £250million in donations by 2025.

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.

Visit:- MovementForGood.Com to nominate a charity now.

Underground rather than overground Broadband infrastructure

SOUTHPORT Councillors, Mike Prendergast and Mike Morris, are calling on all political parties in Southport to support the installation of broadband infrastructure underground rather than on telegraph poles as proposed by Openreach.

A recent press release to local media from another political party has criticised the contractors currently installing broadband cabling in the ground on behalf of Virgin Media.

Councillor Mike Prendergast, representing Dukes Ward, said:- "It's really important, and I would say this is true of most Councillors in Southport, that we don't have our residential streets blighted by unsightly telegraph poles. They're ugly to look at, we've never had them in Southport and longer term, with increased capacity issues in future, the broadband cables they support will need to go in the ground anyway. Residents across Southport have made it very clear, with an incredibly organised and hardworking group, that they don't want our streets full of telegraph poles. Right now we have contractors working their way across Southport installing cabling in the ground on behalf of Virgin Media. This is how we want this infrastructure installed. This is a massive infrastructure project and there will no doubt be some issues that arise, in terms of notifying residents and fixing pavements for example, but it's vital that we have this infrastructure for residents and local businesses if we want our economy to grow. Myself and Councillor Mike Morris have met with the contractors and residents, and whilst no infrastructure project is without problems, I was impressed with the levels of engagement with residents and local representatives from the contractors.”

Councillor Mike Morris, representing Cambridge Ward, said:- "I've been working with residents for months now to stop telegraph poles going up in Southport. We want to see the cabling in the ground not overhead. The contractor carrying out the work have assured us that the reinstatement works they carry out will be up to standard and if any defects are found they will look to rectify them quickly. It's right to say that the Council should make sure that contractors fix pavements and highways where they've been working. But what we don't want is to put off a contractor who is, in effect, delivering what Southport needs; broadband cables in the ground where they should be.”

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