Presbyterian Moderator, Right Reverend Dr David Bruce, was in Newcastle today as part of his tour of PCI’s Presbytery of Iveagh. The afternoon visit to the seaside town involved appointments at to two of PCI’s care homes, where he met staff and residents. He also had an opportunity to call in on the Royal National Life Boat Institution’s (RNLI’s) Newcastle Station, where he met crew members.

The visits were part of 20 separate engagements that made up his weeklong tour of one of PCI’s 19 regional presbyteries. The Presbytery itself covers an area from Newcastle in the east, then runs north-westwards through the Mourne foothills and the Bann Valley, taking in the towns of Rathfriland and Banbridge. It then stretches as far as Gilford, Donacloney and Tandragee on its western border.

On his visit to Newcastle he spent time in at Lawnfield House, a purpose-built 18 bedroom residential care home for people with various physical disabilities, visual and sensory impairment to mild learning difficulties, as well as older people. It also offers respite care with referrals coming from all of Northern Ireland’s health and social care trusts, as well as self-funding guests.

Accompanied by Rev Andrew Boreland, minister of Newcastle Presbyterian Church, having met staff and residents, Dr Bruce went on to River House on the banks of the Shimna. Opened in 1988, River House offers care and support to 28 older people.

“Since the formation of the Presbyterian Orphan and Children’s society in the nineteenth century, PCI has played a key role in ministering to the physical needs of people, demonstrating Jesus’ love for others, which is a powerful social witness of the gospel. That calling continues across our homes, where our residents can enjoy dignity, respect, comfort and professional care in a Christian environment,” Dr Bruce said.

“Moderator’s usually visit our care homes early on in their year of office, which I wasn’t able to do due to Covid in 2020. Having been honoured with a second term, it was a real pleasure to be able to visit River House and Lawnfield where I was able to meet many of the residents and see the professional caring commitment of our staff.”

In a resolution passed by PCI’s General Assembly last October, the Church expressed its gratitude ‘to all who have worked in PCI’s care facilities during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, recognising the sacrificial service of both locally based staff and senior management that always put the care of residents to the fore.’

Dr Bruce continued, “The pandemic has been a testing time for residents, their families and our staff. It is a privilege to be able support older people, and those with a disability, to lead fulfilling lives. In our homes like River House and Lawnfield, we have diverse staff and strong teams because people are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds.

"I pay tribute to them, especially what they have been through this last while and how they continued to look after those in their care. There are opportunities to join our staff teams now – especially if you have a heart for people. Your life experiences could make a world of difference for our residents.”

His last visit of the day was to the RNLI’s Newcastle Station where he was able to meet some of the volunteers and see the smaller inshore lifeboat ‘Eliza’ on the slipway. He was also able to view the exterior of the of the Mersey Class lifeboat the ‘Leonard Kent’. A keen sailor himself since the age of 10, today he is the proud owner of a 22 foot long Drascomb Drifter, a gaff-rigged yawl moored in Strangford Lough.

Praising the men and women of the station, Dr Bruce said, “It was a real privilege to meet some of Newcastle’s lifeboat volunteers where I saw a genuine commitment to the local community and a desire to be an ever-present help to those who find themselves in trouble at sea. In fact the first rescue of the year had taken place the day before my visit.

“Each of us are called to service in different ways, and the men and women I met at the lifeboat station were a great example of what it is to serve others, often at tremendous risk to themselves, Dr Bruce said.

Photos (1) Moderator chats to Andrea McComiskey, Lawnfield House Acting Manager after his tour of PCI’s care and respite home in Newcastle (2) and with Doreen Hudson at River House before going into the garden with (left to right) (3) Denise Keegan, PCI’s Head of Older People’s Services, Rev Andrew Boreland, Minister of Newcastle Presbyterian Church, Mandy Mason, River House Acting Manager and Hazel Dawson, Activities Co-ordinator (4) Dr Bruce with Nathan Leneghan, Coxswane the Royal National Life Boat Institution’s Mersey Class lifeboat ‘Leonard Kent’, pictured with Newcastle’s smaller inshore lifeboat ‘Eliza’. Mr Leneghan is a fifth generation life boatman as his great-great grandfather also served from the Newcastle lifeboat station in the early 1820s (5) the Moderator with some of the other volunteers at the station.