Milestone meeting in ongoing FRC for Erris campaign

A face-to-face meeting with Minister Roderic O'Gorman last month was a milestone in the ongoing FRC for Erris campaign

The meeting in Dublin allowed FRC for Erris committee members to impress upon Minister O'Gorman, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the vital importance of establishing a fully-staffed family and community resource centre (FRC) in the Barony of Erris.

Chairperson Leanne Barrett said: “The meeting was a unique opportunity to really put our case across and to relay to the minister why the need for an FRC is so urgent. We outlined to him our ambitious and comprehensive strategic plan, and highlighted the real lived experiences of people locally as well as the stark socio-economic data that shows the entire Erris region as being ‘disadvantaged’.

“The importance of having a locally based, locally led resource centre was highlighted by our committee representatives.”

Ms. Barrett continued: “Minister O’Gorman really understands the work of FRCs and he noted the important impact that they have in communities around the country. We are confident that he appreciates the positive outcomes that could be achieved for children and families in Erris through this combined model of family support and community development.”

The cross-party support for this project has been welcomed and the Dublin meeting, arranged by Minister for State Dara Calleary, was attended by all four TDs for Mayo – Rose Conway-Walsh, Dara Calleary, Michael Ring and Alan Dillon. Each of them gave sincere and strong support for the project and commended the work of the committee thus far.

The meeting marked a critical step towards securing this much-needed centre which would begin to address the severe gaps in services and supports for people in Erris. While no concrete commitments could be made, it is understood that Tusla – The Child and Family Agency are undergoing a national review of all family support services. Following this review, the minister has committed to assessing the need for new FRCs to be added to the national programme.

Coinciding with the broader campaign, issue-based work to meet key local needs is ongoing. The committee’s mental health working group has secured a therapist from mental health charity North West STOP for one day a week, on a pilot basis, beginning in October. This is a collaborative effort supported by the local Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), who have made a therapy room available with no charge. The Mayo Mental Health Association (MMHA) has also offered to support the operation of the new pilot service, acknowledging the strong local support it gets at times of fundraising.

Margaret Heffron, committee member and home school liaison officer with St. Brendan’s College in Belmullet, said: “We are thrilled that this service is coming to Erris. We have been working on this for the last number of months and North West STOP understand how crucial the service is in an area that is a blackspot for mental health services and supports.

“The pilot will run up to December for one day per week. We will then review how things are going and hope to officially launch the service next January.”

A huge amount of progress has been made on the campaign to establish an FRC for Erris over the last 12 months, including regular meetings with TDs, a strategic plan and rationale document, a strong petition, numerous letters of support, community information evenings in all the parishes of Erris, and the initiation of much-needed services being established in the area. The campaign has demonstrated that a collective community and interagency approach can achieve a great deal.

An FRC is a place where much-needed services and supports are delivered, such as: mental health and well-being services, family support, services for young people with disabilities, support for those experiencing domestic violence, after-school clubs, men’s groups, etc.

These kinds of supports are not readily available in Erris; the nearest support services are located over an hour’s drive away. This varied yet targeted and locally led work of FRCs make this type of organisation the most suited to responding to the needs in the Erris community.

Chairperson Leanne Barrett concluded: “We know that FRCs do exceptional work in communities addressing poverty, marginalisation, social exclusion, and supporting families across a range of issues, but what happens in communities like Erris where there is no such resource?”

If you have any questions about the campaign for a family and community resource centre in Erris, email frcforerris@gmail.com.