Mencap NI launches Bishop Street community hub

Mencap NI has launched a new Community Hub at the charity’s offices on Bishop Street in Derry, with plans to expand its Family Support Services in the city.

Mayor Graham Warke attended the launch along with people supported by the learning disability charity, their families and Mencap staff including Edel Harris, Mencap CEO and Grainne Close, Mencap NI Director.

Mencap NI recently received £68,618 in funding from the Carers Support Fund for the expansion of their Family Support Services in the Council area.

The Fund is administered by the Community Foundation NI on behalf of the Department of Health.

Mencap NI will use the funding to provide support for more parents and families through workshops, peer support and parent carer programmes.

Mayor Warke said: “I was delighted to be part of the launch of this new Community Hub from Mencap NI in our city centre.

“Mencap provide a fantastic service to so many people across our council area, and through the Community Hub and the expansion of their Family Support Services they will be able to help even more families, which is brilliant news.

“Thank you to the whole team at Mencap for their continued incredible work and I wish them well for the future.”

Sarah McGill, from Derry, who has been supported by Mencap NI added: “Mencap came into our lives at a time when we were so lost as a family, helping me to manage the challenges that come with raising a child with additional needs.

“Getting the opportunity to meet Edel, Mencap’s CEO and Grainne, their NI Director in the new Community Hub was really important to me.

“I got to see how everyone in Mencap shares the same values, from the CEO to all the teams working in our local communities.

“I'm really happy to see that more families of young children with a learning disability will be able to get the kind of support that made such a positive difference to me.”

The Mencap NI Family Support Programme supports families with children aged from birth to seven-year-olds with a learning disability, global developmental delay and autism.

The service focuses on early intervention in supporting children’s development, as many children with a learning disability are at greater risk of many health and social inequalities.

Children do not need to have a diagnosis to access the Family Support Programme. The Mencap NI Community Hub will also support tenants in their Supported Living Service and trainees on their Employment and Personal Development Service.

Joanne Sweeney, Family Support Programme Manager for Mencap NI said: “We are delighted to have received £68,618 from the Department of Health Carers Fund as it will provide an opportunity to further grow our family support services both within our Community Hub in Bishop Street and across Derry.

“Many families have already received support through our parent support programme and with this funding we can expand the range and reach of our programmes to help more families and carers in need.”

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland has awarded just over £1m to 22 groups in the North of Ireland, through the Carers Support Fund established by the Department of Health.

The funding has been allocated to groups that provide essential support including counselling, respite and activities to those with caring responsibilities.

Róisín Wood, Chief Executive at the Community Foundation added: “We know that there has been enormous pressure on carers as a result of the pandemic which will have impacted their physical, mental and emotional health.

“Carers range from children and young people, to those caring for parents of every age, partners and sometimes friends. All of these carers have different needs and often have to balance their caring duties with school or work.

“We are pleased to award this much-needed funding to groups who will now be able to offer support and respite to these carers who contribute such a huge amount to society.”