ST MUNCHIN’S Family Resource Centre has recently changed its name to reflect the major expansion of its services beyond its original target area.
The facility will now be named the Northside Family Resource Centre and it is hoped that it will become a centre of excellence in the Ballynanty area.
The centre held a family fun day on Friday June 7 to celebrate the name change.
The event, attended by over 300 locals, was opened by Housing Minister Jan O’Sullivan, while Voice of Ireland contestant Aoife McLoughlin performed.
Thanks to its recent rebranding campaign, the centre is already attracting service users from all over the city including Woodview, Ennis Road, North Circular Road, Shelbourne Road as well as local communities.
Centre coordinator Ciara Kane said: “We have seen an upsurge in the number of users availing of family support services in the centre in Ballynanty within the past few years. As families’ circumstances are continually changing in the current economic crisis we are now seeing a change in demographics across the city incorporating families living in areas outside of the boundaries in which we would predominately have served.
“Limerick families are struggling to cope with the many obstacles they face nowadays such as unemployment, crime, the highest suicide rate in the state among many others and it is critical that these issues are addressed and that support services are available to them in order to ease the burden they carry.”
The centre’s award-winning meals on wheels service is among the facilities that have expanded as it now delivers to Caherdavin, Woodview, Mayorstone and some parts of the Ennis Road, North Circular Road, Shelbourne Road along with neighbouring communities including Ballynanty, Moyross, Killeely and Thomondgate.
The centre provides a wide range of family support programmes to Limerick northside communities including childcare, youth work, services for older people, adult community education and other services such as community garden and environmental projects.
