MORE children than ever will be given an opportunity to share their fears and worries following receipt of a generous gift to the Children’s Grief Centre, Limerick.
The new centre will allow for expansion of services to create a warm welcome where children, teens and their families can find healing and hope.
“We feel privileged to be able to provide additional support to individuals and organisations to assist with young people and their families in grief,” founder Sr. Helen Culhane said.
Sr. Helen and her team of thirty volunteers hope to expand the services they offer thanks to the generous gift of a new premises at the John Henry Newman Campus at Mary Immaculate College. The building has been gifted by the Mercy Congregation, South Central province.
The gifted building is currently vacant and requires a full renovation to become a purpose built service catering for up to 70 children per week.
The centre, founded by Sr. Helen in 2009, currently welcomes around 25 children per week.
To date, volunteers at the centre have helped more than 1,500 children affected by loss through death, separation or divorce. Currently, the centre is limited in the support it can offer due to space constraints.
Sr. Helen and the Board of Management are working to transform the service through a series of additional resources as part of the new development.
These include:
- Dedicated rooms specifically designed for four to nine year olds; six to twelve year olds and teens up to 18 years.
- A library, three adult support rooms, a conference room and six staff offices.
- The new centre will include a waiting room equipped with tea and coffee making facilities along with reading material for parents and guardians along with free parking.
- Outside, an interactive sensory garden will offer children an opportunity to communicate with the natural world.
“Young people’s expression of feelings is facilitated in a number of ways, appropriate to their age, developmental stage and wishes. Listening is key, but much use is made of creative play, paint, music, and sensory materials games and workbooks. Play is one of the best ways for children to work through everything they wrestle with, from everyday challenges to anxiety, fear, and even loss and death,” Sr. Helen said.
Contact Helen/Fiona: 087 9851733/ 061 224627 or email [email protected]
For fundraising enquiries contact [email protected]
