Limerick grief centre founder passes torch to new capable hands
CEO plans to address increasing numbers with recruitment
UPON opening the door of the Children’s Grief Centre, an instant wave of calm flows over any individual who passes its threshold, something their new chief, Mairead O’Keeffe sees each day in those who visit the Limerick-based service.
Mairead, who lives in Limerick county and who has worked as social worker for the past 25 years, began her latest post as chief of the grief centre on January 11, 2024, taking over from its founder, Sr Helen Culhane.
“It's a pretty amazing service,” she began. “Since starting here I have been overwhelmed by the kind wishes people have given me.
“The staff and the volunteers here are doing amazing work. It's a lovely staff team to be part of, to be honest with you.”
Although a Limerick lady through and through, Mairead studied her undergraduate degree in University College Cork, and then followed that with two Master’s degrees, one in Social Work and one in Therapeutic Child Care in Carlow College.
As for the ambiance at the centre, Mairead said: “The atmosphere and the environment when you come in here is that of calm and tranquillity.
“Lots of parents have said that and lots of children have said that, and it's just that sense of coming in and having that peace and being able to work in a safe space with a support worker and so children can express their emotions.”
Having opened its newly refurbished building at John Henry Newman Campus at Mary Immaculate College in 2023, Mairead added: “The new build was a big project for Sr Helen and her vision to expand the service. We now have five support rooms, so we have more capacity to see children.”
The centre sees young people aged between four and adulthood who experience loss as a result of death or parental separation or divorce. Its primary tool - to simply “lend a listening ear.”
Catering to grieving children, not just in the Mid-West, but all over the country, Mairead explained how referrals work at the centre: “Parents or guardians would directly contact the centre and place their child's name on a waitlist. We currently have a waitlist of 244 children on our waitlist, but we're hoping to address that as a result of recruitment.
In 2023 alone, 358 children were seen at the centre which currently offers 60 appointments a week. With only three part-time support workers, and three volunteer support workers, Mairead added: “We're hoping to recruit two part-time support workers to increase that number.
Enormously grateful for all the support given to the service since its inception, Mairead highlights that purchasing tickets for events like the International Women's Day Lunch on March 10 at the Strand Hotel helps massively when trying to raise funds to address wait times and to add resources.
Expressing her hopes for the future, the chief smiled: “For me, it's all about children being listened to, and coming to a service that they feel they want to come to.
“It's really about maintaining that calm environment that you felt when you walked through that front door.”