Limerick voluntary groups link up in bid for new home
THREE PROMINENT Limerick voluntary groups have come together to agree to share a base in the city.
Haven Hub, Limerick Land Search and Rescue alongside Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention all exist to help vulnerable people of the city, county and region.
All three have sought a facility separately for a number of years, and now in a statement, they have confirmed that with council bosses amenable to providing a base, they will step up their efforts.
The plans include a location which will promote all local mental health services under one roof, with the venue also running wellness courses, plus access to knowledgeable volunteers.
It will also be a shared communal space for all three groups to train and debrief its volunteers.
They will also benefit from the advantage of sharing their individuals training and skills with each other’s volunteers.
The facility will provide space to store the life-saving equipment of groups that is currently being unsustainably kept in vans and jeeps, and a crisis centre for people who wish to receive support from suicide-prevention and peer support-trained volunteers.
Haven Hub founder and chairperson, Leona O’Callaghan said: "For many years, Limerick has called on suicide prevention groups to put differences aside in their common aim to support people in their lowest moments and be willing to work together. Today is a milestone on that path where we have agreed to work side-by-side in the hope of creating a shared space where all our skills and services can be accessed under the one roof.”
Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention Chair Matt Collins added: "We want to turn Limerick’s relationship with suicide on its head. We want Limerick to lead the way in suicide prevention rather than leading the way in suicide rates. By sharing a base and collaborating, Limerick can create the first concept of a one-stop-place for vulnerable people.”
And Calvin Prendergast, chairperson of Limerick Land Search and Rescue said: "We are currently operating out of jeeps and unsuitable premises. We call on the council to give us the 4 walls needed to provide the essential services our volunteers are trained to deliver. We are delighted to work alongside 2 organisations to make this happen and ensure that nobody is left without a base.”
All three groups intend to continue talks with council officials and local representatives in the hope that these plans will come to fruition without delay.