New Longford unit will bring 'fantastic benefits' to St Christopher's service users

The opening of a new state-of-the-art unit at St Christopher's Services in Longford will bring 'fantastic benefits' to service users.

The official unveiling, ribbon-cutting ceremony and blessing at the facility, a new directions hub, took place recently with a large gathering of service users, families and staff in attendance.

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Marie Curran, the Day Service Manager at St Christopher's Services CLG, said there are 19 service users supported and a staff team of seven and the event was extremely positive.

"The new unit is a fantastic benefit.

"The group that are there in Leader House [the adult day service facility at St Christopher's], they would have historically been on campus down on the Battery Road so they have been relocated up.

"The service users who are attending the new unit at Leader House, they are all involved in various community groups from Longford Women's Link to Longford Community Resources to the LWTEB."

Marie described the new facility as being 'state of the art compared to where they were' previously and she stated their service users are aged from in their 40s up to retirees.

"It's modern, bright, more spacious, there is more room for individual programmes and individual rooms.

"They will be doing everything from dance, drama, choir, cooking, literacy skills, computer work, a range of activities," she added.

Marie said the unit has been in use for more than 12-months and one of their long-established service users John Reilly officially opened the new facility last month.

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"That was to mark his 40 years attending St Christopher's.

"It was a beautiful day with families, friends, we had Fr Michael McGrath who came in and he blessed the unit and we had HSE representatives," she concluded.