Support centre for homeless people in Derry forced to close during lockdown

A support centre for homeless people in Derry has been forced to close during the pandemic.

The Foyle Haven day centre at John Street provides a vital range of support for people living on the streets.

However, the centre had to close because of the lockdown restrictions.

Despite this, staff at the local centre have continued to support the homeless community in other ways.

However, news that the Covid-19 vaccine is now available to social care workers has raised hopes that services such as the Foyle Haven, which is run by the Depaul charity, may be able to reopen sooner than expected.

Depaul’s Senior Services Manager for Northern Ireland Deirdre Canavan said it was a 'huge positive' to have the vaccine available for their staff.

“Staff in our services are very much on the frontline in terms of protecting vulnerable people’s health,” she said.

“The measures we’ve put in place and the efforts given by our staff to date have no doubt saved lives.

“We will continue to keep strict measures in place within our services and ensure both service users and staff are adhering to public health advice at all times. It is a testament to all our staff that we have been able to keep all of our services operational through this pandemic.”

The vaccine has been made available to persons who are registered with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) and others working in the social care sector through an online booking system.

Those registered can book their vaccine at https://niscc.info/arrangements-for-booking-the-covid-19-vaccine/