'A free fun new place for children to get a meal and play'

Sixth Class pupils on the cusp of a new stage of their lives

placeholder image — Sixth Class pupils on the cusp of a new stage of their lives

Parents or grandparents can drop their children off between the hours of 12pm and 2pm and they can enjoy a nutritious meal as well as explore art and play games.

School is out and a new resource for children has opened up in Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim, recently where parents or grandparents can drop their children off between the hours of 12pm and 2pm and they can enjoy a nutritious meal as well as explore art and play games.

Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, Mandie Azbill, who is Programme Facilitator of Nourish and Flourish at Breffni Family Resource Centre, a programme aimed at supporting families by providing nutritious meals, youth focused activities, and emotional wellbeing resources for families, said that the service was just set up last week.

She continued that the centre is all about helping the community with "needs and emerging needs" and applied for a grant through the Irish Youth Foundation Flagship, which supports organisations working with children and young people in the Republic of Ireland aged between 5-25 years.

Ms Azbill, who works with Breffni Family Resource Centre as Community Assistant/ Administrator, told the Observer: "There are two groups - one on Mondays and Wednesdays and one on Tuesdays and Thursdays and it's all providing a resource for children over the school holidays. "They get a nutritious meal and they also explore art, play games and there is a lot of socialisation. During mealtime we sit around the table, family-style, and we all pitch in to set the table, tidy up, help pass out the food. It's a mix of a meal and social activities."

The Monday and Wednesday group is now full but there are still places available for Tuesdays and Thursdays.

She added: "It is a great place for children to come and hang out and get lunch; there is no pressure on the parents that they have to be there because it is very much a drop-in centre."

She stressed: "It's completely free; there is no cost to parents."

For more information you can contact Breffni Family Resource Centre on 071 9622566.