Author: Eddie Banville

The Irish Red Cross (IRC) established a project to facilitate the provision of disability and Psychological First Aid (PFA) support for Ukraine refugees arriving in Ireland as a result of the ongoing conflict. The intention of this initiative is to build on the existing IRC programme of PFA with an aim to assist those suffering from mental stress due to the extreme trauma of their experiences. Additionally, the IRC has committed to the provision of assistive devices and support for Ukrainians arriving in Ireland who are living with disabilities.

The Care Trust provided a grant of €50,000 to the IRC to support the PFA programme and their allocation of assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, to Ukraine refugees.

Healing Untold Grief Groups is a peer support organisation. HUGG provides a safe, non-judgemental and confidential environment in which those bereaved by suicide can share their experiences and feelings, while giving and gaining support to and from each other. The aftermath of a suicide is shocking, debilitating, surreal, and forever life-changing. It is not easy to learn to live with this loss, but HUGG is available to help. The Care Trust believes that minding each other is an important value and is pleased to support HUGG and its vital work.

Future plans

The Care Trust has made a grant of €45,000 to enable HUGG to progress its Peer Group Support programme in 2023.  Objectives include increasing the number of people attending peer-group meetings throughout the country. This financial support will also help to increase the number of people accessing information on suicide bereavement and will allow for an uplift in telephone support to suicide-bereaved individuals. An additional grant of €2,083 was provided to support HUGG’s National Suicide Bereavement Remembrance Evening in November 2023.

A Lust for Life is a multi-award-winning movement that uses content, campaigns and events to facilitate young people to be effective guardians of their own minds – and to be the leaders who drive our society towards a better future.

1st & 2nd Class Schools Programme supported by grants received from The Care Trust

The Care Trust initial grant of €65,000 helped ALFL to develop, during 2022, its primary school wellbeing and resilience mental health Schools Programme for children in 1st and 2nd classes. A Lust for Life Schools Programme has now been extended to 893 primary schools in 2,222 classrooms, reaching 51,110 pupils in 1st to 6th classes around the country. The programme undergoes ongoing evaluation both in-house and in partnership with the School of Psychology in University College Dublin.

For more than 70 years, the Rehab Group (Rehab) has worked to break down the barriers that prevent people with disabilities from living ordinary lives in their communities. Many thousands of people have seen their lives transformed, achieving levels of independence, educational attainment, and career progression that might otherwise have seemed out of reach. The main purpose of Rehab is to empower its service users to lead more independent lives and play an active and meaningful role in their communities, through the provision of high quality, flexible and sustainable care services, learning, training and education, employment-skills and opportunities. Rehab opened new services during 2022, providing support to more people than ever. The support of The Care Trust plays an important part in helping Rehab to deliver its services.

Established in 1951, the CRC is a national voluntary charity that delivers medical, clinical, social and educational services to children and adults with complex disabilities across Ireland. The charity has 391 staff, supported by approximately 100 volunteers and provides a variety of care services for 8,316 clients.

We, at The Care Trust, are very proud of our longstanding relationship with the CRC. We have been raising funds to support this excellent charity for over fifty years through our door-to-door fundraising. The ongoing fundraising support of The Care Trust enables CRC to go the extra mile and ensure that the people it serves get the services they need. 

The Care Trust continues our frontline fundraising activities during the current period of COVID-19 Level 3 restrictions. We are raising much-needed funds for the CRC, Rehab and the Mater Hospital to support services for children and adults living with disabilities in Ireland.   

Essential fundraising for Irish charities has been severely limited in recent months. Our fundraisers have now resumed calling to homes in their respective localities. Our teams have been trained and equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) and will, at all times, comply with government guidelines, including social distancing.

All over Ireland, people continue to help our good causes. We need your support now more than ever. On behalf of the CRC, Rehab and the Mater University Hospital, we thank you for your generosity.