Over £960,000 granted to The Ely Centre in Enniskillen

by Gráinne Connolly

The Ely Centre in Enniskillen has been granted £962,582 funding from the Libor Fund, after applying to HM Treasury for the money back in the summer.

A spokesperson for the centre has said it will be used to further their services at the organisation: 

"The programme will enable the recruitment of 4 full time staff members and will assist in the development and implementation of projects aimed at providing care and support for injured RUC officers and their families. 

"The project will be co-ordinated through the Ely Centre in Co. Fermanagh with additional satellite offices throughout the target areas." 

The project will be a three year programme to begin with, working alongside partner groups from within the Police Family and the Community and Voluntary Sectors in Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh. 

It aims to address issues of declining psychological and physical health, social isolation and transgenerational trauma. 

The spokesperson for the organisation says the services they anticipate delivering includes "evidence based mental health and pain management services, family support services and the visionary idea of the creation of a Health and Well Being Retreat."

Ely Centre Director Lee McDoweel added: 

"We would like to thank all those who have contributed to this successful outcome of this project, from the injured officers and their families who guided the thematic development of this project to our local political representatives who lobbied for project support.

"We are committed to ensuring that this project will provide the opportunities necessary to greatly target and improve the lives of those within the RUC Family who still suffer as a result of their service to the country”  
 

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, Rosemary Barton has also welcomed the news: 

"As a public representative I welcome the funding that has been granted to the Ely Centre. This finance is designed ‘to support the physical and mental wellbeing of injured Police Officers and their families in Northern Ireland.’
 
“This is a significant boost to help injured police officers and their families, this is a major start to a wider support mechanism. It has been the result of good work by The Ely Centre staff to deliver on this funding.
 
“We are extremely pleased that in Fermanagh we have groups like The Ely Centre and SEFF to help support the innocent victims sector, they carry out great work, which I’m sure the victims are very appreciative of.
 
“Sadly, due to the IRA terrorist campaign we have far too many innocent victims in our community, that is why this work of these organisations is so important.”

Libor Funds are scheduled for release in April 2018, over the coming months the Ely Centre will formally establish the project board and undertake recruitment and initial project set up.