‘The work of Quaker Cottage over forty years has been phenomenal. They have provided sanctuary and support for families from the top of their hill.'
The deep end: Shane Whelehan on a closure in Northern Ireland
‘There is much to celebrate in all that has been achieved.’
It is with sadness that the board of Quaker Service in Northern Ireland has decided to close the Family Programme at Quaker Cottage in Belfast. Opened in response to the sectarian violence fracturing the north and west of the city during the troubles, Quaker Cottage, high up on the Black Mountain, has been the centre of the cross-community family work for the last forty years.
A long-held contract with the local health and social care trust, amounting to almost half of the income required to run the programme, came to an end in July. We hoped to be able to reconfigure the programme while money was set aside from reserves to meet the immediate funding shortfall. But the last months saw the projected deficit rise sharply amid a lack of certainty about the future, so we agreed to lay down the work.
The immediate priority has been to ensure that the groups of women and their children currently attending the Cottage could complete the programme. All of the work will be concluded by December.
We are keenly aware of the impact of the decision on the staff who have worked at the Cottage with such dedication over the years. There is a sense of loss in the local community. News of the closure has brought an outpouring of support from those who attended the Cottage in the past. Many local women have posted on social media to recount memories of going up the mountain to the ‘Quakers’, describing the experience as life-changing.
The family support programme provided holistic practical, social, and emotional support for families in crisis from across the community. The emphasis was on care and support, on relationships, on demonstrating the worth of each individual. In an external review of the programme carried out in 2020, the women attending the Cottage stressed the importance of that sense of acceptance, with comments such as: ‘understanding, compassion and no judgement… kindness.’
Koulla Yiasoum, the Northern Ireland commissioner for children and young people, commented on the closure: ‘The work of Quaker Cottage over forty years has been phenomenal. They have provided sanctuary and support for families from the top of their hill. I had the privilege of witnessing it close-up a few years ago and was left in awe. Few may know about it but many have benefitted.’
There is determination that Quaker Service will continue its work. Our chair, Elizabeth Dickson, said: ‘For all those who have been involved with the Cottage over the last forty years, and who have supported it so generously, there is much to celebrate in all that has been achieved. The work at the Cottage has touched the lives of thousands of families. Our focus now is on the opportunity to develop our service and to fulfil our vision of enabling positive change. We are determined to continue working to ensure that justice, fairness, and opportunity are experienced equally by everyone in the community’.
Shane is the chief executive of Quaker Service in Belfast.
Comments
‘Way Will Open’ - Quaker Service will indeed continue its wonderful work in Northern Ireland. Let us all pray and uphold everyone involved.
By Finola on 4th November 2022 - 19:22
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