A GROUP of carers in Fermanagh who meet on a weekly basis to support each other and reduce loneliness have received a significant funding boost of over £35,000.

The Escapists have just been awarded a Big Lottery Fund grant of £35,325 to cover activities for the next three years.

They meet every Wednesday in the Aisling Centre in Enniskillen.

Their ‘Me Time’ project is designed by members and will support them to build friendships and confidence, reduce loneliness and gain coping mechanisms to improve their lives. Each year, the project will also provide an overnight respite trip for carers.

One of the group’s founding members, Clare McGovern (52), struggled alone for years in rural Fermanagh. She cares for her 20-year-old son, Kieran, who has ADHD and mobility problems.

Clare said: “I moved to Fermanagh as a lone parent with my two sons Conor (22) and Kieran in 1997. Kieran was born at 24 weeks and had a lot of complications and when we moved to Fermanagh he contracted meningitis and was very ill. He was left with ADHD and mobility problems and I became his full-time carer. I am originally from county Cavan and had been living in London so I did not know many people here and was very much alone, as my family were not close-by.”

In 2008 Clare heard about a personal development course for carers organised by Positive Futures and delivered by Noreen Kettyles. There were 11 other carers on the eight-week course - all women - most of whom didn’t know any other carers.

The course was an emotional journey and the women all formed strong bonds.

“On the last week of the course we didn’t want it to end,” said Clare.

“I found the support of the other women gave me great strength and we could talk and help each other. I never had anybody and it turned out that was true of a lot of the others I met on the course. When the course finished we decided to set up a group for carers, which would be run by carers. This grant will ensure that we can bring more carers on board and it will keep our group going until 2020. We can help more carers to build confidence in the wonderful skills, knowledge and experience they have as a basis to develop further.”

Joanne McDowell, Big Lottery Fund NI Director, said: “I am delighted to announce these grants under the People and Communities programme and I want to say thanks to all the National Lottery players who have helped make this possible.”