Funding blow hits disability service

Rodney Edwards • Published 11 Feb 2010 10:25 0 Comments

See also:

Positive Futures which supports people in Fermanagh with learning disabilities is earmarked to close, the Impartial Reporter can reveal.

The end of the Lakeland Families Service in Lisnaskea due to a lack of funding, will affect at least 80 families in the county.

Positive Futures provides opportunities for children and young people with a learning disability here to get involved in the community. It also gives parents, brothers and sisters the opportunity to enjoy fuller family and social lives.

But despite the Western Health and Social Care Trust having to end the funding supply after seven years, all may not be entirely lost. It's understood the service which was due to end next month will now continue for at least another six months as families try to raise money to keep it going. But whether or not this works, remains to be seen.

The not-so-positive future of Positive Futures was only first highlighted in public at a meeting of Fermanagh District Council in December 2009 and again last week.

Speaking at February's meeting, Sinn Fein's Thomas O'Reilly said he was "very disappointed" to learn of the demise of its Lisnaskea base.

"Positive Futures provide a lot of respite to families and the wider community. It provides a pro active service for people with disabilities. We don't want these families getting into a crisis point now. They are very unhappy that the service will close due to a lack of funding." he said.

In December we contacted Positive Futures' head office in Bangor for information. They refused to comment.

In January we contacted Positive Futures' head office for information again. They refused to comment.

In fact, we repeatedly asked representatives from the charity, including Chief Executive Agnes Lunny, to clarify its future in Fermanagh but nobody did.

It was only after several attempts by this newspaper this week that Positive Futures finally admitted it was indeed, set to close here.

On Tuesday a spokesperson said: "Following media enquiries, we have issued this statement with the approval of the families involved. Unfortunately, current economic circumstances mean that the Western Trust cannot provide support funding for the Service beyond the agreed pilot period. As a result it was decided that the Service would close in March 2010. The families involved have known about this for some time but are still, understandably, disappointed and shocked, as they want the service to continue. Parents are at a loss to understand the withdrawal of this crucial service. They have asked for time and privacy to absorb the news, discuss its implications, consider their position and have discussions with the Western Trust and others. To honour this request we in Positive Futures are prepared to wait until such time that parents feel ready to speak publicly, which is why we have been reluctant to comment on the issue. We understand that parents will be ready to speak publicly in the near future."

The statement added: "Our support for these families continues and through other charitable grants and the fund-raising efforts of staff, families and volunteers we are in a position to keep the service going for a further six months."

The Impartial Reporter can also reveal today that bosses at the Positive Futures first knew the Lisnaskea branch was closing nearly a year ago.

In a statement to this newspaper, a spokesperson for the Western Trust said: "The Trust advised Positive Futures in early 2009 that it would no longer be able provide non-recurrent funding to support this project. With assistance from the Health and Social Care Board the Trust provided a final funding payment and support to develop an exit strategy, so that Positive Futures could create a self-sustaining programme model after all Health and Social Care funding ceases. Regrettably it seems that Positive Futures has not been able to develop such a model."

The statement added: "When the Western Trust was established in April 2007 Positive Futures was funded through the Department of Health, Social Services and public Safety to provide support to families in the Fermanagh area. Their contract was for a pilot project over a three-year period. After the three-year pilot period ended, the Trust endeavoured to continue supporting Positive Futures through non-recurrent funding as the contract no longer had a funding stream. This arrangement was reviewed during each financial year. The Trust cannot spend more than its budget allocation and so we have to review any services that do not have a recurring source of funding."

And yesterday Sinn Fein's Thomas O'Reilly who has been working closely with the families says that despite all of this, they hope to keep the service going, if they can: "The families are trying to figure out what to do and have been working hard at raising money. They need a bit of breathing space to work out a plan, that's why the service is continuing until at least September." he said.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 11 Feb 10

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.