Families delighted that Positive Futures continues

Rodney Edwards • Published 12 Aug 2010 16:00 0 Comments

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Arlene Foster, MLA gets a celebratory kiss from Samantha Ingram after the announcement that Positive Futures will remain open.<<

In a dramatic U-turn, Positive Futures has been saved from the axe just weeks before it was due to close for good.

The voluntary group which has assisted disabled children and their families in Fermanagh for six years will now remain open until March 2011 after being given more funding by the Health and Social Care Board.

They say they will now provide £40,000 for the remainder of the financial year to Positive Futures despite telling this newspaper just one week ago they had “no money” available to assist the group.

The move comes after local MLA Arlene Foster met with the Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Board on Monday to fight for the service to remain open.

Just hours later, the Board dramatically overturned their decision.

In a statement to The Impartial Reporter, the Health and Social Care Board acknowledged the “valuable role played by Positive Futures in supporting children, many of whom have a complex disability.”

It accepted that “any rapid change” to or “cessation of their service” could have an “adverse impact upon the children”, and that’s why it opted to maintain its support for a further period.

The statement added: “The Board has a key responsibility to implement the Bamford proposals on the future of mental health and learning disability services, for this client group. New residential care facilities will be available in the west of Northern Ireland in 2011, which will be commissioned through the Western Health and Social Care Trust by the Board. Today’s decision by the Board allows existing services to continue until that time. During the year, Positive Futures will be reviewed and decisions on its long term status will be taken in due course.”

Arlene Foster who has been working closely with the families for several months, revealed the good news to some of them during a meeting in Lisnaskea on Tuesday.

A number of politicians from across the political spectrum were also at the meeting and offered their support to those families as well.

Mrs. Foster said: “It is great news that the service will be funded until the end of March. That gives us a space in which to formulate why it should be mainstream. The mission for Positive Futures is to provide opportunities for all people of a learning disability to lead fuller and more valued lives. I don’t think that’s going to be provided by just having a respite centre in Omagh. That will be provided by having the services here locally,” she said.

Mrs. Foster praised the families for the way in which they lobbied all local politicians during their plight: “They haven’t left any of us out and that’s the mark of an effective lobby group. You went right across the political spectrum, like you should have done, because this service serves families right across the spectrum.”

“I am very much committed to Positive Futures and will continue to work with the group. Whilst this service has been mainstreamed in other areas it hasn’t been mainstreamed here. I really think it’s an equality issue that must be addressed,” she added.

Sinn Fein Councillor Pat Cox was in agreement with his political rival: “As Arlene said, it has got to be mainstreamed in Fermanagh. It’s not the children’s fault that the country is in the mess it’s in today. They must be given the respect they deserve.”

Mr. Cox added: “It is a privilege to be here among so many young friends. The families here have shown so much dedication and it’s that help you all get back from Positive Futures that really makes the difference. Positive Futures is a fantastic organisation that must always be funded,” he said.

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott, SDLP’s Tommy Gallagher and Independent MLA Gerry McHugh also contributed to the debate, along with other local representatives.

For the families however, it wasn’t about politics but about delivering a result for their children and saving Positive Futures, even just for a few more months, was the perfect result.

Maureen McGerty, a member of the lobby group, paid tribute to everyone who helped her and the other parents in their fight to save Positive Futures.

“To all the volunteers and everyone at Positive Futures and to Arlene Foster, who has supported us from day one, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am very pleased that the service will continue until March but I’m not going to give up the fight. None of us are going to give up on our children. We intend to go to Stormont to meet members of the Health Committee to ensure that this service can remain here in Fermanagh for good,” she said.

For now, the future of this incredible service is much more positive than it was just days ago and for 44 Fermanagh families, that’s all that matters.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 12 Aug 10

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