Children’s Grief Centre to move into new Limerick home following €3.5m investment

A FORMER Ladies Residence in Mary Immaculate College will now help girls, boys and young adults coping with grief.

Fourteen years ago a Croom-born Sister of Mercy started the Children’s Grief Project in just two rooms at Mount St Vincent Convent, O’Connell Avenue in the city.

The “project” part of its name has long been dropped as Sr Helen Culhane’s vision of a service for children affected by loss through death, separation, and divorce has been so important. They moved to more spacious premises in the grounds of Westbourne Convent in 2013.

Now their name and home will change again to the National Children’s Grief Centre in the Ladies’ Residence on the John Henry Newman Campus at Mary Immaculate College. It was gifted to the Children’s Grief Centre by the Sisters of Mercy but required a substantial investment of €3.5m to bring it up to the standard that the children need.

Sr Helen, as she is affectionately known, Olive Foley, Children’s Grief Centre ambassador, and Derek Walsh, chair of the board of directors, gave the Limerick Leader a tour of their new home prior to moving in next month.

The new centre will have dedicated rooms specifically designed for four to nine-year-olds; six to 12-year-olds and teens up to 18 years; a library, two adult support rooms, a conference room and six staff offices. Outside, an interactive sensory garden will offer children an opportunity to communicate with the natural world.

Over the years, the number of children referred gradually increased. In its first 12 months in 2009, the project received 68 referrals.

In 2022, 301 children were referred to Children’s Grief Centre and staff and volunteers delivered a record 1,475 contact hours to children and their parents.

Since setting up the centre in 2009, Sr Helen and her team have supported over 2,000 children. This is the only centre of its kind in Ireland and the demand for their services continued to grow, to the point where there is now a waiting list of over 300. It became clear that in order to fulfil their commitments to families and children, it would be necessary to move to larger, more sustainable premises.

Sr Helen said their “dream build” is based on a bereavement support service in Oregon, USA called the Doughy Centre.

“Our new building will allow us to grow and expand and to continue to provide support to children, young people, parents, organisations and communities affected by loss all over the island of Ireland,” said Sr Helen.

The Sister of Mercy says they support on average 60 children per week, and believe that “every child has the right to be heard”.

“We exist to give hope to the hundreds of children and young people who have experienced loss through death, separation, and divorce. Our aim is to deliver better outcomes and change lives for the better. The service is an early intervention that prevents the need for further high-level interventions later in life. It is a free service,” said Sr Helen. The new centre “looks fantastic”, she says.

“It is thanks to charitable donations from our incredible supporters that have allowed us to make this happen. We could not have done this without you. Thank you,” said Sr Helen.

Olive Foley, ambassador, said the new centre is “beautiful” and “a dream come true”.

“When you lose somebody, what I’ve realised is that you can’t do it alone, you need support, you need to go to somebody who can help you and there are people out there who can help. The services provided by the Children’s Grief Centre allow children and young people to express themselves through play, art, and offering a listening ear in a safe, and non-judgmental setting,” said Ms Foley.

Derek Walsh, chair of the board of directors, said the move into the new Children’s Grief Centre is “an incredible achievement for which we thank everyone who has supported us over the years”.

“It is also a phenomenal accolade for Limerick and the Mid-West and represents a decentralisation of key family support services from the capital to Ireland’s most future focused city. Families and children will now have the benefit of a world class facility based in Limerick, with easy nationwide accessibility through Limerick’s excellent road and rail network.

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“Limerick is the capital of the Mid-West and is at the forefront of innovation, sustainability and economic growth. The city and county is undergoing a social and physical renaissance and the future for Limerick and the Mid-West region is exciting,” said Mr Walsh, who added they are immensely proud to contribute to that renaissance.

“From the embers of the first support group meeting in 2009 we now have a state-of-the-art, purpose built centre delivering support and bereavement counselling to children across the country,” said Mr Walsh.