Home-Start Down District Get Christmas Windfall From Poots

AT a meeting yesterday (Tuesday 20 December), Health Minister Edwin Poots brought good tidings to Home-Start to the tune of £65,000 for the year 2011-12. This unexpected award by the Minister has saved the organisation from further cutbacks in its vital services to the community after it has struggled to find sufficient funding over the past year.

Dorothy McMullan led her Home-Start team to Stormont at the beginning of the political campaign to secure funding.

Dorothy McMullan, Home-Start Down District Co-ordinator, said, “We are absolutely delighted with the fantastic news. This will put our charity back on track meeting the needs of families in the area who face some very significant hardships. 

“We were forced to close out Newcastle satellite office and were current considering the future of the Ballynahinch office which too was earmarked for closure when we heard the Minister wanted to talk to us at Stormont. 

“We are still delivering our services in all of the areas we work in but our bases in the communities have been compromised. We have been operating more from our Downpatrick centre.”

Dorothy McMullan addressing the MLA's in the Long Hall at Stormont earlier this year. 

Mrs McMullan explained that Home-Start is a very cost-effective organization and can deliver support for a family and child for £9 adding that the Minister was impressed with their business model and their efficiency and effectiveness. 

She said, ‘We dealt with 496 families in the last year and 425 cases with children. Our work has increased about 33 per cent from the previous year. There is definitely a demand for our vital services to these families who experience difficulties and who require support. 

“We are also part-funded by the South eastern Health and Social Care Trust who have been very helpful. Over the past year we have struggled by on our financial reserves. This new will give us all a great boost. We like many organizations have had to streamline our organisation and next year we have to meet with civil servants and draw up a three-year strategy. At last we now have stability and certainty for the foreseeable future.”  

Walker Commends Decision By Poots

Rowallene DUP Down District Councillor William Walker has commended Minister Poots for his decision to back Down District Home-Start. He said, “The Dup have lobbied the Minister for months over this pressing issue and really the results are much to do with Strangford MP Jim Shannon’s efforts and commitment is getting behind the case. He managed to get the Minister to agree to a meeting to bring  this forward. 

“The funding had been withdrawn by the previous Minister and as a result Home-Start were put under tremendous pressure top try and continue delivering their services on a shoestring. The £65,000 windfall for this financial year is great news and the Minister has also identified further possible funding packages for the next couple of years which is a relied to Home-Start. 

“The Minister was very much appreciative of the excellent preventative work that Home-Start does and now he is very willing to work with them. 

“Although there has been much discussion within Down District Council over Home-Start, other parties just didn’t seem to follow through on this. We never let go of the issue.”