Day Care Centre “pulled out all the stops” for Open Day!
Image 1 of 4
Al Noonan, Fiona Egan and Mary Rock at the open day in Ballymahon Day Care Centre last Wednesday. Photo: Paul Molloy.Image 2 of 4
Kathleen Smith, Josie Cox, Tom Brady, PJ Quinn, Seamus Nolan and Mossie Burns at the open day.Image 3 of 4
Mary Dermody, Rosemary O’Toole, Patricia Lennon, and, standing, Carmel Purcell and Maureen Hanley at the open day in Ballymahon Day Care Centre last Wednesday. Photo: Paul Molloy.Image 4 of 4
Mary Donlon, Lisa Rock, Marian Rock, Fr. Liam Murray and Teresa O’ Dowd at the open day in Ballymahon Day Care Centre last Wednesday. Photo Paul Molloy.Breda Greaves admits that she “pulled out all the stops” to ensure that the clients and stakeholders of Ballymahon Day Care Centre would have a day to remember at their annual Open Day recently – given that it has been a long three years since the event was last held.
“It was much-needed and thoroughly enjoyed by all,” says Breda, who said Covid had impacted “very badly” on the work of the centre and resulted in an 18-month closure.
“Every Open Day is very special, and we always hold one around this time, but I think this year was extra-special because of Covid and we made an extra effort to ensure that it was a memorable day for everyone, clients and stakeholders alike,” she says.
Breda, who is the co-ordinator of Ballymahon Day Care Centre, and her staff hired a large marquee for the occasion, and local parish priest Fr Liam Murray celebrated Mass at which local musicians from Tang played music. This was followed by a meal, with the Rustic Inn from nearby Abbeyshrule providing the food. There was also a song and dance extravaganza at which well-known local musicians John Gilmore and Sean Moran provided the music.
“The whole community really rallied around us and no stone was left unturned to make sure that everyone enjoyed it, and they certainly did,” says Breda Greaves, who paid a warm tribute to all those who worked so hard to make the day such a special one, and to the many stakeholders who attended.
Ballymahon Day Care Centre opened in 2006 beside St Matthew’s Church on Upper Main Street, and currently has a client base of up to 60 people drawn from a catchment area that includes all of Longford and many parts of Westmeath. The centre can cater for up to 30 clients for a sit down meal on a daily basis, and Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB) provide tutors who organise a range of different activities for those attending.
At the moment, the centre relies on the Local Link bus service to bring clients to rural areas to the centre, but they are “over the moon” according to Breda Greaves, to have secured Clár funding of €50,000 for the purchase of a minibus.
“The total cost of purchasing the minibus and adapting it for our clients will be in the region of €61,000,” estimates Breda Greaves, “so we were lucky enough to secure National Lottery funding of €7,000 and our participation in the Women’s Mini-Marathon raised €2,000 so all that money will go towards the minibus, which will be a real game changer for us.”
The HSE provides funding to the Day Care Centre, but they also engage in their own fundraising for extras such as day trips. At their Open Day they had a bumper raffle which was supported by all the local businesses in the Ballymahon and greater Longford area.
“We rely very heavily on volunteers and if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be able to operate at all,” says Breda Greaves, who adds that the centre has six CE Scheme employees as well as Rita Steele, who is in charge of all catering on site.
The Centre is now closed until September, and Breda Greaves stresses that their service is “open to everyone and nobody is excluded.”