ElectricAID Ireland supports SPACE Programme and TRUST

Electricaid Ireland, ESB's corporate social responsibility initiative, presented a cheque for €30,000 to Professor Carol Fitzpatrick of Temple Street Children's Hospital for the Support for Parents and Carers Programme (SPACE) on Wednesday, February 6th.

SPACE is a multi-disciplinary support group set up by the hospital to provide counselling to the parents and carers of children who present signs of self-harm. ElectricAID Irelands funding will go towards an eight week support and counselling programme for the parents and carers of these children. The programme focuses on prevention by educating parents on how to spot early warning signs. It also gives parents the opportunity to talk about the effect that self-harm has on them as a family and as individuals, as well as providing intensive counselling for the children themselves.

Temple Street Children's Hospital already has a specialist unit that provides medical care for young people who have either harmed themselves or attempted suicide. This unit incorporates consultants, nurses and psychologists who are dedicated to assessing children and providing them with care and support.

The innovative SPACE programme has been in existence for over a year and it presented initial findings at the International Suicide Prevention Conference in Kilkenny in 2007. Professor Fitzpatrick, a child psychiatrist said, "On behalf of the Self-Harm Team in Temple Street Children's Hospital, I would like to say how delighted we are with the most generous donation from ElectricAID Ireland. This will enable us to expand our programme for parents of children and teenagers with self-harm and suicidal behaviour. We want to thank all the staff and all involved in the ESB for the donation."

Presenting the cheque to Professor Fitzpatrick, ESB Executive Director for Corporate Affairs, John Campion praised the work of the programme by saying, "ESB is delighted to support this initiative in its very important work with vulnerable young people and their families and carers. By providing support for the SPACE programme we believe we are strengthening resources that can prove so vital at challenging times in young peoples lives."

ElectricAID Ireland was set up in 2005 to provide financial support for charities in Ireland working in the areas of suicide prevention and homelessness, two areas especially chosen by ESB staff. Since its foundation, ElectricAID Ireland has dispersed in excess of €2.6 million in funding to 240 projects across the country.