Quakers to celebrate 200 years of caring for mentally ill and elderly; CITI students share harvest fare with inner–city homeless charity; Media Review – MP calls for suicide ‘web block’
Quakers to celebrate 200 years of caring for mentally ill and elderly
Members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Ireland will celebrate 200 years of caring for the mentally ill and elderly at a special event to be held at Bloomfield Care Centre, Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, on Wednesday 28th November from 18:00 to 20:00.
Kathleen Lynch TD, Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people (amongst other portfolios), will be guest of honour, arriving at 18:30. She will plant a tree on her arrival and at 19:15 she will give a 10-15 minute talk (theme to be confirmed).
This will be preceded by a talk on Mental Health and Genetics by Prof Michael Gill, School of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin (19:00).
A new book, Bloomfield A History 1812-2012(by J. Glynn Douglas, Robin B. Goodbody, Alice Mauger and John Davey will be launched at 19:40.
The Minister will then be asked to cut a specially-commissioned cake at 19:45
The Religious Society of Friends has been pioneering in its care and treatment of both the elderly and mentally ill. The objective of Bloomfield entailed a seminal change in the nature of care from restraint to ‘moral treatment’ when the first patient entered in March 1812. According to government records, Bloomfield voluntarily opened its doors to regular inspection as early as 1857.
Bloomfield outgrew its original site in Donnybrook and the doors of the new state-of-the-art centre at Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, were opened in January 2005. In 2006 the Jewish Home of Ireland and in 2007 Kylemore Clinic (established by the Methodist Church in Ireland), were also incorporated into Bloomfield Care Centre.
Damien O’Dowd, CEO of Bloomfield Care Centre, says: “The marking of 200 years of providing treatment and care by Bloomfield is a significant achievement for the organisation and is a tribute to the steadfastness of the original mission to provide person-centred quality care to those with mental health needs and to frail elderly. The change in society over that period of time has been immense but our mission and the focus of our service provision has remained strong.
“Today at Bloomfield our commitment to our patients and residents, and the treatment and care provided to them, continues to be our focal point and the core of our mission. As we look towards the future, our continued desire to meet the expanding needs of our older generation is to provide a greater scope of services to include families and supported by the most progressive education and research.”
CITI students share harvest fare with inner–city homeless charity
The chapel of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute was decorated seasonally in October for two Harvest Thanksgiving Services – the first organised by the part–time MTh students and the second by the full–time students and the deacon–interns.
The large collection of fruit, vegetables and tinned food brought in by the students was later donated to the Mendicity Institution, a centuries–old Dublin charity that provides meals and food for homeless people and other poor people in the inner city.
The patrons of the Mendicity Institution include the Deans of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. The ‘Mendo,’ which is based in Island Street, was founded in 1818 and is Dublin’s second–oldest charity.
The harvest fare was presented to Charles Richards, Director of the Mendicity Institution, and Barbara Comerford, who co–ordinates an outreach programme from Christ Church Cathedral that works with the Mendicity Institution as part of the cathedral’s inner–city mission.
Receiving the food on behalf of the Mendicity Institution, Barbara thanked the ordinands and students at CITI for their generosity.
“As winter draws near, and as public spending cuts bite deeper, homeless people in the inner city are facing a bleak time,” she said. “This is a very visible and practical sign of sharing Christ’s love when more and more people are in need of knowing about it.”
The Mendicity Institution has always worked towards the relief of poverty in the city and continues today as a food centre providing free meals daily, including Sunday brunch. All meals are provided free of charge – and no questions are asked, she said.
Barbara added: “I am also pleased that this generosity on the part of the students strengthens the links between the theological institute and the mission and outreach of Christ Church Cathedral in inner–city Dublin. I would always welcome new volunteers on a Sunday afternoon.”
MEDIA REVIEW
MP calls for suicide ‘web block’
BBC – The South Antrim MP Willie McCrea calls on internet providers to prevent computer users from being able to access sites that detail methods of suicide.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20241142