Services expand and funding needed at SOSAD

Over 3,000 hours of counselling and 144 new clients taken on in 2024.

Efforts are underway to secure the future of suicide prevention and awareness charity - SOSAD - which is busier than ever before and will be providing services over the Christmas.

The Cavan co-ordinator Christine Wynne has revealed that, as the year comes to a close, the service is still waiting on word of funding for 2025.

“We want to be able to secure SOSAD’s future. We want to be able to say in 2025 that we will do this, this and this. But, without that guaranteed funding coming through the door, we can’t really plan,” she said.

Her comments come as figures show that the service has had its busiest year to date helping those who are struggling with their mental health and also people who have been bereaved by suicide.

So far this year, SOSAD has delivered 21,402 hours of free counselling - up 20.43% from last year - through its six offices in Cavan, Monaghan, Meath, Louth and Laois, as well as remote services.

Locally, at the Cavan office, just over 3,000 hours of counselling was provided and 144 new clients were taken on since the start of the year. Those aged 26-35 years are now the largest cohort accessing the SOSAD Cavan service.

Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler had promised emergency funding for November and December but this has not yet materialised.

Carol Murphy, the General Manager of SOSAD Ireland, has accused the Minister of abandoning them and says that lives are literally “on the line”.

“This is not just a failure - it is a disgrace. Hundreds of people rely on us every week. If we are forced to close, who will support them?” she asked.

Locally, Ms Wynne says the money is “absolutely crucial” and, without it, the organisation simply cannot plan for next year.

“Funding is absolutely crucial because the service is expanding and progressing,” she said before adding that staff do not want to be left “wondering” how they are going to keep the doors open month to month.

“Yes, we are up to par, pulling out all the stops and being there morning, noon and night but, for us to form any plan for the future, we need sustainable funding and not be worrying about paying rent and keeping the doors open,” added Ms Wynne.

The local co-ordinator also highlighted the “huge amount of money” that is required to effectively run an organisation like SOSAD.

“Thankfully one of those huge outgoings is not salaries; there is nobody here on a massive salary and everything goes back into the service,” she continued.

“We need core funding. Funding conversations are ongoing at the moment and the minister did promise us a ‘stopgap’ to help us out in November and December.”

She noted that Mary Butler remains the Minister until another person takes over that portfolio and adds: “We have no reason not to believe that she will fulfil her promise to provide the funding we need.

“We will be providing services over Christmas but they cost money and we need support to do it.”

And while Ms Wynne admits that staff are “delighted” with the increase in demand for services and “statistics this year have gone through the roof”, the organisation can’t provide for expanding services if funding isn’t provided.

“We want people to come to us and use the services that we provide,” she added. “We want the phone calls from people before, not from families after. The provision of services does, of course, come at a financial price for us and SOSAD receives no core funding.”

As the Christmas festivities kick in, there are many people who feel stressed out and sad. Christine’s advice is to simply say ‘no’ if it’s all getting too much. “Thankfully,” she added, “we have come a long way as a society in that we are all aware of not putting ourselves into situations that cause us anxiety or stress. It’s okay to say no to people now, and my biggest piece of advice is to focus on the fact that Christmas is one day; remember it’s one day and it will come, and it will go, just like every other day of the week. It’s not like years ago when everything closed down and people got close to cabin fever in the house.

“These days, people are encouraged to go out for a walk on the day; there’s morning swims and activities to contend with as well, so if a person knows in advance what it is that is going to cause them stress, then they are free to say ‘no, I don’t want to do that’. People who love you will understand and know where you are coming from... So, knowing in your heart that other people will offer you the same respect is very important.”

“We want to take this opportunity to thank the public because without them for the last 13 years we wouldn’t be here,” says Christine. “They are the ones that cover the cost of every bill that comes in here; it’s all about public donations and fundraisers to be honest and without it, we wouldn’t be here.”