Outreach service for rural Lanarkshire launched

The Haven in Forth, has launched an outreach service for rural Lanarkshire.

Thanks to a grant award of £106,000 from Lanarkshire LEADER, a dedicated team will deliver the ‘Engage and Inspire Project’, reaching out to and engaging with the local community to ensure The Haven services are developed and delivered to meet the needs of people affected by life limiting illness and to their family members and carers.

Karen Boyd, Community Engagement Co-ordinator of the new Engage and Inspire Project said: “Within this comprehensive programme of community engagement our wish is to raise awareness of the support offered by The Haven and work with local people to create services that meet their needs and in doing so overcome any barriers for accessing these services.

“This is something that wouldn’t be possible without the support from LEADER. The funding we have received will accelerate what we can do in terms of developing and delivering more services and ensuring sustainability of them.

“Our new centre in Forth, which opened in April 2017, is allowing us to reach out to people who couldn’t access our support programmes previously and is really helping to break down the isolation barrier which is often present in rural communities. The funding is going to give us a great boost in being able to connect with these people.

“Ultimately we want to make a lasting difference to the people in rural Lanarkshire through the ongoing development and sustainability of The Haven.”

The Haven’s purpose built facility in Forth, which was part funded through South Lanarkshire Council’s Renewable Energy Fund, offers a programme of support designed to help individuals cope with the physical, emotional and practical aspects of their illness and provides support for people at all stages from the point of diagnosis onwards and is specifically tailored to meet the needs of the individual.  The charity operates as a drop in centre with no need for medical referral and all services are provided free of charge.

Attending the 1^st birthday celebrations, the LEADER Programme Manager, Chris Parkin commented,  “The Haven in Forth is a fine example of a community focussed service that fits well with the priorities both Lanarkshire LEADER and the Renewable Energy Fund. I am pleased that together they are contributing to the development of the centre and the sustainability of its services and the integration of these into the wider rural community.”

For more information on how The Haven can support you or how you can support The Haven please visit www.thehavencentre.com