CANCER Support charity Recovery Haven Kerry has announced the gradual reopening of its main house in Tralee, having been forced to move its services to online platforms for over three months because of Covid19 restrictions.
As restrictions begin to ease, however, the charity is moving on to offering face to face counselling and one to one drop in support to those in need at their base at Haig’s Terrace Tralee, on an appointment-only basis.
The charity is also pleased to announce that its annual Celebration of Light ceremony will go ahead this year, albeit virtually on the Recovery Haven Kerry Facebook page.
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Manager Siobhan MacSweeney says that all necessary precautions have been taken to create a safe space for clients and their families to return to what she described as ‘the new normal,’ for now at least.
“The last number of months have been particularly difficult for everyone, none more so than our clients dealing with cancer, who are particularly stressed and worried and who had come to rely on the valuable supports they received when visiting Recovery Haven,” she said.
“And while we have worked hard from home supporting them through phone calls, online counselling sessions, Pilates and our men’s group via Zoom, we are well aware of how much they have missed the personal interaction. Thankfully, we are now delighted to confirm that we are moving on to offering one to one support at our main house in Tralee, by appointment, while our wig clinic has also returned.”
Siobhan stressed that an enormous amount of work has gone into ensuring the building is safe for everyone’s return, insisting that safety is the priority for the charity’s vulnerable clients. While one to one supports are now beginning to return, Siobhan did add that it may be some time before touch therapies, group support and outreach services return.
Recovery Haven is now open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm, and appointments can be made by calling 066 71 92122.
Meanwhile, one of the key events being organised by the charity in the coming weeks is its annual Celebration of Light ceremony, which will take place online this year due to Coronavirus restrictions.
Instead of gathering in person at Tralee Bay Wetlands, as was tradition for the past eight years, the 2020 event will be hosted on the Recovery Haven Kerry Facebook page on Thursday, August 20, at 8pm.
The Recovery Haven team insists that while the public may not be there in person, the impact and uniqueness of this poignant event will not be diminished in any way and they would love for households and communities to join them online and light a candle to remember and celebrate those touched by cancer and those we have lost.
The event will be officially launched in the coming weeks, when more details will be available.