Supplementary memorandum submitted by
Families Achieving Change Together (FACT)
My name is Janet Hunter, I am the co-founder
and Manager of FACT. FACT was started on October 1998. I was a
shop assistant through the height of the Troubles. I was out in
many bomb scares and in 1977 caught in fire bombs. My father was
a serving member of the armed services so I also lived with the
fear of losing him. Then in 1983 I lost my only brother and the
youngest sibling by the hands of the IRA.
AIM AND
OBJECTIVES
Our aim is to help in the healing process of
our members who are victims/survivors of the Troubles of Northern
Ireland. FACT aims to encourage our members back into society
and empowers and prepares them with new skills for a better future,
to enable them to become economically viable in society with their
families.
1. Support for families or individuals,
who have been affected by the "Troubles" by:
(a) Safe environment to meet and chat.
(b) Provide for their individual needs including
Counselling.
(c) To lobby on their behalf.
When a member of a family contact us, we invite
them for a quite chat in private to get to know them and introduce
them to the Charity. This can be done in their home if they feel
more comfortable. After this initial meeting we offer services
in the order below.
HOW WE
OFFER SUPPORT
1. When first contact is made we offer counselling
on our premises with Nova (Barnardo's) and in some cases home
visits (befriending).
2. We then offer Alternative therapies and
Day trips along with Tea and a Chat any day at our Drop-in-centre,
which facilitates our members with admin and welfare support.
3. Next we offer Training and Education
which is any course to support our members in improving their
life and job prospects.
Reconciliation is information of self and neighbours.
To this end the above support helps individuals and families to
understand themselves and in doing this they will understand others.
We provide network trips to achieve the breaking down of prejudices,
such as going across the Border for the first time. Visit the
Boyne Valley to hear the Truth. Visit Stormont Building to show
that Government is reachable for the ordinary person. All of this
builds confidence.
9 February 2005
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