"Staff are so kind and genuinely care"

My older brother has struggled with his mental health for over 10 years. He is being treated through the HSE Adult Mental Health services and has been attending The Clubhouse in Sligo for as long as I can remember.

I cant express how valuable the clubhouse has been to my brother and my parents over the years. Daily welfare checks, teaching him to cook, building up his confidence, they kept him safe and informed during the pandemic and give him the opportunity to socialise without feeling pressured or forced to attend, encouraging him to pop his head in and just have a cup of tea. It gives me and my family such a sense of relief that the clubhouse and the wonderful staff are there.

I have met and know some of the staff locally, and the relief comes from knowing that they geniunely care for his well being, care about how he is doing, care about his interests, hobbies and facilitating him pursuing them. When he was phsyically able, they supported him going back to work after years of unemployment, in his area of interest. He has completed short courses, made new friends that he now independently socialises with and he gets a dinner when he needs it. The staff are so kind to my parents, keeping them informed & checking in if he hasn't attended in a couple of days.

I feel genuine fear for my brother declining after coming so far in his recovery and ultimately losing him, without this service. I can imagine that the 20 or so other families & friends of the other clubhouse members would feel the same. I hope they keep their funding, hire the appropriate number of staff and please do not take this away from the service users because there is nothing else like it in Sligo. We all know health services are underfunded and understaffed so there will mostly likely be no one to pick up the duties that the clubhouse staff carry out. I don't know what more to say other than please do not close the service, my parents are stretched thin as it is and under enough emotional stress from their son being unwell, we as family members do not have the skills or knowledge that the support workers & staff have.

He has come on leaps and bounds, he has worked hard to get as well as he can and he has done that with the support of his mental health services team and the staff at the clubhouse. If I could beg you in person, I would. I love my big brother, he deserves to be looked after and he has people who are doing that, and doing it well.