This article is from page 26 of the 2010-01-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 26 JPG
AN EVENING of entertainment from some of Clare’s most talented musicians will help to raise funds for a charity which aims to support carers and help them cope with the stresses of the job.
The Feakle-based Ciunas Com- munity Centre for Complimentary Health has taken up residence in Feakle village since just before Oi tah aeet-ky
The service aims to help carers and their families cope with stress and to provide services which support Wetoeee
Ciunas, which is a charity, was set up by Anita Hayes, Catherine Pa- tience and Tonia Custers, three ther- apists who are themselves carers.
“Being a carer can be very tiring and what we want to do here is to provide carers – and the people they care for – with something which sup- ports and lifts them, whether that’s a massage, creative writing or sing- ing,” Anita explained.
Carers give a long-term commit- ment to looking after someone else’s needs and fatigue and depression are just some of the problems which can come with the job.
“We’re talking about preventative health care, we want to provide a bridge, an extra layer of support,’ said Anita.
Just opened in Feakle, the centre currently caters for a small number of clients but can cater for up to 100 and they hope to expand to these buss LeLSs ECR
“We are here for anyone who Is a carer, whether they are caring for someone with special needs or an elderly person and the people they care for can also come along,’ said Anita.
The centre can now call on the services of up to 15 fully-qualified therapists, from psychotherapists to massage therapists.
All of the professionals offer their treatments for €20 a session, about one-third of the normal fee.
The centre got a one-off grant from the JP McManus fund but the fees charged for treatments don’t come close to covering the costs so the mu- sical fundraising evening is vital.
“We think it will be a lovely evening and we’re keeping the cost of tickets down to €15 because we want carers
to be able to come too,” said Anita.
The concert takes place in St Mary’s Church in Feakle on Janu- ary 29 at 8pm and features Mar- tin Hayes, Mary McNamara, Mike Hanrahan, Tommy Hayes, Manus McGuire, Denis Carey and special guests. Paula Carroll is the MC.
Ciunas are located in the new building on the site of the old cream- ery and they can be contacted on 061 924837. For more information about the service, visit Www.ciunascentre. fey ene