Ballyhoura Rural Services (BRS) has been addressing loneliness and social isolation in North Cork and East Limerick since establishing the befriending service in 2010.
Overview of Service
BRS Befriending provides face-to-face befriending to anyone over the age of 18 who is experiencing loneliness and social isolation. We also befriend people with dementia or other chronic conditions and their carers; this service provides an opportunity for carers to undertake task outside the home or engage in a social outing knowing that their loved one is safe.
Community Employment (CE)
The Community Employment (CE) programme helps long-term unemployed individuals return to the workforce by providing part-time, temporary job placements within local communities. These roles offer valuable work experience and help participants build skills and confidence in a supportive setting..
You do not need to pass a means test to qualify for the CE scheme. For further information on CE, go to:
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/412714-community-employment-programme/
We have an excellent record of work colleagues/ participants moving to full-time employment following placement with us. Former colleagues have found employment with Nursing homes (Care Assistants) HSE (Home Helps) Irish Wheelchair Association (Training Officer), Revenue Commissioners (Clerical Officer) and as Community Development Workers and Accounting Technicians.
Life Story Reminiscence Recording Service
BRS provides a Reminiscence Recording Service to our clients and to the wider community in the East Limerick and North Cork area.
We have been providing this service since 2013 and have recorded & published over 30 life stories. The individual whose story is recorded—and their family—retain full access to the written and digital recordings. At the start of the process, they sign a consent form that clearly outlines this agreement. All those involved in recording life stories have undertaken training in reminiscence recording.
We can undertake the entire process, from recording to publication, within BRS as we recognise that reminiscence recording can be an enjoyable process for both parties and can have significant benefits for the individual.
“Reminiscence is a free-flowing process of thinking or talking about one’s experiences in order to reflect on and recapture significant events of a lifetime. We all live in the present, yet we still carry our “past” selves with us throughout our lives. We are part of a rich history that needs to be shared and preserved. The stories we tell about our lives are also important sources of self-identity and enable us to explore and relate our past to the present”. (Kristine Dwyre)
The actual recording process can take place in the individual’s home and generally takes place over a series of 4-6 meetings in total. We initially take a voice recording of the interviews. The process from recording to publication will take a number of months & each individual recorded will have an opportunity to review a draft of their life story before publication.
Enquiries/Referrals
We accept referrals from individuals, family members or healthcare professionals.
If you are interested in learning more about our service and wish to talk to us, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at 063-89442. Our Project Coordinators will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
A downloadable referral form is available in the Resource Section.