Anam Cara to open new offices in West Cork

By BRIAN MOORE

ANAM CARA, the support service for bereaved parents, is to open a West Cork office before the end of the year.

The announcement was made at a bereavement information evening held this week at the Maritime Hotel in Bantry. Anam Cara chief executive Sharon Vard said that the organisation identified a need for their services in West Cork due to the great distances some parents were forced to travel in order to access supports. 

‘We’ve run information evenings twice a year in West Cork since 2012, but for parents who have suffered the terrible loss of a child, and who are living so far from Cork city, a group based in West Cork is urgently needed.’

Almost 2,500 parents experience the loss of child nationwide each year and Anam Cara has offered support to over 8,000 parents since 2008.  ‘We organise up to 100 events each year, across the 32 counties and we are actively seeking partnerships with other groups and organisations to ensure that we can make the best use of our resources,’ said Sharon. 

Guest speaker on the night was nurse Pat McCarthy, one of the founder members of the Irish Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (Féileacáin).

‘Our mission is that every family, no matter where they are in the country, will have the support they need should they experience the death of a son or daughter,’ explained Sharon. 

‘We will be working closely with other groups and organisations already in place in West Cork. We will be able to offer support and care to all those parents who would otherwise have to travel to Cork city.’

For more call Anam Cara at 01 4045378, email [email protected] or see anamcara.ie.