THE Carrigaline Family Support Centre, which provides broad-reaching life cycle services for families and locals in Carrigaline, has opened a brand new 1,500 ft centre worth €450,000 to service the community.

Supported by the HSE and Tusla, the new centre will facilitate the continuing needs of those living in Carrigaline and surrounding areas.

The centre has been repurposed via a refurbishment to allow the centre to expand to provide extra much needed essential services locally.

According to the centre manager Chris O’Brien, ‘The acquisition of the new building has future-proofed the provision of our services for the community.

This was 17 years in the making with the help of the HSE, Tusla and the Carrigaline Community.

The new premises facilitates the expansion of services including a new therapy room.

The through-put is about 200 people each week receiving direct supports along with tertiary supports all impacting about 25% of the local population in Carrigaline and Lower Harbour area. The social return is massive and we are on a mission to change the narrative locally from “What’s Wrong” to “What’s Strong”.’

He said: ‘We were delighted to be awarded help under the arm of the Dulux Let’s Colour Project, which kindly donated all the paint for the centre and sent a team of volunteers to join our local youth volunteers to complete all the painting, transforming the centre into a bright vibrant space.’

The centre’s support services range from adolescent anxiety groups, counselling, baby and pregnancy services, Mna Le Cheile (women’s shed), as well as special assistance for the elderly.

Local 101-year-old Ruth Brittain is just one local who benefits, regularly turning to the centre for help with challenges which many of the elderly living alone will relate to.

According to Ruth Brittain, ‘The centre has been a go-to for me giving me advise on how to approach paperwork, bills or even something like the property tax, navigating computers … all of that, it’s such a great support.’ 

Colour Project, which joined forces with social enterprise charity, Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), which mentors young people in painting and construction skills, whilst renovating valuable community spaces.

To learn more about projects which were helped through the Dulux Let’s Colour Project 2025 visit www.dulux.ie