Groups helping Northern victims get (pounds) 700,000 grant to ease trauma
From IRISH TIMES September 27th, 2000
By PAUL TANNEY
Groups representing victims of the Troubles are to receive more than (pounds)
700,000 to help deal with trauma. The money comes from (pounds) 3 million
given by the British government to be distributed over two years by the
Victim Liaison Unit, and will be shared by 13 voluntary groups. The VLU
was set up following Sir Kenneth Bloomfield's report on the impact of the
Troubles on victims, published in April 1998. It has now awarded almost
(pounds) 2 million to support groups. In the latest tranche, more than (pounds)
700,000 was awarded to individual groups. Two, An Crann (The Tree Project)
and West Tyrone Voice, will each receive about (pounds) 86,000 over the
next two years. The Institute of Counselling and Personal Development will
receive over (pounds) 120,000. Smaller awards were received by Families
Acting for Innocent Relatives, which will receive (pounds) 2,000, and the
Fermanagh and South Tyrone Terrorist Victims Association, which will receive
(pounds) 7,000 over the next two years. The money is designed to fund counselling
and training programmes for victims. To qualify, community and voluntary
groups had to be in existence for one year, with a proven track record of
working with victims and survivors. Mr Adam Ingram, the Northern Ireland
Office Minister with responsibility for victims, said the allocation was
designed to "sustain the work of groups already providing quality services to those most directly affected by the Troubles". The awards were assessed
and distributed by the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust, whose director,
Ms Avila Kilmurray, said the trust was "aware of the pain, sense of hurt and anger that many victims feel, and this is understandable." "Money alone will never compensate for such suffering, but the NIVT is committed to supporting the resources and capacity of locally-based, self-help groups." Chris Anderson adds: The south Armagh victims' group, Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR), criticised its allocation of £2,000. FAIR said the motives
for grant aid of just £2,000 to their organisation raised serious
questions when compared with allocations by the NIVT of £90,000
plus to other victims' groups. Mr Alan Carson, chairman of FAIR, said he
was disgusted by the NIVT decision. Ms Kilmurray defended the allocation
and said the group should view it as an opportunity to overcome recent difficulties.
|
