Clonmel suicide awareness support group needs funding to buy its own home

The comfort of having  your own home is something a group of volunteers in Clonmel is  trying to secure for people who need  a support structure in their lives.

Community suicide awareness workers in Clonmel (C-Saw) are appealing to the public to support the group in a bid  to provide  the stability of a permanent home to people availing of the services it provides at  24 Wellington Street in Clonmel.

The goal is to purchase  the  house which they have been using for the last three years so that once ownership is secured they can  offer more services and they could move on to develop as an organisation  knowing they had a permanent base.

C-Saw, founded five years ago, has appealed to local  business interests to support their campaign to  purchase the house and  are actively pursuing  raising enough funds  to make  that crucial step.

It's  an open house, a place where everybody is welcome  with a friendly group combining to provide   a relaxed atmosphere.

"The house is for sale at the moment and we have an agreement to buy it, we just have to raise the money now. We like where we are  and the people who call in are very happy  here" said Joe Leahy one of the founding members of the group.

Tommy Cahill, one of the volunteers, said they were  all trained in counselling.

Initially people who call  enjoy a cup of tea and a chat and if they want to avail of counselling or bereavement counselling they can opt for that in a private and confidential setting.

The house is not just for people in Clonmel,   with people coming from  West Waterford up to Monard.

Patrick is a regular  caller to the house and remembers the difficult place  he was  inwhenhe   first  called  two years ago.

"I  suffered a trauma  way back and I never went for treatment for it. I went around the town letting on I was fine but I was not. 

“It was a struggle to actually  take that step to come in but I got over that. I came to the right place, the counsellors are gold and I am in a good place now" said Patrick.

The organisation works to reduce the number of suicides in Tipperary by raising awareness, educating the community and providing emotional and practical support to those in need, as well as those bereaved by suicide.

Its services - all of which are provided free by trained volunteers and volunteer professionals - are provided at 24 William Street, 

Last year, more than 500 people availed of the services provided at C-SAW House.

These include a Listening Ear Support Service, which is totally confidential and held between 6.30-7.30pm every Monday and Thursday evening; bereavement counselling from 2-3pm every Thursday; and a free coffee morning from 11am-1pm every Wednesday.

Take Time to Talk Counselling with qualified counsellors is also available, by appointment.

C-SAW has trained more than 200 people in recent years in SafeTalk and ASIST. Both courses are certified by the HSE and equip people with the skills to assess and intervene in crisis situations.