BRIDGE CENTRE SHOULD REMAIN OPEN YET
Bridge Centre should remain open yet
The families of those who died in the Omagh bomb are enduring painful times at the moment with the ongoing Inquests.
Many have found that while they feel the Inquests are useful and that they serve a purpose in establishing the truth of that day, they also spell out very clearly horrific details which many had not faced up to previously.
Two years after the atrocity, as families were rebuilding their lives and, perhaps coming out of the terrible grief that had engulfed them - wounds have been reopened.
A guiding light through all the pain has been the staff at the Bridge Centre who have been helping the victims on the slow road to recovery.
But now it seems that the Centre is threatened with closure.
The renewed pain and anguish caused by the Inquests makes it imperative that the trauma team is sustained long enough to help them cope with the harrowing details of the violent deaths of their loved ones.
Already some of the families have lobbied the authorities for a delay in the closure of the Bridge Centre which has been a lifeline to many.
The plans are that it should close in December and that anyone needing further help could be referred to the existing health service counsellors.
The health trust has not made any firm decision about the matter and we hope that it will not, given the painful time the families are having with the Inquests.
The Bridge Centre should be there for as long as the families need it. Those who use it have become used to the members of the trauma team who are hard working and dedicated.
And if left in place it could be used by other victims of the 30 year violence, who never had access to counseling or emotional support.
The families of those who died in the Omagh bomb are enduring painful times at the moment with the ongoing Inquests.
Many have found that while they feel the Inquests are useful and that they serve a purpose in establishing the truth of that day, they also spell out very clearly horrific details which many had not faced up to previously.
Two years after the atrocity, as families were rebuilding their lives and, perhaps coming out of the terrible grief that had engulfed them - wounds have been reopened.
A guiding light through all the pain has been the staff at the Bridge Centre who have been helping the victims on the slow road to recovery.
But now it seems that the Centre is threatened with closure.
The renewed pain and anguish caused by the Inquests makes it imperative that the trauma team is sustained long enough to help them cope with the harrowing details of the violent deaths of their loved ones.
Already some of the families have lobbied the authorities for a delay in the closure of the Bridge Centre which has been a lifeline to many.
The plans are that it should close in December and that anyone needing further help could be referred to the existing health service counsellors.
The health trust has not made any firm decision about the matter and we hope that it will not, given the painful time the families are having with the Inquests.
The Bridge Centre should be there for as long as the families need it. Those who use it have become used to the members of the trauma team who are hard working and dedicated.
And if left in place it could be used by other victims of the 30 year violence, who never had access to counseling or emotional support.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1475
Published Date: 28-Sep-00
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