FRC board seeks community members
The community of Roscrea is set to benefit from the creation of a Family Resource Centre (FRC), and expressions of interest to join its interim board now being sought by the FRC’s Interim Board of Directors.
Starting that process, the Interim Board attended the Roscrea clubs and organisations exhibition on Saturday, October 3. Also attending were representatives from the statutory and non-statutory agencies and organisations that supported North Tipperary Development Company (NTDC) in its successful application for the FRC, which is supported by Tusla.
The event, at Coláiste Phobal Roscrea, was organised by the Roscrea Community Action Partnership (CAP), with support from NTDC.
Michael Murray, chief executive of NTDC and member of the Roscrea FRC’s Interim Board, said: “North Tipperary Development Company were delighted to receive the allocation of a Family Resource Centre for Roscrea. Since the successful allocation has been announced we have been working with our interagency partners to establish the Family Resource Centre as an operational service, including the registration as a company and a charity, recruitment of staff, securing of a premises, adoption of policies and procedures and so on.
The Interim Board is now seeking expressions of interest from people in the Roscrea community to ensure that even these initial steps are informed by an understanding of the needs and wishes of the people of Roscrea and, in particular, those experiencing poverty or social exclusion.
Sinéad Hickey, Tusla Area Manager North Tipperary Limerick South and East Network, congratulated the Interim Board, saying: “I’m delighted that North Tipperary Development Company have progressed establishing the Interim Board. Family Resource Centre’s are integral to the work of Tusla. We look forward to a strong working relationship with the Roscrea FRC team of staff and board members. There is opportunity now for people living in Roscrea to join the Interim Board and drive the development of the service, shaping it to meet the needs of the community of Roscrea.”
Seamus Mulaney, member of Roscrea FRC’s Interim Board, also noted: “An important feature of the FRC model is that it has strong representation from the local community in its organisational structure. The structure of the new company will provide for that, and a majority of the Board of Directors will come from the community sector and the FRC’s local community in Roscrea.”
Fiona Crotty, from Tipperary County Council, commented: “It’s great to be at a community event like today’s representing the Roscrea FRC; we look forward to it becoming a familiar service in the town of Roscrea.”