National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 - 2016

message through a series of community fora meetings, local broadcasts, local print mediaand a range of other activities.9.42 A Sustainable Communities Fund was established by DECLG in 2007 to providefunding to local authorities on a project-by-project basis for initiatives that provide forhousing renewal and improvement of the housing stock and living environments. To date,payments of almost €6.5 million have been made from the Fund, with payments of €1.285million made in 2010. The funding provides for projects in areas such as equality, diversityand special need initiatives as well as initiatives in the areas of supported housing, tenancysustainment and case management for people who face multiple challenges. The fundcontinues in 2011, approximately 40 individual project applications are currently underconsideration for inclusion in the programme.9.43 The following case study is an example of a befriending service to support peoplewith mental health disabilities within the community.Case Study 9.3: North Dublin Befriending Service 90The North Dublin Befriending Service is a voluntary one to one support service, funded bythe HSE, for people who are living in the community and experiencing a mental healthdisability. Befriending is a relationship between a volunteer befriender and a befriendeewhich operates within a structural framework. This is usually a time limited relationshipwhich enables a person to widen their own social network, increase independence andmake informed choices, so enabling them to live life to the full. Befriending involvesmatching a person who has a mental health disability (befriendee) with a trained volunteer(befriender). The service is led by co-ordinators who provide the training, support,supervision and on going training. Volunteer befriending can play a valuable part inhelping someone who has experienced mental health difficulties alleviate the problem ofsocial isolation.Isolation is a common problem for people suffering from a mental health disability andresearch has shown that support and social interaction is vital to assist in recovery. TheNorth Dublin Befriending Service hopes to bring people together for positive, supportiverelationships that will reduce the isolation often felt by those with a mental healthdisability. The stigma around mental health disabilities can often mean that individualsstruggle to reach out to people around them. This can create a vicious cycle - wherepeople with mental health problems are isolated within the community even though theyneed support and friendship to help them get well.90It should be noted that the North Dublin Befriending Service is an initiative which was initially funded by aDormant Accounts grant. At the end of the funding period the HSE took up the commitment to maintain thesupport to the North Dublin Befriending Service.118