The Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor

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Child Contact Centre appeals for volunteers

Monday June 22nd 2015

The Central Belfast Contact Centre povides a neurtral venue for children and a non resident parent to spend time together.

The Central Belfast Contact Centre is appealing for volunteers to help maintain the vital service it offers to children and their families.

Originally established by Connor Mothers’ Union in St Stephen’s Church, Millfield, the Contact Centre is now based in Small Wonders 2 Daycare off Northumberland Street, and is run by an independent management committee.

Acting co-ordinator is Margaret Yarr, Child Protection Officer with the Church of Ireland. Margaret, a former Chair of the Contact Centre, said many of the volunteers are MU members, but that more help is needed.

The Centre, established in 2000, is affiliated to the National Association of Child Contact Centres. The United Nations Convention on the rights of the child advocates that children have a right to a relationship with both parents unless there is a compelling reason why this should not happen.

Acting co-ordinator of the Contact Centre is Margaret Yarr, Child Protection Officer with the Church of Ireland.

The Centre is child focused. The volunteers are impartial and do not take the side of either parent. They support the relationship between the child and the non-resident parent often through the medium of play.

The centre also facilitates contact between children and their birth parents where the children are in long term foster care and between children and grandparents and siblings.

The families who use the centre are referred by the courts or social services. The centre offers supported contact, not supervised, so the children who use it are not deemed to be at risk.

Their time spent in the centre means that a relationship can be established and nurtured and in time the centre is used as a pick up and drop off point before eventually both parent and child is able to get together elsewhere.

The Centre is open on Saturdays from 10am until 2pm. Four volunteers will be in the centre at any time during opening hours, with each volunteer doing two hours.

“We are looking for someone who has an interest in families and children and who can commit to volunteering for two hours once every three to four weeks,” said Margaret.

“At present we have 71 children from 48 families using the Centre. Not everyone comes every week, for some contact is only once a fortnight or once a month. The non-resident parents are mostly fathers, but we do have mothers and grandparents too.

“Volunteers provide tea and coffee, but it is mostly about taking time to chat. Sometimes we have very young fathers who may not have met their child before and they don’t quite know what to do with a small child and are looking for some guidance.”

Anyone interested in volunteering with the Central Belfast Contact Centre is asked to contact Margaret on cponi@ireland.anglican.org or telephone 028 9082 8862 or mobile 07864 709598.

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