EMERGENCY funding for a suicide intervention agency facing collapse will enable the service to continue until next year.
Health Minister Robin Swann announced funding of £60,000 to maintain the Community Crisis Intervention Service (CCIS) in Derry.
The organisation, which provides critical and immediate interventions to people in crisis, faced being wound up by the end of this month due to a lack of funding.
Commissioned by Derry City and Strabane District Council, CCIS responds to vulnerable people who may be at risk of suicide or self-harm. CCIS offers help for those experiencing “social, emotional or situational” distress.
Mr Swann’s announcement of funding coincided with yesterday’s World Suicide Prevention Day.
The minister’s intervention, allowing the service to continue until the end of March, was welcomed by CCIS manager, Joe Thompson.
“Since it began operating over each weekend last year, it has now delivered over 475 time critical and immediate interventions to people in crisis,” he said.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood welcomed the announcement but said that “sustainable long-term funding” was needed for such projects.
Derry and Strabane mayor, Brian Tierney said Mr Swann’s announcement would provide a lifeline for both the CCIS and those it supported.
