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A €7.3 million cross-border social prescribing project led by Clanrye Group has been formally launched at the Ballymascanlon Hotel, Dundalk. The project, called REACH, is designed to support approximately 7,500 participants, including at least 3,000 families, with mental health, family wellbeing and social inclusion. It is supported by PEACEPLUS and will create around 50 new posts, taking Clanrye Group’s workforce beyond 200 employees.
Clanrye Group is leading REACH in partnership with Teach na nDaoine Family Resource Centre, Monaghan, and County Down Rural Community Network (CDRCN). The project will operate in the Southern and South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust areas and the North-East Border Region, including Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Louth.
The recruitment of around 50 posts across the partnership will strengthen Clanrye Group’s role as a major community sector employer in Newry, Mourne and Down and the wider border region. The project will also strengthen collaboration between health and social care services and the community and voluntary sector, helping to create more joined-up and preventative approaches to health and wellbeing.
Liam Devine, CEO of Clanrye Group, said: “REACH represents a significant investment in the health and wellbeing of people and communities across this region. Social prescribing starts with the person and what is happening in their life. Someone may go to their GP because they are anxious or struggling with their mental health, but behind that could be isolation, unemployment, financial pressures, caring responsibilities or difficulties within the family. REACH is about connecting that person or family with the right support in their community and addressing those underlying issues before they escalate.
“Through our existing work, we already see the difference that practical, community-based support can make. REACH gives us the opportunity to build on that approach on a much greater scale, working with partners on both sides of the border to support thousands of people and families.”
Each participant will be allocated a Social Prescriber who will work with them to identify their needs, develop a personalised action plan and connect them to appropriate supports. Participants may also receive support from a Community Connector, who will help them access local activities, services, peer support opportunities and community networks to achieve their goals and improve their wellbeing.
The project will support adults, children and wider families experiencing social, physical, mental or emotional wellbeing challenges, connecting them with practical, non-clinical support in their communities. It is set up to help people facing social isolation, addiction, trauma, bereavement, caring responsibilities, poverty, unemployment, depression and anxiety. REACH will take a whole-family approach, recognising that the same circumstances can affect different family members in different ways.
Health Minister Robbie Butler MLA said: “As Health Minister, I am particularly pleased to support initiatives like REACH that focus on improving mental health, strengthening family wellbeing, promoting social inclusion, and reducing health inequalities. These approaches not only improve outcomes for individuals and families but also contribute to healthier and more resilient communities for the future.
“We know that good health and wellbeing are shaped by more than clinical services. Issues such as isolation, poverty, caring responsibilities, trauma, bereavement, addiction, unemployment, and poor mental health can affect individuals and families in complex and interconnected ways and that timely support within local communities can make a profound difference to people’s lives.”
Irish Minister of State with Responsibility for Mental Health Mary Butler TD said: “Strengthening mental health supports for children and young people, expanding early intervention services, and ensuring families can access help in their own communities are key priorities for Government. I am very pleased to mark the launch of the REACH Project through the PEACEPLUS programme, which reflects our shared commitment to improving wellbeing and supporting children to thrive.”
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre added: “REACH is an excellent example of the practical benefits that cross-border co-operation can deliver for people and families. Through more than €7.3 million of PEACEPLUS funding, the project will connect 7,500 people with community-based support tailored to their individual circumstances.”
REACH has been awarded more than €7.3 million through the Collaborative Health and Social Care Investment Area of PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The project will run until June 2029 and represents a total investment of €7,390,760.
PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of Ireland, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
