Pieta House North West is no longer under threat following the ‘incredible’ response to this year’s Darkness Into Light Sunrise appeal.
The mental health charity has confirmed that no centres will be downgraded and a planned reduction in therapist hours has been paused.
The turnaround means that services will be potentially improved, rather than removed.
Local concerns surrounded Pieta House North West earlier this month after reports of staffing cuts and a significant reduction in services. The charity had said it was suffering a massive budget shortfall due to Covid-19 and the expected drop in donations from its main annual fundraiser – Darkness Into Light.
This year’s alternative Sunrise appeal raised €4 million and was boosted by a special edition of the Late Late Show the night before.
The charity now says it is in a “very different position”.
A spokesperson said: “We had been facing an existential funding crisis and had been taking some difficult steps to deal with it. However, owing to the enormous generosity of the people of Ireland and their obvious care for those suffering with their mental health, coupled with some additional funding from the HSE for 300 additional hours for high risk clients per week, we are now able to review our position much more positively.”
The review is expected to be completed in a couple of weeks.
Pieta House said their focus throughout is on meeting the significant demand for services nationwide and there will be no downgrading of centres.
Instead, there may be service improvements.
The spokesperson said: “We will be maintaining and potentially increasing our services to the public once our review is complete. We are currently engaged in a consultation process with staff. There will be some re-deployment of personnel with the intention of putting as much resources as possible into the frontline and therapist hours. We are looking to employ more therapists directly, rather than on contract, and we have paused a reduction in therapist hours pending the outcome of the review.
“In the meantime, we continue, during these restricted times, to deliver our services 24/7 by phone (1800 247 247) and txt (51444) and we encourage anyone who is feeling anxious or is struggling with mental health issues at the moment to reach out and talk to Pieta. We are there for you.”
