St. Gabriels
How will Bike Africa funding help – St Gabriel’s is delighted to be associated with Bike Africa 2009. The students and staff of St Gabriel’s would like to express their deepest gratitude to be chosen as one of the charities benefiting from this enormous undertaking. Any proceeds raised by Bike Africa and donated to St Gabriel’s will go directly to The St Gabriel’s Centre Hydrotherapy Pool Development Fund. Receiving local support from such a wonderful charity not only benefits St Gabriel’s School & Centre financially but also increases awareness of St Gabriel’s within the community. The Hydrotherapy Pool project cost 4.6m and received funding from the J.P. Mc Manus Golf Classic in 2005, however the very real challenge remains in clearing a debt of 1m on the Hydrotherapy pool itself. Being affiliated with Bike Africa and benefiting from much of its fundraising efforts will aid us even further in extinguishing that debt and fully enjoying all the advantages and benefits associated with the Hydrotherapy Pool.
About St Gabriel’s School and Centre -
St Gabriel’s School and Centre was founded in 1961 and is a Limerick based Voluntary Organisation with charity status. Located in Dooradoyle it provides disability services to children and young adults in the mid west region. St Gabriel’s School and Centre is widely recognised as a centre of excellence in the provision of quality therapy and educational services for up to 500 children and young adults. St Gabriel’s School and Centre comprises of; St Gabriel’s School for children with special needs, which is funded by the Department of Education and Sciences, and St Gabriel’s Centre, which provides health, related services to children and young adults with physical, sensory and/or multiple disabilities.
St Gabriel’s School offers individualised curriculum at primary and secondary level. The curriculum is broad based and is planned out by the teachers and adapted to suit the individual needs of students to help maximise their potential. Therapists and nursing staff employed through St Gabriel’s Centre provide health related services to students attending St Gabriel’s School.
St Gabriel’s Centre delivers a family orientated service. Specialist staff in the Centre work together to support the children and their family’s independence and inclusion into their communities. The Centre works in partnership with H.S.E. West who part fund the service through grant funding. A specialist team of highly skilled therapists from a wide range of clinical backgrounds including, speech and language, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, nursing, social work, early intervention specialists and orthotic specialists are employed by the centre for their specific and essential services.
Hydrotherapy Pool Project
One of the main aims of the St Gabriel’s Centre has always been to strive to develop and deliver specialised services to children with disabilities in the mid west region so that they and their families can avoid having to travel to Dublin to receive essential treatments. St Gabriel’s Centre identified a huge need for a Hydrotherapy Pool and development for this project commenced in 2007 and was completed and formally unveiled in Autumn 2008 with much anticipation and excitement amongst St Gabriel’s students and staff.
The 4.5m Hydrotherapy Pool Development is situated on the grounds of St Gabriel’s School and Centre. Children attending St Gabriel’s have a wide range of disabilities from mild to more significant often life limiting conditions. Availing of Hydrotherapy is of enormous benefit to them. Hydrotherapy relaxes muscle spasms, aids post-operative rehabilitation and creates both physical and psychological well being. The opening of this wonderful new facility means most importantly that children will no longer have to make the often arduous journey to Dublin to avail of hydrotherapy, thus cutting stress for the child and alleviating any extra pressure and difficulties that families already in extraordinary circumstances have to deal with.
Families with children who have high dependency needs and sensory processing difficulties have told us in the past of their reluctance to bring their child to a public swimming pool due to unsuitable changing facilities, water temperature that is often too cold and the negative elements of an over stimulating environment, all factors that can add to a child’s distress. The St Gabriel’s School and Centre Hydrotherapy Pool will have specially adapted features including changing rooms complete with hoists, trolleys and adjustable changing benches which will make access to the pool far more comfortable and accommodating. However these specially designed features have added considerably to the cost of the project with €30,000 being the average amount for one poolside hoist alone. It is only with the ongoing financial support from charities like Bike Africa and support from the Limerick community at large will we be able to complete our vision of delivering this much-needed facility.
Hydrotherapy also helps create a fun stress free environment for many children and fun is of course one of the most fundamental elements in any child’s life. Children with disabilities are often restricted from enjoying this simple pleasure. The Hydrotherapy Pool will help bring fun back into their lives with specialist staff delivering essential therapy treatments through water play, which in turn minimises pain and discomfort often associated with physiotherapy. The availability of a Hydrotherapy Pool in the region will mean that children with disabilities or those recovering from complex surgery will now be able to access essential treatment locally which will benefit their rehabilitation and generally create a better quality of life for children with disabilities who attend St Gabriel’s School and Centre.
In 1961 a group of Limerick business people came together with Arthur Crabtree, the founder of St Gabriel’s and used their own initiative and resources to build and develop a school and centre that would benefit and support children with disabilities throughout the mid west region. Fifty years later their contribution to the Limerick community is still hugely important and vital to so many people and its humble beginnings on St Joseph’s St should not be overlooked. The continuing development and expansion of the St Gabriel’s School and Centre over the years has been made possible in a very large way by fundraising efforts and charitable donations. Bike Africa 2009 is an inspiring undertaking showing us that aspirations and ambition similar to those traits employed by Arthur Crabtree and his accomplices, can result in wonderful achievements that will benefit many people on a grand scale. St Gabriel’s School and Centre wish the very best of luck to Bike Africa 2009 and offer our sincerest gratitude to Maghnus, Brian and David for all their efforts and contribution to the St Gabriel’s School and Centre Hydrotherapy Pool Project.
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