Birr 20|20 Vision leading efforts to establish new Family Resource Centre

BIRR 20|20 Vision is working with multiple partners to establish a Family Resource Centre in Birr.

Birr 20|20 Vision was approached early in 2025 by Sabrina Carroll, Home School Community Liaison officer in St Brendan’s Community School and Oxmantown Primary School about the need for a concerted approach to support children, families and youth in the area.

There are very distinct gaps in services provided in the area, and as Birr has no active community centre or community hub, available facilities are also a hindrance to providing centralised accessible supports in the town and hinterland.

Birr 20|20 Vision’s mission statement states that “we assist local initiatives and drive development locally”. Tusla were opening an expression of interest window for the establishment of Family Resource Centres in March/April 2025 so supporting this project was a priority.

Birr FRC working Group was set up and are working with multiple partners to establish a Family Resource Centre as a welcoming, community hub that would provide accessible supports for children, families, and individuals across Birr Urban and Rural. An application was submitted to Tusla in May of 2025 with 26 letters of support from state partners and local clubs and organisations. While the need was defined and recognised, they were unsuccessful in that round of applications. The team is networking with other FRC’s in the region to understand what the key areas are to build a structure to run and operate an FRC in Birr.

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The community faces growing challenges, including youth anxiety and social withdrawal, school attendance issues, limited childcare and youth programmes, long waiting times for services, and increasing isolation among families, older residents and migrants. Many supports are overstretched or located outside the area, leaving people without help until problems reach crisis point. Some families must travel to Tullamore to access services. This places additional stress and anxiety on what is already a difficult situation. If a suitable facility was available in Birr, additional services indicated that they would provide outreach services not already based in Birr.

Serving a population of over 6,000 people, and with no existing community centre or community hub, Birr shows clear indicators of disadvantage, including unemployment, lone parent households, and educational barriers.

At the same time, strong collaboration already exists between schools, community organisations, and statutory services, providing a solid foundation to build a co-ordinated local response.

A Family Resource Centre would provide a central hub for counselling, parenting supports, and youth services. It will also deliver early intervention and prevention programmes, while strengthening co-ordination between local services. Other benefits of a Family Resource Centre are to reduce isolation and promote wellbeing, and empower volunteering, participation, and community leadership.

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This initiative aligns with county and national goals for inclusion, health, and sustainable communities. Establishing a Family Resource Centre would ease pressure on existing services and create lasting supports that will help local families thrive, locally. The aim of the centre is to create safe, inclusive community spaces, support lifelong learning and inclusion, develop capacity and resilience within the community.

They are holding an event on Monday next April 20th in the County Arms Hotel. Morning session 11.15am, evening session 7.15pm where you can have your voice heard.

They look forward to seeing you there.

Together, they can create a stronger, healthier, and more connected Birr.

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