(Photo caption: Pictured in the recreation room are some of the staff at SUAS. L-R are: Sarah Reynolds, Verona McGivern, Carmel O’Neill, and Niall Woods.)
On a day of blazing sunshine, Corlann’s SUAS Services opened its doors to show Ballinasloe the facilities they have developed in their new location in the last remaining original building of the old Workhouse – behind Mr. Price.
SUAS, which stands for Support, Upskill, Advocate, Socialise, is a service for adults with intellectual disabilities located in the town and run by Corlann (formerly the Brothers of Charity). They moved to their new building, which is centrally located, in July 2024. Their previous building in the town was no longer fit for purpose, says Geoff Quinlan, SUAS Services Manager and Social Work Team Leader.
There was substantial work to do on the new buildings, too, when they received the lease. “You could see from one end of the [main] building to the other,” Geoff says. SUAS, which is fully funded by the HSE, set about turning the space into a truly comprehensive and person-centred facility.
There is a large meeting room used for training and regular activities such as the Monday singing group, supplemented by two calming therapy rooms that host smaller group training sessions and one-to-one therapy sessions. A large kitchen with two cookers allows for cooking and meal preparation classes. The space is decorated throughout with artwork from people supported. Upstairs provides space for offices, a staff kitchen, and a second, smaller meeting room.
A second building, formerly used as staff toilets and changing rooms when it was Crazy Prices/Tesco, has been transformed into a recreation room. It includes a large TV, a pool table that can be flipped to become an air hockey table, and an Xbox. Meanwhile, the old trolley bay has been repurposed into a workshop and art space that has been creatively redecorated by the people supported.
SUAS have made a huge effort to ensure that the service is as inclusive as possible, and that the people supported are at the heart of everything they do. “All of our best ideas [for activities] come from the people we support,” says Geoff. They hold an annual AGM for people supported and their families, and those who use the service are asked to contribute their ideas on what they would like to achieve. These can range from one-off visits to a chocolate factory or the Oireachtas to suggestions for regular activities, like the singing group previously mentioned. Users of the service can also take part in schemes like EmployAbility.
The people supported are all enthusiastic about the services SUAS provides. One said: “I like coming to SUAS because I meet up with my keyworker and have a chat with her. I like to go to the sing along classes, the jewellery making, the basketball class, bocce class, gaming group, the baking group and the Friday sessions and meet new people.” Another adds: “It is good to try out new opportunities that we may not get to try out in our community.” A third person added that they enjoyed: “Making new friends, going on outings/nights away that we may have never went to before, like Mondello Park”.
SUAS services are open to anyone with a diagnosis of an intellectual disability living in the Ballinasloe region. For more information, please contact SUAS Services on 090 964 6400 or call in to see them. The service is located directly behind Mr Price on Sarsfield Rd, H53 A2X9.
