Margaret’s masks raise €1,500 for Friends of Arden House
IT was with great fanfare and a long awaited sigh of relief that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) made the move to a new state of the art building at Arden House in the Whitemill Industrial Estate in May. Now, the parents who fought so hard to ensure the move came to fruition are seeking the support of the general public in kitting it out and ensuring its a pleasant environment for kids who need to avail of its services.
The Friends of Arden House fundraising group was officially launched on Wednesday and received its first significant deposit into the coffers at Orla Hore’s Shop in Belvedere.
TDs Verona Murphy and Johnny Mythen were joined by a host of local councillors to hear what the Friends of Arden House are hoping to achieve and to witness Margaret Brennan handing over a cheque for €1,500 to get the ball rolling.
The money was raised after Margaret handsewed over 500 facemasks at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, while Orla Hore agreed to sell them in the landmark shop.
‘Initially I had just hoped to raise enough to buy a few toys,’ said retired school teacher Margaret. ‘I was really humbled by the demand. I suppose it’s a cause that’s close to many families and mental illness is something that affects many families.’
With the support of her own family, Margaret set about creating the one-woman production line and, from this simple idea, the new Friends of Arden House initiative has been born.
The overall aim of the group is to improve the environment for children attending Arden House, whether it’s with toys or things like comfy beanbags to sit on. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with this venture and people are asked to give what they can at gofundme. com/friends-of-arden-house.
The group, which also includes well-known local advocate and parent Raymond Shannon, has also vowed to continue the fight for a 24hour support service for children and inpatient treatment beds for children and adults, and they hope to meet with the new Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to discuss the matter further.