Frew welcomes continued funding for counselling support in Ballymena schools

Harryville, Ballykeel, and Camphill Primary Schools in Ballymena.

North Antrim MLA Paul Frew has welcomed confirmation from Communities Minister Gordon Lyons that vital funding will continue for Harryville, Ballykeel, and Camphill Primary Schools in Ballymena.

The funding – around £70,000 per year – will deliver Parent and Child Together Counselling and Therapeutic Support, a service that Mr Frew described as “absolutely essential” for children and families in the area.

Mr Frew revealed that the money had been at risk earlier this year after departmental proposals suggested reallocating the funding elsewhere due to changing priorities.

He explained:

“Earlier on this year it was proposed within the Department of Communities that money allocated for the work across the 3 schools, approx. £70,000 per year, would be allocated elsewhere because of different departmental priorities but there is absolutely no doubt this support is required more than ever considering the summer we have had in these areas and the vulnerability of so many children and families.”

The scheme has been in place for 16 years, but a change of provider meant the schools’ application was treated as a new one. The department had initially ruled that no new applications would be considered until 2027.

Following his correspondence with Minister Lyons in July, Mr Frew confirmed he received a letter on 29 August stating that funding would be allocated for the current financial year.

Mr Frew added:

“Is the Department of Communities the best place for this funding stream? That’s a reasonable question to ask but this support is so vital today that it must come from somewhere or lives will be impacted negatively, and children’s education will suffer.

“I really appreciate the Communities Minister Gordon Lyons stepping up and pushing back within his own department on this.”

Minister’s response

In his letter to Mr Frew, the Communities Minister said he recognised the need to support the emotional needs of children in Ballymena and has instructed officials to provide funding for the coming year as a “transition period” while longer-term solutions are explored.

Mr Lyons wrote:

“I recognise that there is a need to support the emotional needs of the children in the area and suggest that further discussions take place to ensure the programme is aligned with broader educational objectives as set out by the Department of Education and the Education Authority to determine a longer term solution.

“To support this I have asked that a meeting is arranged… In the interim, I have instructed officials to allocate additional funding to enable the proposed Parent and Child Together Counselling and Therapeutic Support to be delivered this financial year as a transition period to allow time for the schools to work to identify an alternate funder.”

He added that he hoped stakeholders would support efforts to “build community capacity to develop Ballymena going forward”.

The confirmation means that children and families at the three schools will continue to have access to counselling and therapeutic support during what both politicians described as a crucial time.