About Us
The origins of the Independent Living movement in Galway came about through the operation of a Community Employment Scheme that commenced on the 24th June of 1994.
This Scheme, which was funded by FÁS made it possible for a group of individuals with disabilities and other interested parties to establish the first ever Personal Assistant Service outside Dublin.
The funding covered the costs of employing a full-time Programme Manager and up to eighteen part-time participants. Of the eighteen participants, one was employed as the Office Administrator another was the Leader Co-ordinator and the remaining participants were employed as Personal Assistants to people with disabilities.
The service was originally based in a room of the private house of the first Programme Manager, a year later we moved to a small office in the west of the city and in February 1999 we moved into our current offices on east of the city.
The service operated using the title of “The Galway Centre for Independent Living”, this situation continued until March of 1999 when the sponsor group became a registered Company limited by guarantee “The Galway Centre for Independent Living Limited”.
This move was brought about by the insistence of FÁS nationally that they would no longer be willing to fund a Community Employment Scheme sponsored by private individuals and would in the future only fund Schemes run by Registered Limited Companies, later that year we applied for and were successful in being granted Charitable Status.
In 2000 we received for the first time funding from the Western Health Board to supply a very limited Personal Assistants Service to people with disabilities, over the years this funding has increased ever so slowly to a point where in this financial year we expect to receive in excess of €250,00 to provide a Personal Assistants Service to people with disabilities.
2001 seen us being fortunate enough to have had the Bank of Ireland Group support us with the provision of a computer suite with Assistive Technology, currently we have the only fully accessible computer suite in Galway City & County (See Computer Suite)
Through the unbending dedication of our directors and the unselfish commitment of our staff we have had to date and continue to have many successes.
Over the years due to unmet demands we have branch outside the Personal Assistants Service and started to provide other services.(See Services)
Presently as well as the Personal Assistant Service we provide services in Access Consultancy, Accessible Transport, Audio and Braille Duplication and Computer Training.
Since 1994 the organisation has had many changes in the composition of the individuals that make up the management structure, initially the sponsor group of the Community Employment Scheme steered the organisation, today the organisation is a Registered Limited Company with all the legal requirement and responsibilities that that requires of the named individuals named below
Directors
- Jack Callanan (Chairperson)
- Sean Healy (Treasurer)
- John Raftery (Secretary)
- Theresa Cronin
- Stan Sjothun
- Bill Henderson
- Marlene O'Conner
At this point we would like to acknowledge the contribution of individuals who sadly are no longer with us.
- Bertie Tozer
- Tom Walsh
- Pat Menzies
- John A. Mitchell
- Peter Fitzpatrick