Chair's Message

This has been a year in which our many positive achievements have shone through the challenges we have faced.

While the past twelve months have undoubtedly been a period of profound challenge for our organisation and for the thousands of people we support every day across our range of projects, so too have they given us much to celebrate.

Where other organisations like ours were faced with severe restrictions – and sometimes outright closure – during the Covid pandemic, we ensured that our efforts to deliver the vital, life-changing services which so many have come to expect from our frontline projects remained largely unaffected.

Once again our teams across the country stepped up where they were needed most. Their dedication, resilience and ingenuity ensured that our services could be adapted to meet people at their point of need with as little disruption as possible.

I know that I speak for everyone on the Board of Extern Ireland when I say that we are immensely proud of our staff at all levels and in all parts of our organisation for the way in which they responded to this crisis.

We have continued to grow in 2021-22, and I was delighted to see another new project, the Intensive Family Support Service, joining our service portfolio. Meanwhile, the expansion of our ground-breaking Bail Supervision Scheme to two key new areas, as well as widening out from its original delivery area in Dublin, is testimony to the hard work and dedication of those teams in making this project such a success.

The rollout of our new Extern Extras volunteering campaign here for the first time will also be of great benefit for our profile across the country. I certainly look forward to seeing this grow and develop in the years ahead, and the impact that our new volunteer recruits will have upon the people we support.

Meanwhile, the acquisition of two new respite properties in Co Clare and Co Roscommon has been a fantastic boost for our work with vulnerable young people and those with an intellectual disability or autism, as well as their families and support networks. So much hard work has gone into acquiring these wonderful new sites, as well as in getting them fit for purpose and ready to receive visitors.

I was also pleased to see our fundraising work extend further across the country with our Safe Haven campaigns. These have played an important role in not only bringing in vital funds, but in helping to raise awareness of our work and of the issues being faced by so many young people in our communities.

The arrival of new colleagues onto our Board of Trustees and the additional skills and experience they bring to the organisation will be of immense benefit going forward. The launch of our new five-year strategy over the next year will also provide exciting new opportunities as well as a strong basis for further growth and development.

I would like to thank all those who have supported us through another year, including our much-valued commissioners and funders, without whom we would not be able to reach so many people. To my colleagues on the Board of Trustees too I extend my gratitude for their hard work, and I pay tribute to the Strategic Leadership Team who have continued to guide us through these difficult times. I also warmly thank our wonderful staff and volunteers for their ongoing commitment and professionalism.

And of course I extend my sincerest gratitude to our service users who once again place their trust in us to deliver on their behalf.

Jim Daly Chair, Extern Ireland