Delta Centre expands town services to former Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank on Kennedy Avenue. Photo: michaelorourkephotography.ie
SINCE the inception of the Delta Centre in 1990, the service has been at the heart of the provision of care for individuals with disabilities locally.
Founded through the lobbying work of the parents and friends’ association, the centre has continually developed and services have grown over the years. Delta now offers day service support to 135 people each week. As numbers using the service have grown, so too has the need to develop new locations.
Last year, a new day service opened in Hanover House, which CEO Joe Meany describes as a “great success”.
“From the day the new town location opened its doors, it became very clear of the benefits of a town centre location, and if there was any doubt, the people who used the new location removed it completely for us,” he said.
A second day service is now planned for Carlow town, to help further improve access to community facilities. The Delta Centre recently purchased the old Ulster Bank building on Kennedy Avenue. Joe told The Nationalist: “This is the culmination of a lot of work over the last three to four years and it was achieved with the support and vision of the board of trustees and the support of the HSE disability team.” When the former Ulster Bank building came up for sale last year, it was quickly established that, once refurbished, the building would be a “fantastic” location.
“The new location will provide easy access to local recreational options, educational venues and potential work locations for individuals who use our service,” added Joe.
That refurbishment is underway and it is hoped to deliver day services on site from September 2025.
Delta also provides residential care, supporting 43 people in total across 15 houses located across Carlow town. Since 2022, the organisation has provided a regional respite service to 65 individuals and their families annually.
Joe says the biggest challenge now faced is recruitment.
“Recruitment is a challenge in care services across the country and Delta Centre is no different, so we are actively recruiting for several disciplines, including social care workers, care assistants and nurses. People who are interested can check out our website or drop into Delta Centre directly and we will be happy to answer any questions they might have,” he said.
