Arc House cancer support service was set up in Cork in 2003 with the aim of providing complementary and holistic support to people and their families during and after cancer treatment. Sixteen years on, ARC House has established itself as an integral part of the community, helping people affected by cancer in the Munster region.
From the beginning Meadows & Byrne has been honoured to support this amazing organisation to help create a space that reflects the warm, welcoming and supportive ethos of the organisation.
So when the chance came to bring a little M&B luxury to the new ARC House premises in Cork we were delighted to continue that relationship that began so many years ago.
ARC House, Sarsfield Road, Cork
A New Begining
After months of hard work by the ARC House team, they have proudly opened their doors. The new space can facilitate more people and provide more services like art therapy, yoga, nutritional advice, bereavement support and drop-in counselling.
ARC House, Sarsfield Road, Cork.
Located on Sarsfield Road in Cork, from the minute you walk in you can feel the spirit of ARC House reflected in the carefully thought out space. The opposite of a hospital atmosphere, the house has a welcoming and warm feeling that puts you at ease straight away, as does the smiling face who greets you.
The dedicated space for children & young adults at ARC House, Sarsfield Road, Cork
The greatest compliment that is often given to a place is “it feels like home” but ARC feels like even more than that. It is a haven with a calm, caring atmosphere created by the kind and talented individuals who make this service possible.
Recently we popped by to visit Aileen, CEO of ARC House for a chat about the new space and the future of ARC House.
A Chat With Aileen O’Neill, CEO of ARC House
Q. What does the new ARC House premises mean for those who reach out to ARC for support and for the staff who provide such a valuable service?
With the constant growth in demand for Cork ARC’s services, space had been at a premium at our premises at O’Donovan Rossa Road. People who reach out to us at our new home will find that gentle, kind and compassionate support that is the cornerstone of what Cork ARC is about. All of our services are free of charge and open to not just the person with a cancer diagnosis themselves, but also their family members and loved ones. Someone who has not accessed our services before can just drop in to meet with us and explore what supports they would like to avail of. For many people, their first contact with us is when they just pick up the phone to ask for support or advice. This contact can be at any stage of the person’s journey with a cancer diagnosis.
We continue to offer the services and supports that we did previously, such as one to one supports including counselling and complementary therapies. Our services are led by a core team of nurses with extensive oncology experience and the essence of our services is the homely, non-clinical surroundings, where someone affected by a cancer diagnosis can be cared for by our trained volunteers and professional staff and therapists.
The difference now is our capacity to offer more appointments from specially designed rooms and spaces, which offer much more privacy and comfort for our clients. We also have new larger group spaces which will accommodate group events and therapies which we would have had to deliver off-site previously. For the staff and volunteers, the new facilities for supporting the people of Cork gives great hope for the future of community based cancer support. Their professionalism and experience is highly valued and appreciated, and their dedication to the support that they give our visitors is truly unique.
ARC House, Sarsfield Road, Cork
Q. How has the support from the local community helped ARC with this project?
Cork ARC first delivered services in 2003 and has gone from strength to strength in that time in responding the growing and ever-changing needs of our clients. The support of the local community is what keeps Cork ARC’s doors open over all of that time, and is what has helped Cork ARC renovate this beautiful building, for use by the people of Cork for years to come.
We can only continue to welcome cancer patients and their families to Cork ARC to avail of our services free of charge because of the enormous generosity and goodwill we receive from the public. Our total Government funding annually is €45,000.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the local community for hosting fundraising events to support this project, as well as to the local businesses and corporate supporters who all together, are working to ensure that the people of Cork will continue to be supported by Cork ARC in our new centre.
ARC House, Sarsfield Road, Cork
Q. Now that the doors are officially open, how can the Cork community continue to support ARC?
For us to help others, we need the help of everybody in the community – the purchase and renovation cost for our new centre is €2.3m.
To support Cork ARC, we are asking the community to get involved in the ‘Make Room for Cork ARC’ campaign, and support the project by making a donation, lending corporate support, by buying a brick, organising or partaking in a fundraising event or by volunteering their time.
Professor Seamus O’Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist, is Cork ARC’s Co-Chair of the charity’s Board, and in adding his support the to #Room4ARC campaign, says:“Since 2003, Cork ARC has been there to help people at the most vulnerable time of their lives, delivering free, non-clinical services that have been proven to have a positive effect on clinical outcomes, and providing a range of essential supports not only to cancer sufferers but also to their families.
In 2019, those services are needed more than ever – since the first ARC house was developed, cancer has increased in Ireland by 7% per year. We’ve now outgrown the physical infrastructure of our current building. Sarsfield House will provide a more 21st-century appropriate infrastructure so we can better deliver the services that we know will have an impact on the lives of people with cancer – that is our mission.
To deliver our mission, we need your support – that is why I am calling on the people of Cork to Make Room for Cork ARC, and I have every confidence that this call will be answered.”
To support the campaign, visit Cork ARC’s fundraising website, www.room4arc.ie.
Q. What can people expect when they visit ARC House for the first time?
People visiting Cork ARC for the first time can expect a warm welcome to a homely place, a world away from clinics and hospital appointments. When our visitors arrive they ring a and are met by one of our team and taken to a cosy, comfortable room styled like a sitting room, where they will be listened to, and supported from the moment they arrive. They will be given the time to explore what next steps they would like to take and what services would be best to support them personally, whether those are on a one-to-one basis or with a group.
Our centre in Bantry offers the ethos and support and the service is open every Tuesday and Thursday. It is a haven of calm and tranquillity, located near Bantry Golf Course
Q. What is the best way for people to get in touch for more information on the support you provide at ARC?
Drop-in or telephone for support – you do not need to make an appointment.
Cork ARC Cancer Support House, Sarsfield Road, Wilton, Cork T12 EW9A
Tel 021 427 6688
Opening hours
Monday to Thursday 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Friday 9.30 am – 3.00 pm
Cork ARC Cancer Support House,Bayview, Goureebeg, Bantry, Co. Cork
Tel (027) 53891
Opening hours
Tuesday & Thursday 10 am – 4 pm
email [email protected]
www.corkcancersupport.ie
#Room4ARC
We want to say a big thanks to Aileen for taking the time to chat with us. We look forward to continuing to work with her the team at ARC House for many years to come.
Leave a Reply