Irish Welfare and Information Centre - Campaign to reinstate funding

Formed in 1957, the Irish Welfare and Information Centre (IWIC) is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee.

Since its inception 50 years ago, it has grown from a dedicated staff of 4 to the present 30, who are aided by over 50 invaluable volunteers. Each year, the IWIC deal with over 40,000 telephone enquiries and help almost 10,000 people through a range of projects and services such as:

Advice, information and general help, with crisis intervention where appropriate
Primary Care project
Social inclusion and outreach surgeries
Alcohol and substance misuse project
Older Irish adults drop in centre

Many of the individuals they help live in extreme deprivation and have complex needs, such as health, homelessness, debt or are lonely and isolated and unable to cope with personal hygiene, toileting etc because of disability or mobility. A number of the people who access the service do so specifically, as they have been victims of discrimination in their earlier life when it was acceptable to be racially abusive.

The IWIC has traditionally used funding from Birmingham City Council's Community Initiative to support its front line general help, advice and information service. Without this funding, there will be a devastating reduction in the valuable work of the Irish Welfare and Information Centre.

This cut will also have a knock on effect in the wider community as IWIC is relied upon by a number of other statutory and voluntary organisations such as hospitals, GPs CABs, Age Concern, housing associations, churches and Social Services.