Bringing healing to victims and survivors

NICVA welcomes the Trauma Recovery Network into membership.

1. When did your organisation begin?

Trauma Recovery Network (TRN) was established June 2004 at a Derry based seminar. Its founding membership is made up of diverse organisations, ranging from local community projects to regional service providers from a cross sector background.

2. Sum up your activities

We are a regional network aiming to offer cross sector advocacy and support to groups of victims and survivors from Northern Ireland's political conflict and to those working with the impact of trauma, through a partnership and community development mode.

So far we have held three information and planning sessions, attended by 50 group representatives.

3. How many staff do you employee?

Currently we have one full time coordinator (myself), a part time administrative officer and a part time outsource finance officer.

4. What is your target audience?

We are still at the early developmental stage. We are consulting relevant groups and key players across Northern Ireland on the need for TRN and its role as an umbrella network.

To date TRN has been broadly welcomed as an independent dialogue forum and a potential bridgemaker between the sector and policymakers. A clear agenda for activities is emerging including information sharing and networking; a newsletter and website; lobbying; and organisational development.

5. Name your funders

We are funded by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland through Peace II.

6. What has been your organisation's proudest moment?

In November we are organising a major three day training seminar in Lusty Beg which will be facilitated by Larry Hellar, author and international authority on healing.

This event will be the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and will be an introduction to somatic experiencing - a bodywork approach to trauma recovery.

TRN welcome the opportunity to showcase the event which will facilitate the needs of project managers and clinicians.

7. What has been TRN's biggest obstacle?

Like any new organisation starting out, some of the biggest obstacles are practical, like getting an office, furniture and phone, but eventually acquiring an office base in NICVA has been of great assistance to us.