The Long Way Home – Celebrating 30 Years of the Peter McVerry Trust

Broadcasting Jan 30, 31 & Feb 03 @ 6.30pm

Please note – On Wednesday January 29 at the Twisted Pepper (Middle Abbey St., Dublin 1) Jim Carroll of the Irish Times will interview Peter McVerry as part of the Banter sessions . Doors open at 6pm and the interview begins at 6.30pm. Admission is free and more information can be found on Jim’s blog here To coincide with this special interview Near FM will re-broadcast The Long Way Home on the dates & times above. Listen on the dial 90.3fm or online www.near.ie/listen-online

The Long Way Home is a three part series which pays tribute to the work of the Peter McVerry Trust and its commitment to those most marginalised in society. The series provides the listener with a greater level of understanding of the plight of homelessness in Dublin. This series of programmes are a cultural and historical document to the legacy of the Peter McVerry Trust, which celebrates its 30^th anniversary in 2013.

Programme 1 features a one to one interview with Peter McVerry as we learn how he began his work with homeless boys in the 1970s and explore the journey this work has taken over the thirty years since. Jan 30th @ 6.30pm

Programme 2 visits The Open Access Centre in Upper Sherrard Street, Dublin 1, which began as an administrative office for Fr. Peter McVerry and has developed into a drop-in centre for homeless people. Jan 31st @ 6.30pm

Programme 3 is a panel discussion focusing on general issues relating to homelessness. Appropriate vox-pops precede the discussion and get the participants talking about the topics. Feb 03rd @ 6.30pm

Listen on the dial 90.3fm or online www.near.ie/listen-online

Contributors:

Fr. Peter McVerry S.J., director and founder member of the Peter McVerry Trust and a member of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice team
Joy Smith, team leader Santry accommodation unit
Anne-Marie Connolly, Head of Fundraising and Communications
Fiona Lyons, Project Worker, Stabilisation Service
Sean Mulligan, Volunteer, Open Access Centre
Brian Friel, Head of Services
Darren Balfe, a resident in one of the Trust’s long-term independent living units
2 Clients, Open Access Centre (unnamed)
Dick Lavelle, founder member of Welcome Home and active fundraising participant
Dr. Eoin O’Sullivan, Senior Lecturer in Social Policy in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College, Dublin and lead editor of the European Journal of Homelessness
Catherine Maher, Head of Services, Focus Ireland, the housing and homeless charity