iAssist-NI is an organization with a charitable purpose to serve the community at its core. A significant part of our income is from local fundraising and grants which allows us to carry out diverse projects as well as providing befriending services to our service users. At these challenging times, we are even more reliant on external support to be able to continue providing these invaluable services.
We have been working with people from the BAME communities suffering long-term illnesses and disabilities and who have been living in Belfast for some years in a voluntary capacity, by providing them with befriending services at their homes. Our strategic plans to counter total isolation, especially at this crucial point, serves as a base for future communal development, reaffirming our mission and ambition.
The increased demand for services, a changing demographic in the service delivery area, have necessitated a re-evaluation of needs and resources. Some of the present issues we seek to address are new, while others are a re-emergence of perennial challenges. What has helped to influence this strategy includes, an increasing population of sick and disabled individuals from the BAME communities, government policies, changes in health and social care, and financial constraints. These factors have also enabled us to identify five key priorities and four potential areas of development that would not only benefit each individual but also the community as a whole, both short- and long-term.
Our aim is to support and empower people living with long-term illnesses and disabilities to make the most of life by supporting their well-being, facilitating absolute independence, and ensuring social participation in their own community.
We hope to collaborate with relevant bodies and eventually entering partnerships to build solid and sustainable working relationships, having the best interest of our service-users at heart. Combining our strategies with achievable innovations and a cautious risk-mitigation approach, we are confident that our broad vision will lead us towards setting the pace in these critical areas of support.
OUR MISSION
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT
To support people and individuals with health difficulties to live healthily and thus, enable them to live to their full potentials.
COPING WITH CHALLENGES
To develop a range of interventions and services that can help people/individuals suffering health difficulties to cope with challenging times.
SOCIAL INCLUSION
To work closely with people suffering health difficulties to improve engagement and participation so they can become an integral part of their Communities.
REDUCE ISOLATION
To help eliminate total isolation and its impact on health and well-being.
