Support Survivors
your offer of support by volunteering help may benefit the lives
of survivors in despair
About volunteer blog project CB
Project CB is a free volunteer blog project to help bring awareness of ongoing volunteering in education and support survivors of institutional abuse issues.
​
This blog is inspired by the lifelong inspirations, and aspirations of the late champion campaigner, volunteer, former abuse survivor and charity co-founder Christine Buckley who was a qualified nurse, midwife and mother who gave everything she had to do her best to try to expose institutionalised abuse of children in Ireland in 1940's, 1950's, 1960's.
​
During Christine's life-long campaign she advocated and campaigned for free counselling and education support for all survivors of institutional abuse (for all those abused in Ireland from period before 1940's to the present day abuses of all those institutionalised and help for their relatives).
​
Since Christine told her true story on the Irish airwaves in the early 1990's many thousands survivors of industrial schools; "orphanages"; reformatory schools; Magdalene Laundries / Asylums / Refuges; County Homes and "Mother & Baby homes" (public and private as well as religious run or lay-run) have attended her charity centre for education and support.
​
Inquiries and Commissions into institutionalisation continue to the present day.
Survivors dates of significance
President meets abuse survivors
28.06.2009
Christine Buckley's anniversary
11.03.2014
Help to host free Information Sessions
In 2019 please feel free to host your own free information session, creative or artistic project or music recital to include some survivors of institutional abuse, some relatives and some supporters. Thank you.
My name is Cliona, daughter of Christine Buckley.
I am interested in ongoing volunteer support of survivors issues.
I am also interested in the various history projects of survivors.
I am not a journalist. I am not an academic.
​
As Christine's daughter I am not directly involved with my mother's part-H.S.E. funded charity.
Though I am a supporter of education and support of all survivors interested in volunteer projects helping with highlighting survivors ongoing issues.
I am aware that there is a deficit in awareness around survivors despair.
​
There are ongoing information sessions (not organised by me)
in various parts of the country highlighting survivors issues.
​
One example of a successful information session was in March 2019: Galway hosted the first Galway History Festival
where various survivors, relatives and supporters of those in various former "Mother & Baby Homes" gathered with panel discussion speakers including Catherine Corless and Conall Ó Fátharta.
​
Another example in March 2019 was @waterfordmemoriesproject (a community-led oral history project focusing on those who lived and worked within the local laundry and Industrial school) where there was a gathering at Waterford Institute of Technology of survivors, relatives and supporters remembering Magdalene laundry & industrial school histories and highlighting ongoing issues of survivors.
​
For International Women's Day 08.03.19 The Waterford Memories Project
highlighted true story of survivor Elizabeth Coppin at Waterford Institute of Technology.
​
One exhibition free to the public via Museum stop on red luas line:
Help Support
If you are interested in education and support especially in relation to the arts, crafts, music and drama - please help to support survivors of institutional abuse and their relatives.
Your local college would have links to information on how to get involved.
Poem for Christine by one volunteer Gráinne Jordan
​
She didn’t just drift in - she landed In a frenzy of laughter and wit…..
​
Lit up the room like a beacon,
Right there in the middle she’d sit!
Her stories were never that simple -
There was always the Drama - the ‘Twist’
Captivating her mesmerized listeners
She held in the palm of her fist!
One gripping tale after another
Of fights with the powers that be
After bruising encounters with Christine
To her many demands, they’d agree!
Using all of her charms she enchanted Journalists, Bishops, T.D’s
The Media all sought her attention
When Trinity conferred her PhD.
Her passion for justice consumed her…
A survivor who furrowed the way
For a Haven of healing and comfort
And in Aislinn, her vision will stay.
While the World speaks of Christine:
‘The Warrior’ Who fought for her cause 'til the end
To those of us gathered who loved her
She’ll always be Christine……Dear Friend.
​
Ar Dheis Dé….tá fhios again go bhfuil sí
Leis na h-Aingeal, ‘s gach dea dhuine chaoin
Ach ní dheanfaidh muid dearmad go deo uirthí
Slán agus Beannacht Christine.