Audio version

27

HEALTH & HABITAT

June/July 2013 www.esb.ie/em

LOAN APPLICATIONS MADE EASIER

- you spoke, we listened!

ST. PATRICK'S CREDIT UNION (ESB STAFF) LTD.

By Simon Dunne

AS A RESULT of listening to our members’ feedback and having joined the Irish Credit Bureau (ICB), we are delighted to announce that the requirement for supporting documents required for certain loan applications has been significantly reduced. Supporting documents are not required:

• where the proposed total loan balance is within shares*

• where the proposed total loan balance is within €5,000 above shares*+

• where the member is applying for a loan of up to €2,000 in a calendar year*+

*Assuming the ICB check is clear.

+The Credit Union reserves the right to request documents in certain circumstances.

For all other loan applications we require only the documents below (copies and electronic print-outs are acceptable):

• One recent payslip

• Bank account statement for the previous two months

• Credit card statement (if applicable) for the previous month

If members choose to include their spouse's or partner's income on the application we will require the documents above plus a salary certificate, which can be downloaded from www.stpatrickscu.ie or sent out by phoning 01 632 5100. This certificate is a confirmation of salary and employment status and needs to be completed by the spouse's/partner's employer.

We trust this will make applying for a loan simpler in future and we thank all our members for their feedback and ongoing support.

St Patrick's Credit Union Competition

Win an iPod nano!

To be in with a chance of winning please answer the following question and text your answer to 087 985 8238 in the following format:

‘CUCOMP’ followed by your answer (i.e. a, b or c) and your name. What is the current standard variable loan rate? a) 6.5% b) 7.5% c) 8.5%

Important: only one entry per person, no mail entries acceptable, and the closing date is July 31st 2013.

Last issue's winner was Eleanor Lane, working in Dunmanway. Congratulations Eleanor and your iPod nano is on the way out to you.

SPORTSCO Summer Camp

CAMP DATES:

1) 8TH - 12TH JULY
2) 15TH - 19TH JULY
3) 22ND - 26TH JULY
4) 29TH - 2ND AUGUST
5) 12TH - 16TH AUGUST
6) 19TH - 23RD AUGUST

Ages: 4-12yrs

Pre/after care available:

8.30am-9.30am/4pm-5.30pm.

Camp times: 9.30am - 4.00pm VOUCHERS AVAILABLE

• Swimming & pool games

• Mini sports lessons • Basketball

• Unihoc • Tennis

• Table quiz • Arts & crafts

• Kung-Fu • Educational talks

Programme may vary from week-to-week, please check beforehand. Forms available at reception and on the website.

ESB Hillwalkers' Club

ESB Hillwalkers’ Club members pictured on Tonelagee Mountain, over-looking the Wicklow Gap on Sunday May 19th. The club will be heading to Provence, France for their annual week of hillwalking in September. The group will stay at Chateau Laval in Greoux-les-Bains. Vincent Lamy of Franceoutdoors will be their guide for the week.

EMPLOYEE WELLBEING TEAM BSC

Buddy Supports Persons pictured (front row, l-r): Mary Gaffney, BSC; Martina Mannix, EAP; Mary Bourke, Castlebar; Orla Gardiner, BSC; and Ml O'Brien, Sligo. Second row: Elaine Fey, Electric Ireland; Sharon Hurley Wilton; Cindy O'Connor, Pieta House; Geraldine O'Connor, EAP, Limerick; and Seamus O'Reilly, EAP, Sligo. Third row: Niall O'Connor, EAP, Dublin; Peter Murphy, BSC; Leon Brinkley, BSC; and Fintan Dunne, Portlaoise. Fourth row: David Mitchell, Pieta House; and John Searson, Pieta House.

MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH IS something we all have and it's an essential part of each of us. The World Health Organisation states that ‘there is no health without mental health'. Mental health problems include a wide range of experiences; some problems may be quite mild or moderate, while others may take on a more severe form, affecting a person's ability to cope with day-to-day living.

According to some estimates, one person in four may have some form of mental health problem in their lifetime. For as many as one person in 50, this problem will be serious enough to affect their ability to work or to form and maintain personal relationships.

There are many symptoms and signs people may not be aware of when being affected by mental health issues and they are much broader then just stress or depression. Things such as losing interest in activities and tasks that were previously enjoyed, extreme feelings of guilt, poor performance at work, hearing and seeing things that others don't, and something as simple as changes in eating habits. Sometimes symptoms of a mental health disorder appear as physical problems, such as abdominal pain, back pain, headache, or other unexplained aches and pains. All of these signs can vary in severity. Often they can be relatively minor, or pass quickly. However, if they are particularly severe or distressing, or continue for more than a short while, you may want to seek support.

If your loved one shows signs of mental illness, have an open and honest discussion with him or her about your concerns. You may not be able to force someone to seek professional care, but you can offer encouragement and support. You can also help your loved one find a qualified doctor or mental health provider and make an appointment.

‘MIND UR BUDDY’ PROGRAMME

FOLLOWING ON FROM the feature in the last edition of EM 11, staff volunteers have now been trained and are ready to take on the role of Buddy Support Person (BSP) in order to be able to offer immediate support to any of their colleagues who may be feeling suicidal or acutely distressed.

The BSPs have been trained by Pieta House in their Ask, Persuade, Refer (APR) approach i.e.

• Ask your colleague how he or she is feeling and if he or she is suicidal

• Persuade your colleague to seek help

• Refer your colleague to a qualified counsellor

Under the pilot scheme staff members, who are feeling suicidal, will be able to contact any of the Buddy Support Persons, in confidence, for help and guidance. The BSP will meet with / talk to the staff member and explain how the scheme works. The BSP will try to reassure the staff member that what they are feeling is normal and that, regardless how difficult the problem seems to be, immediate professional help is available free of charge.

The Buddy Support Person will have the name and contact details of a designated Pieta House Therapist who will be available to meet or talk with the BSP and take the referral. Pieta House will offer a programme of professional counselling in order to guide the staff member through the crisis and help him/her take control of the problem and get emotions and feelings back to normal. A BSP will offer full confidentiality in so far as is possible. However, this confidentiality can be breached in situations where the staff member does not wish to avail of professional help and the BSP feels the staff member's life is in danger.

BUDDY SUPPORT PERSONS