Irish Enterprise Awards 2021

EU BUSINESS NEWS /2021 Irish Enterprise Awards 65 , Best Chronic Pain Management Advisory Service 2021 For some, pain is not something unexpected and out of the blue, but a way of life. Finding ways of living with this pain can be immensely time-consuming, costly and exhausting to those who are already struggling. We take a look at the team fromChronic Pain Ireland CLG, the only national organisation providing information and support services to people living with chronic pain, to see how they’ve made a difference to thousands of lives. Chronic pain is pain that doesn’t go away. It’s unending. To the sufferer, it can be a challenge for a whole host of reasons, as they struggle to find ways to live with it as well as discover the cause and hopefully the solution. Since being established in 1992, the team at Chronic Pain Ireland has been committed to supporting those suffering from chronic pain, as well as their families and carers, health professionals, students, researchers and others interested in the field. The team is set apart from other organisations because it is unique in Ireland. No other organisation is as focused on the challenges of chronic pain as this intrepid team. Working as part of a greater alliance with the Irish Pain Society, the Faculty of Pain Medicine and CAI, the team hope to establish a Societal Impact of Pain chapter in Ireland. This will be one of eight SIP national platforms in Europe and provide a useful focal point for those wanting to discover more about this issue. Much of the team’s current success comes from their unique knowledge, which has seen them providing information, running workshops and providing support lines for those who have chronic pain. Chronic Pain Ireland is the ideal meeting point for many, as it creates an environment where members can talk and network with others. The membership of this charity organisations forms its heart, as it gives the team a direct relationship with those who it is representing. Over the years, Chronic Pain Ireland has transformed awareness of this issue, but there is still a lot of work yet to do. The various lockdowns have had a major impact on the services on offer, with the team’s operations moving from office-based to working from home. This was achieved swiftly, thanks in part to a grant from the Hospital Saturday Fund. Most charities have seen a significant drop in funding as fundraising events and donations have dried up. The pandemic saw many charity members self-isolating as far as possible, even as restrictions have lifted. To support them, the team have provided more online services, which has reached an incredible amount of people. While some members have a lack of access or fear of technology, one of the aims throughout the pandemic has been to assist them so that they can have contact with the Chronic Pain Ireland team. Feb21177 As the world returns to a new normal, the Chronic Pain Ireland team intend to continue their work, engaging all stakeholders in the furthering of their vision and mission to raise awareness of chronic pain within the community. The services that the team offer have never gone out of demand, and expanding their reach to more local communities with online webinars and events as well as the resumption of in-person workshops, talks and events is top of the list. There is a stigma around chronic pain that has formed because people either don’t know or don’t understand it. The team at Chronic Pain Ireland has made it their mission to address that stigma and involve people at every level in its correction. We celebrate the team’s success as they move forward into a bold new future. Company: Chronic Pain Ireland CLG Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.chronicpain.ie