About ISAS
Our aims are to:
- Improve the quality of life of those who use our services.
- Identify those in need, whether because of disability, poor health, or discrimination.
- Offer a professional and culturally-sensitive service that fully meets the needs of people who come to us.
- Maintain and enhance the quality and effectiveness of our service.
History
The Irish Support and Advice Service was established in 1969 to meet the needs of Irish immigrants to West London, so that this year we will be celebrating our 40th anniversary. Initially ISAS worked in Hammersmith and Fulham, but service users now come from over twenty London boroughs, and ISAS has expanded its service to Ealing and South-West London. Funding for any charity is always a pressing need, as funders limit the timescale of their support, or withdraw from the sector. Over recent years ISAS has benefitted from consistent support from the DÃon (Shelter) Fund of the Irish government, but still has to find a considerable proportion of its income from other sources in order to ensure that the advice service is free to clients. Those who can contribute a nominal amount to the running of the social groups for pensioners. ISAS now employs specialist advisers to ensure that its services on welfare, housing, finance, and health matters meet full professional standards.Â
Why is ISAS needed?
Historically the Irish have been an almost invisible ethnic minority group, even though some of its members suffer from problems often found in migrant communities.  As a consequence, the Irish have often been overlooked by both statutory and voluntary services, and this was why ISAS, and comparable services elsewhere in Britain, were established.  They all endeavour to ensure that vulnerable Irish people who were not getting the assistance they needed could get help within their community. When people come to ISAS, they appreciate finding advisers who know about Ireland and understand the experience of Irish migrants.
Research shows that Irish people in England
- have worse health than the Irish in Ireland;
- have exceptionally high rates of cancer, heart disease, fatal accidents and suicide;
- have higher than normal rates of mental illness and social disadvantage;
- are very likely to live in isolation or be homeless.
The problems, then, are considerable and evident, and ISAS works in partnership with other Irish agencies, local voluntary organisations and statutory services to ensure that each client’s needs are met.Â
ISAS now needs to expand its activities to meet the changing needs of the Irish communities that it currently serves and those in other London boroughs who access our services. Our financial records show that ISAS operates an efficient, cost-effective service, but in order to ensure that our service continues to develop, and to enable us to achieve our aims for expansion, we need a considerable increase in the donations and grants we receive.
What do people say about ISAS?
The following quotations and stories all come from users of our services, and names have been changed in order to protect their identity.
“You will never know how much you changed our lives.” Nancy, 67 & Joe 74
“I had just retired and moved into sheltered housing, where people seemed very unfriendly, so I thought about moving back to Ireland. Then I learned that I had a serious medical condition, and this news made me depressed. However, I started going to the pensioners group and made new friends. They helped me over my depression, so now I think I will stay.” Maighread, 62
“I thoroughly enjoy attending the club. It gives me an opportunity to meet and mix with other Irish members over a cup of tea. I’m sure it stops many Irish people from getting lonely and isolated. We would be lost without it.” Eilish, 70
“I found out about ISAS when I joined the pensioners group. I’m in my nineties now, but I like living on my own. When I was ill I couldn’t get through to my GP, so I called ISAS and they got the medicine brought round for me. I like knowing I can call on them, and go on going to the group.” Jim, 94
“I have some disability, and I was told that new legislation meant I could no longer have help at home. The ISAS adviser assured me I was entitled to help. She got me an increase in my pension credit, and now I have regular care helping me to keep going at home.” Aileen, 73
Muriel died with no known relatives. ISAS was able to trace members of the family in Ireland who had been trying to find her. This meant they were able to attend her funeral, and ISAS helped to arrange burial in her home town.
“I was sleeping rough, in an old abandoned car. Then someone I used work with told me about ISAS. I came along, and they got me into sheltered housing.  I’m OK now. ISAS got me what I needed.” Jerry, 63
“I felt very bad about myself because I was drinking and had health problems. I thought about trying to move away and get into sheltered housing. Then someone brought me along to the pensioners group. I talked to the adviser about drinking as a disease, and now I go to Alcoholics Anonymous. I’m not going to move, I like going to the group, I have friends there and I can help now.” Rose, 63
Mike’s neighbours phoned ISAS because he was disabled and could not care for himself. The ISAS adviser who called to see him found that Social Services were not doing all they could. The adviser got them to provide a motorised bed. Then Mike learned that his brother had died in Ireland. The adviser traced his family and a nephew came to visit. A few months later, Mike died, and the adviser helped the family to make the funeral arrangements.
How ISAS is managed
The “Irish Support & Advice Service” is the operating name of the Irish Charitable Trust. The Trust is registered with the Charity Commission and with Companies House; this means that anyone can check that the Trust reports regularly to these bodies on its activities and provides full accounts for the money it receives. The Trust is managed by a Board whose members are all volunteers and come from various walks of life. They are responsible for ensuring that ISAS is properly administered and managed, and for overseeing the planning of its activities, and monitoring and evaluating these. The Board helps plan and carry out fundraising for the Service, and reports to major donors. There is an Annual General Meeting which anyone can attend and where the officers of the Board, and the Director, report publicly on the activities of the previous year.
The Service is managed by a Director, who leads a team of five advisers. They are supported by volunteers who contribute in a variety of ways to helping the team to carry out their duties.
