SAOIRSE32

Belfast Media
North Belfast News
BY ALANA FEARON

Plans for a new victims’ group spearheaded by two of North Belfast’s most prominent community figures were last night mired in controversy as established groups warned against an “unnecessary duplication” of services.

Already struggling for limited resources, victims’ groups serving the North Belfast area urged Raymond McCord and Fr Aidan Troy to rethink their plans to set up a new North Belfast-based victims’ support group.

The announcement this week by Mr McCord that he had “set the wheels in motion” for a six-member “truly representative, cross-community” victims’ group has left long-established groups baffled as to what the Shore Road man thinks he can add to victim support.

Incensed by what he claimed was an inference that current groups are not doing their jobs properly, Relatives For Justice (RFJ) spokesman Mark Thompson said North Belfast had “more than enough” services.

“I have to say I was completely surprised when I heard that Raymond and Fr Troy were in talks about a new victims’ group,” Mark said.

“North Belfast is serviced by four top-class victims’ organisations all working together and doing a sterling job and I fail to see what Mr McCord feels he can add.

Two decades

“Between the four groups we have dedicated more than two decades to victim support and with resources already stretched to the limit, a duplication of services will do more harm than good.”

But Mr McCord, whose son Raymond was murdered in 1997 by UVF men working for RUC Special Branch, said his group was not about criticising other victims’ groups or “filling gaps”.

Adamant that he would continue with his plans despite opposition, Mr McCord said his victims’ group would give victims “somewhere else to seek help”.

Experiences

“This group is not about undermining other groups or attacking them for something they have or have not done, this is about giving victims a say, a chance and another alternative,” he said.

“We want to use our personal experiences to help all those in similar situations.

“When we get up and running I believe people will come to us in confidence because we will be independent, completely representative and cross-community.”

Echoing RFJ’s concerns about unnecessary duplications, Alan McBride, Director of the WAVE Trauma Centre, urged Mr McCord to “look very carefully” at whether there was a gap in victims’ support services.

With RFJ, WAVE, the Shankill Stress and Support Clinic and Survivors of Trauma all doing fine work, Alan said there was an ample number of community groups reaching out to victims across the divide.

Role

“Perhaps there could be some role for Raymond’s group as a pressure or lobby group, but I would urge him to look very closely to see if there is a hole that needs plugged,” he said.

“He has done so much for his own cause and that of others and for that I have great respect for him, but a duplication of services is not the way forward.”

Defending Mr McCord’s “vision”, Fr Troy said there was no question of duplication and that the new group would not in any way overshadow established support groups.

Early stages

“I must stress that we are in the very early stages and everything is still up in the air,” the Holy Cross priest said.

“We need to get together formally and see where exactly we could be needed and what we could add to existing services.

“All we want to do is to work together and have a positive impact.”