Fréa Renewing Roots Community Stories | Winifred

Winifred* was initially referred to Fréa Renewing Roots by her sister who accessed support from Renewing Roots in 2024.

When she first made contact, Winifred stated that she knew she was born in an institution but had no documentation to prove this other than her birth certificate. We initially discussed completing a search for early life records before applying to the payment scheme.

Winifred has been living in abroad for five decades and now considers English to be her second language. She is not computer literate and has never had an email address. She lives with her son who works full-time and does not speak English but offered to support her where possible.

Winfred assumed she would not be able to receive redress as there are no specialist support services available in her area, making access to support from the Irish Embassy incredibly difficult.

Support Offered

Winifred’s birth certificate listed a county home as her place of birth. We were able to contact the payment scheme office on her behalf for guidance. We were advised that her birth certificate would be enough to submit an online application.

Fréa Renewing Roots supported Winifred to set up an email account and showed her how to take photographs of the documents required. We were able to act as a signatory for Winifred’s proof of identification. Because of her residency abroad, she did not have all the relevant documents for an application. Our support worker was able to liaise with the payment team to explain the situation and have alternative documents accepted. This meant that her application could go forward to be assessed.

Outcome and Follow Up

If successful in her application, Winifred plans to make a trip to Ireland with her son. Her son has never been to his ancestral homeland, and she has not been back for almost 50 years.

The Role of Renewing Roots

Fréa Renewing Roots was able to offer digital support, advice and advocacy for Winifred. Due to the lack of local specialist support services and her remote location, Winifred thought she would not be able to access the payment scheme or get accurate advice. We provided a listening ear and emotional support so that she felt confident enough to proceed with her application.

Without our support to overcome the digital barriers, Winifred would not have been able to complete an online application. We were able to advocate on Winifred’s behalf when her proof of address was initially refused. Without these efforts, Winifred’s application would have been rejected, and she would have been stopped from accessing the redress she is entitled to.

*name(s) have been changed