Westmeath Community Development

The Open Door Athlone

The Open Door project was first established in 2001 in Athlone and was one of the first projects of its kind in the country. Initially developed as a drop in centre for marginalized men, the project has developed over the years and now delivers training and one to one counseling to marginalized people in the county.

It has been supported over the years by FAS, DSAF, HSE, Westmeath County Council, Westmeath Employment Pact, Dept of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Midland Regional Drugs Taskforce. 

The project was started by Athlone Community Taskforce and became a WCD project in November 2007 as part of the cohesion process. It is now one of two Open Door projects in Co Westmeath, following the establishment of the Open Door project in Mullingar.

The Mission Statement

To support, facilitate and promote the development of marginalized clients, so that they may reach their fullest potential and thereby become valued members within their own lives homes and communities.

The objective of the project is to break the cycle or routine these men and women have adopted by engagement in activities and programmes identified by the participants themselves and the coordinator and staff. The projects’ work is solution focused rather than problem focused. We seek to change attitude, thinking and behaviour and serve as catalyst for empowerment and personal change.     

Our drop-in centre serves as a point of engagement and first place of interaction. Here the clients are befriended where trust and friendship are established. Limited recreational activities are on offer to the clients as is breakfast, light lunch, shower/shave facilities, washing machine, T.V. pool table etc. Staff at the centre may act in an advocacy role with other services on behalf of clients, i.e. HSE, DSFA, MQI and the Midland’s Simon as well as getting a picture of what the client’s world is like. Initially, a cushion time of weeks is afforded to each client to stabilize. During this time readiness to change, motivation levels, health needs, quality of life assessment, relationship status, are all undertaken so as to get a picture of the clients’ world.

Each client has the opportunity to engage in one-to-one counseling (Key Working) The Project manager and the Out Reach worker are both addiction counselors at the centre and engage the clients in key working and goal setting as well as looking at the issues such as addiction and problems existing in the client’s life.  A part-time Psychotherapist also works at the Centre. The work at the project takes a holistic approach.

Attendance is voluntary and became operational for women in September 2008.. The holistic approach along with a counseling ethos has proven to work for the men and women attending the Athlone Open-Door project and we continue to offer our services to clients in the greater Athlone area.

The drop-in centre is opened Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5:00pm. For further information contact Willie Mullin on 0906498909 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .